THE hideously spiralling, lopsided violence in Gaza is a tragedy of vast proportions and a travesty of international politics.
Israel, as a full member of the United Nations, is hell-bent on punishing the Palestinian people again by exterminating residents of Gaza along with its Hamas leadership.
For more than a week now, Israeli forces have bombarded Gaza more viciously than any independent terrorist group, deliberately targeting homes and other civilian centres after murdering a Palestinian Hamas leader.
More than 100 Palestinians have been killed and over 700 wounded, in “response” to what Israel says are Hamas rocket attacks that killed three Israelis.
This has come after years of a siege that Israel forced on Gaza, compelling residents to turn to Hamas.
Israel has made a mockery of claims to a Palestinian state, and yet the United Nations and particularly the UN Security Council can only stand by.
The death toll on the Palestinian side, meanwhile, continues to spiral at the hands of the Israeli military. At the same time, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is issuing mixed signals on whether it really wants peace.
This sick game Israel is playing is fully consistent with its past behaviour. That does not make it more excusable, only more unacceptable in the international community of civilised nations.
Nobody can sincerely pursue peace by wilfully increasing violence. Israel's words and actions are painfully contradictory as they shamelessly expose its hypocrisy.
Netanyahu presides over a territorial entity controversial from the start, which infamously trades on a self-righteous statehood despite illegal annexations and settlements. Yet in the process, Israel's actions repeatedly deny meaningful statehood to others, including its neighbours.
UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has visited Cairo for talks on an Egyptian peace plan. He has urgently appealed for its acceptance, but the arrogant intransigence of Israel as main contributor to the violence will not transform it from chief violator of peace into an endorser.
Malaysia tabled an emergency motion in Parliament yesterday condemning the attacks. Israel, as an established nation state and government, has blatantly violated international human rights and humanitarian laws, the UN Charter and the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians in conflict zones.
The motion by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, tabled on his behalf by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, cites Israel's excessive, indiscriminate and disproportionate violence. Although Malaysia is neither powerful nor globally influential, it is ready to stand by what is right and just.
Compare this responsible concern with US indifference and silence over Israel's latest killing spree. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are more troubled by Myanmar's past indiscretions than Israel's current atrocities.
The United States as Israel's biggest and only significant ally can make an important difference by reining them in, but again prefers not to. As a result, Israel once more soils the reputation of those close to it.
This deplorable situation only spreads the infamy wider while deepening the injustices further. Might is right and evil triumphs again when powerful countries choose to do nothing.
Israel, as a full member of the United Nations, is hell-bent on punishing the Palestinian people again by exterminating residents of Gaza along with its Hamas leadership.
For more than a week now, Israeli forces have bombarded Gaza more viciously than any independent terrorist group, deliberately targeting homes and other civilian centres after murdering a Palestinian Hamas leader.
More than 100 Palestinians have been killed and over 700 wounded, in “response” to what Israel says are Hamas rocket attacks that killed three Israelis.
This has come after years of a siege that Israel forced on Gaza, compelling residents to turn to Hamas.
Israel has made a mockery of claims to a Palestinian state, and yet the United Nations and particularly the UN Security Council can only stand by.
The death toll on the Palestinian side, meanwhile, continues to spiral at the hands of the Israeli military. At the same time, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is issuing mixed signals on whether it really wants peace.
This sick game Israel is playing is fully consistent with its past behaviour. That does not make it more excusable, only more unacceptable in the international community of civilised nations.
Nobody can sincerely pursue peace by wilfully increasing violence. Israel's words and actions are painfully contradictory as they shamelessly expose its hypocrisy.
Netanyahu presides over a territorial entity controversial from the start, which infamously trades on a self-righteous statehood despite illegal annexations and settlements. Yet in the process, Israel's actions repeatedly deny meaningful statehood to others, including its neighbours.
UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has visited Cairo for talks on an Egyptian peace plan. He has urgently appealed for its acceptance, but the arrogant intransigence of Israel as main contributor to the violence will not transform it from chief violator of peace into an endorser.
Malaysia tabled an emergency motion in Parliament yesterday condemning the attacks. Israel, as an established nation state and government, has blatantly violated international human rights and humanitarian laws, the UN Charter and the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians in conflict zones.
The motion by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, tabled on his behalf by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, cites Israel's excessive, indiscriminate and disproportionate violence. Although Malaysia is neither powerful nor globally influential, it is ready to stand by what is right and just.
Compare this responsible concern with US indifference and silence over Israel's latest killing spree. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are more troubled by Myanmar's past indiscretions than Israel's current atrocities.
The United States as Israel's biggest and only significant ally can make an important difference by reining them in, but again prefers not to. As a result, Israel once more soils the reputation of those close to it.
This deplorable situation only spreads the infamy wider while deepening the injustices further. Might is right and evil triumphs again when powerful countries choose to do nothing.
Source : TheStar
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