The Worsening Dilemma of Oppressed Palestine and the Complicity of the West


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It is 2023 and the plight of the Palestinians continues to worsen largely due to the prevailing geo-political interests, colossal level of militarization and clear bias of Western actors in the conflict.

It is almost seven decades when Israel was granted statehood by the UN in 1948. In effect, the two states solution proposed under resolution 181 did not only miss the mark in granting the Palestinians statehood, but has rendered millions of Palestinians who were inhabitants and dignified citizens of the land for centuries as refugees. They have become objects for target practice greater than Apartheid South Africa. Palestinians continue to confront force eviction and subject to series of inhuman torture, systematic cleansing and murder.

Apart from the series of UN resolutions passed, the intervention by the ICC to probe possible war crimes and human rights violations against the Palestinian women and children has been curtailed all due to the reluctance of the West in ensuring justice and peace. This impunity is a clear manifestation of the fact that the pride of the US, Britain and France as models of democracy, rule of law, good governance, fundamental human rights and freedom is honored more in the breach especially when the rights and dignity of a section of the international populace like the Palestinians are consciously trampled upon. The amalgamation of this conscious duplicity and wanton disregard for the sanctity of the lives of the Palestinian women and children makes the future bleak for the oppressed. Fundamental human rights, justice and freedom in the eyes of so-called responsible adults like the p5+1 group of countries is a façade especially when it is against a particular race.   

The Two States Solution

On 29, November 1947, the UNGA passed resolution 181 adopting a plan of action to partition the British Mandate into two states, one Jewish, one Arab. The puzzle remains; for seven decades, when would the oppressed people of Palestine also be free to assert themselves as human beings just as the Zionists were given freedom?  For how long would the Palestinian also realize his/her dream of sovereign independence?

The UN says Gaza is officially occupied by Israel. Israel rules over 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank for decades. Fourteen member-states of the UNSC voted and passed a resolution describing Israeli occupation of the West Bank as an illegal settlement with the US abstaining. According to the verdict of the supreme court of Israel “The Judea and Samaria areas are held by the state of Israel in belligerent occupation”. These racist act and wanton disregard for the rights and dignity of the oppressed people of Palestine are carefully hatched from the egg of impunity that has eventually left academicians, policy makers, international institutions and civil society in a puzzle; When would the impunity stop?

The Duplication of the Holocaust

Without a slight of doubt, the holocaust was barbaric and must be condemned in no uncertain terms by all and sundry. The life of a single Jew is precious like any other human being. The Holy Qur`an is the only Revealed Scripture that indicates:

“..whoever kills a soul unless for a murder or for corruption in the land-it is as if he had killed mankind entirely. And whoever protects a soul-it is as if he had saved mankind entirely…” Qur`an 5:32

However, the premeditated, organized, large scale and conscious killing of the Palestinian women and children under intense occupation and blockade can be attributed as the duplication of the scenario of the Holocaust by Nazi Germany during WWII. To discover the reality, World War II was precipitated by Europeans, fought and concluded in Europe. For what reason should the people of Palestine bear the brunt of a war they were never parties to? This obsession and systematic use of Palestine for target practice is happening under the watch of members of the UNSC who claim to be models of human rights, freedom, custodians of international law, and champions of international peace, cooperation and security.

In July, 2011, South Sudan based on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) seceded from Sudan, declared independence and became the 193rd member state of the UN. The partitioning of India as a result of the agreement by Britain in 1947, led to the establishment of Pakistan as a sovereign state from India. Others like East Timor, Eritrea, Bangladesh, Panama all seceded from their respective countries of origin and are now sovereign entities with a permanent population, defined territories, government and ability to enter into relations with others states. The inability of the Palestinians to realize their sovereignty and political independence has been a major preoccupation in the minds of not only the Palestinians but people in both scholarly and policy discourse.

Injustice and oppression have been meted out to the people of Palestine for over seven decades. Millions of precious lives have been lost, valuable property destroyed whilst fear and panic continue to prevail in the region and beyond. At this crucial juncture, it is only the correct application of the principles of international law, justice, human rights and freedom by the international community led by the P5+1 group of countries that can establish lasting peace and security in the region and beyond. The two states solution must be practically realized for the Jewish and the Palestinian states to live in peace and harmony. War is indeed a hard moral problem and the world cannot as a result of the inordinate foreign policy ambitions and interest of the US, continue to bear the brunt of this protracted conflict. 

After the conscious failure to heed to the recommendations of the King-Crane Commission after WWII, the failure to fulfill the promise of establishing a Palestinian state is the fundamental plight of the Palestinians which has also posed a huge security challenge to the region from immemorial. To curtail the security challenge is obviously the realization of a sovereign Palestine. The UN must comprehensively engage regional powers like the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, all stake holders who are parties to the conflict to reach a common ground for the Palestinians to also have their state and cooperate peacefully with the Zionist state.

By: Anas Seidu

CEO: Al-Mustapha Research and Resource Centre for Interfaith Dialogue, Peace and Security, Ghana-ARRIPS


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