Friday, 16 January 2009 Will Israel get away with murder as usual? Ahmad Y. Majdoubeh

In its war on Hamas, in Gaza, Israel, exactly as in the case of America’s war on terror, appears to be strengthening rather than destroying or weakening its declared target. Missiles are still being fired at Israel by Hamas, and Hamas leaders are emerging stronger than ever.

Is the aim weakening or strengthening Hamas? It is not known what Israel is precisely after, other than gaining votes for some Israeli officials in the forthcoming elections and subverting peace in the region.

What is certain is the merciless killing of Palestinian civilians: children, women and men. What purpose this serves for Israel one is not sure, beyond what Israel has been good at from the beginning of the occupation of Palestine more than 60 years ago: intimidation of Palestinian civilians.

Amidst the carnage Israel is committing in Gaza, and the pain and suffering resulting from it, people in the strip, the region and throughout the world are asking whether Israel will be held accountable for such stark, criminal violations of the rights and lives of civilians.

This is, really, the most important question for people in the region and abroad, at present. Other questions - such as what Arab leaders, the international community and the new American administration can do - are neither interesting nor important, for people know by now that they cannot do much. Arab leaders cannot agree on when and where to meet, let alone come up with some effective measures to curb Israeli arrogance.

Going to the international community, by which many mean the UN, has, for the most part, been a waste of time. Expecting a firm U.S. stand on Palestinian peace has, for the most part again, been utopia.

So, will Israel be held accountable, or will it get away with it the way it has got away with murder before?

Two answers to the question. First, there are more serious attempts, throughout the globe this time, to take Israeli leaders to criminal courts than at any time before. We do not know how successful such efforts will be. We certainly hope that such efforts will bear some fruit, so that Israel will think twice in the future before it targets and kills innocent civilians, and uses lethal, illegal weapons so irresponsibly. Many people are eagerly anticipating the outcome of such efforts.

Second, while Israel may think that it has not been, and will not be, held accountable for its actions, it certainly has been to some extent, and will be in days to come to a greater extent, held accountable by the people: Palestinians and Arabs, but also human rights and peace advocates throughout the globe.

The Palestinian and Arab people have, from the start of the Arab-Israeli conflict, known what Israel is an occupation, a colonial state which never hesitates to use violence and destruction to achieve its aims. People throughout the globe have now started to become aware of this side of Israel, and increasingly so, since the cruel 1982 invasion of Lebanon and the Sabra and Shatilla massacres. Because of its violent actions, Israel has a very bad image in Palestine, the Arab world, and the globe at large.

Does this count? Israel thinks it does not. The advocates of Israeli violence in the U.S. (especially) and elsewhere may not think so. The other day, an American "expert" on the Middle East (a Zionist no doubt) said public and state opinion in the Arab world and in the world does not count. What counts is that Israel has full American support.

Well, he may want to think again.

If there has been anything consoling, heart-warming, since the beginning of the barbaric onslaught on Gaza, it has been the immense solidarity with the Gazans and the Palestinians and the huge condemnation of Israeli actions expressed in virtually all nations of the globe. Does not this count? I will not go into what this means globally. Regarding the region, however, Palestinians and Arabs do count, and can hold Israel accountable when Israel (after it finishes whatever business it has in Gaza and after it is done with its elections) starts to sweet-talk us about peace, again.

When we thought peace was happening between Arabs and Israelis in the early and mid-1990s (before Israel assassinated its own peacemaker Yitzhak Rabin), it was crystal clear to all that peace without the peoples involved would not work. It became axiomatic that peace without peoples is peace on paper, not peace on the ground. The peoples of the region are the real peace partners and makers, not the governments. So, people do count, don’t they?

The advocates of non-violence in Palestine, the region and the world will not let Israel get away with murder; and people have their way of punishing Israel for what it is doing in Gaza, and what it has done since the early twentieth century. You may cheat or play politics with governments, but you cannot cheat or play politics with people.

By flexing muscles, exercising power and inflicting violence in an irresponsible, criminal manner, Israel - while killing or hurting innocent civilians - is also killing all hopes of peace in the hearts of millions who are watching and suffering. Yes, the victims are the poor innocent Gaza children, mothers and fathers. But the victim is also peace and the image of Israel itself.

The Israeli public that condones the current massacre in Gaza should think again. The real problem, they should know, is not Hamas or any other Palestinian group, but Israeli occupation of Palestine. The basic, real causes should not be forgotten.

The problem is also the absence of real leadership in Israel. The Israelis are in need of leaders who have real vision, who think long term, not politicians who want to win some short-term votes or bloodthirsty, power-hungry, cowardly generals who are killing women and children.

Americans have just got rid of their "worst president" in history. Will the Israelis also get rid of all of this bad, misguided bunch and produce leaders who truly believe in peace, non-violence and good neighborliness?

Pubilshed by THE JORDAN TIMES on Jan. 16.