中文
People conduct rescue work after Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, October 19, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]
By Kamal Uddin Mazumder
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to turn Gaza into a "deserted island" in the aftermath of Hamas' lightning strike on October 7. Since then, Israel has continued to bomb Gaza, razing schools, hospitals, media centers and mosques. According to Human Rights Watch, Israel is employing dangerous white phosphorous bombs, a chemical weapon whose use constitutes a war crime. So far, at least 1,400 people have been killed in Israel and nearly 4,100 in Gaza, including 1,500 children.
As Israel continues its barbaric attack, China and the Islamic world have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a two-state solution. However, it is terribly regrettable that the hypocritical West is not only ignoring Israel's war crimes but also openly supporting and encouraging the dehumanization of Palestinians. Every time an Israeli fighter aircraft bombs Gaza, Western governments queue up to declare that they "stand with Israel" and that "Israel has the right to defend itself."
U.S. President Joe Biden has wasted no time in condemning "evil" Hamas and announcing further military aid as well as the deployment of its most sophisticated aircraft carrier to the Eastern Mediterranean. Israeli strikes in Gaza are predominantly carried out by airplanes, the majority of which are imported from Washington and paid for by American taxpayers. Between 1946 and 2023, Israel received $263 billion from the United States, the primary donor of the Israel Defense Forces' massive budget. This huge military aid package to Israel has a significant influence on the current devastation and bloodshed in Gaza.
While multiple U.S. statutes stipulate that any country receiving U.S. security aid must adhere to particular human rights standards, this is not the case with Israel. The lack of openness in American weapons sales to Israel has long been a source of concern, even to members of Congress. The U.S.'s unwillingness to set substantial limits on its security aid to Israel contradicts its long-standing commitment to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian problem. Through its military commitments to Israel, the U.S. is actually sponsoring each of Israel's destructive operations in Palestine.
The double standards of Western imperialism are on full display in regard to the so-called right of Israel to self-defense. Ukraine was heavily equipped to fight Russia on their behalf, with the justification that an occupied people had the right to resist occupation. However, this privilege mysteriously disappears when it comes to Palestinians. While the West refers to Ukrainians as "heroes," the Palestinian groups are labeled as "terrorists." Obviously, not everyone has the freedom to choose their own destiny!
The UN Security Council holds a vote for a Russian-drafted resolution that calls for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, at the UN headquarters in New York, U.S., October 16, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]
In the name of self-defense, Israel is seeking to justify what would amount to ethnic cleansing, as UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said. Ironically, Western capitals under the leadership of Washington have kept quiet about Israel's flagrant human rights violations. The Palestinian envoy to Japan, Waleed Siam, has been critical of Western hypocrisy and "narrow lens" analysis of the situation in the Middle East. The Financial Times also pointed out in a recent story that Western backing for Israel's onslaught on the Gaza Strip has weakened developing nations' commitment to Ukraine and sparked allegations of hypocrisy against the U.S. and EU.
It is blatantly untrue to claim that the U.S.-Israel "bond" is about defending democracy. Rather, it has always been, and still is, about American imperial interests in the region. The U.S. sees Israel as a critical strategic ally in the Middle East. The reality is that these so-called democracy promoters are all too often either warmongers themselves or act as their guardians. For example, U.S. politicians have waged two decades of deadly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, killing hundreds of thousands of people. They bombarded countries such as Libya, Syria, and Sudan in the name of democracy and human rights, with little concern for innocent victims.
The West portrays itself as the champion of free speech and the global forerunner of civil rights. The way they responded to the current Palestine situation, however, paints a different picture. They showed no compassion for the victims of Gaza. Even so, they are not permitting any kind of protest against the indiscriminate killing of innocent Palestinians. Pro-Palestine demonstrations have been outlawed in France, Germany, and Hungary. Surprisingly, UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has asked police to consider waving the Palestinian flag as a crime.
It is difficult to ignore that the mainstream U.S. media has widely broadcast its one-sided, ahistorical narrative in favor of Israeli intervention. It is even more disturbing to learn that dissident voices in favor of Palestine are being silenced in an orchestrated manner. Max Tani, a prominent journalist who works for Semafor, claims that MSNBC has discreetly fired three Muslim broadcasters.
Last but not least, the West must keep in mind that the rest of the world is aware of their double standards, as seen by the enormous protests organized in favor of the Palestinian people throughout the globe. Therefore, they should rethink their position on global concerns if they want to maintain their credibility.
Kamal Uddin Mazumder, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is an independent researcher and freelance columnist in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
