What Happens Next For Palestinians

 

We are all at a crossroads as a civilisation. We are suddenly at a turning point where we are being asked what we stand for. We were raised with values that included truth, integrity, authenticity, respect for ourselves and others, compassion, mercy, acceptance, caring and sharing, generosity of spirit, love, freedom, civility, and peace. But we now have a choice: fall for the treachery, propaganda, and lies the powerful and privileged are shoving down our throats in the mainstream media. Or stand up and fight for the truth, indeed search for the truth and stand up for what is right, decent, moral and humane. It is sadly, a double-edged sword and the powerful, privileged and dangerous amongst us have deliberately designed it that way at this point in time.

 

In doing so, in choosing what is right, in showing moral courage and compassion, we are being confronted with a startling scenario. Suddenly, caring for our fellow human beings simply for being human beings who are threatened, standing up for people under brutal and savage ongoing attack, and resisting the oppression and human rights violations and atrocities of powerful, authoritarian states masquerading as democracies, is seen as a crime or is met with stern disapproval and reprimands and vile, baseless accusations. Those who resist this terror have been labelled “terrorists” by Western Governments. This is how Orwellian the West has become. The ones resisting terror have been labelled the “terrorists” so the West or their allies then have the green light from each other and the public to commit atrocious human rights violations against the populations where they live. This violence is considered “self-defence” and if you can believe it, they can even justify the killing of babies by saying everyone there is a “terrorist”. It is beyond comprehension that we live in an age where thousands of children are being slaughtered and Western Governments are doing nothing to stop it. So instead of bringing the so-called “terrorists” to justice in a court of law, they are simply murdered. Blown up. Bulldozed, Exterminated. In recent times, standing up for any non-colonial populations has resulted in howls of racism and now more savage insults abound. If you are not on the side of the right-wing governments and media and if you do not support the cold-blooded murder of families, children, babies, journalists and charity workers, this perceived dissidence in Western society can now expect to be met with the heavy hand of the law, or at least, monitored closely by Big Brother. (Until they re-write the law so caring for murdered babies becomes a crime).

 

Protests for Palestine are the most recent freedom being scrutinised after Israel began its latest wave of brutal atrocities and indiscriminate bombings of the Gaza Strip, while simultaneously murdering over one hundred Palestinians in the West Bank, and bombing other countries nearby in the Middle East. Using an attack from the Palestinian Resistance, Hamas, who understandable resist Israeli aggression and atrocities and defend and protect Palestinians, Israel, Netanyahu and the IDF have unleashed hell on Palestinians, while demanding Western media outlets only publish and broadcast their propaganda. Palestinians are an innocent population, just over two million, half of which are just babies and children. Many still bare the psychological and physical scars from previous Israeli war crimes. They are being slaughtered right now as I write this. Netanyahu bleakly proclaims them all as “terrorists” and makes his intentions clear to the world, he is going to wipe out all of them. All the Palestinians will be murdered. He uses “Hamas” as the excuse. This is a lie. His intentions are clear. Palestinian statehood and existence is what is under attack here. Western Governments and Governments in the Middle East are letting him. Yet, the rest of the world has a right to know the full history of Israel and Palestine and the full details of what Israel is doing to Palestinians and their city right now. It is not hard to see that the lie that is “terrorism” is actually justified resistance to the horrors Israel has subjected Palestinians to for decades. The human rights violations, the war crimes and the crimes against humanity have all been perpetrated by Israel against Palestinians so naturally, Palestinians have been forced to retaliate in order to defend their right to exist and live in their homelands.

 

It’s a fascinating and macabre scenario in Israel and Gaza right now. It seems like the status quo for decades has been this blind acceptance that Israel can mistreat Palestinians and carry out the most egregious atrocities towards Palestinians and they are just meant to take it. Any resistance that understandably emerged from Israeli horror and terror, any military group that rose up to defend the Palestinian people would be deemed “terrorists”. In fact, it is now clear to see that Western Governments in America, Britain and Australia deciding to label Hamas “terrorists” was a disgusting way to give Israel the green light to inflict abject terror and hell on Palestinians and apparently get away with it. Genocide, ethnic cleansing, this is a no-holds barred scenario. Yet all Hamas is doing is defending Palestinians from Israel’s ongoing, never-ending aggression, hostilities and sickening violence. Conveniently, the West calls it “terrorism”. It is not terrorism to defend people from attack. It is not terrorism to defend people from having their farms destroyed, their olive groves bulldozed, their homes bulldozed, their freedom stolen, their families murdered, their people illegally captured and placed in prison in Israel. Yet, it seems Israel “has a right to defend itself”, but Palestinians do not. Why is this? Palestine Has A Right To Defend Itself From Israel and America, too.

 

The Israel-Palestine conflict that is spreading far beyond Gaza and the West Bank highlights the fragile state of affairs in the region and the abject failure of the two-state situation. This so called “solution” is disintegrating between Israel and Palestine. Ongoing violence from Israel is neither tenable, sustainable or legal. Other countries in the Middle East have called for it to stop. Millions of people and over one hundred nations have called for an immediate ceasefire for the sake of the human beings who are being relentlessly and ruthlessly bombed. This bombing and killing spree has been happening for several weeks without any reprieve for Palestinians. The bombs that are being used are illegal. Innocent people are dying. War Crimes and Genocide is happening before our very eyes. Netanyahu has embarked on a sick crusade of ethnic cleansing and is carrying out crimes against humanity in front of the whole world. The Gaza Strip is yet again a killing field, a graveyard, and a wasteland. Israel has been denying Palestinians access to aid, fuel, food, water, electricity, internet, and medical supplies and urgently needed medical treatment. Nowhere is safe. There are no “safe zones”. Hospitals are being targeted. Israel has been slaughtering innocent charity workers and Journalists and denying the United Nations access to the area. Blacklisting media and prominent people who speak out in favour of peace and help for Palestinians. Cutting off the Internet thus cutting off the region from the world. Calling anyone who calls out their war crimes “terrorists”. Refusing to negotiate in good faith for the release of all the hostages Hamas have taken. Refusing to release the hostages Israel has illegally kidnapped over the years. Trying to stop Elon Musk from restoring Internet Access to Gaza. Demanding media outlets and politicians only put out pro-Israel propaganda and use language to describe what’s happening that they approve of. Delivering lectures to the media about what they’re doing and what’s happening without scrutiny, transparency, or accountability. In other words, mainstream Western media outlets have been schooled by the IDF and simply cannot be trusted to let the people know anything truthful at this time. This control of the narrative, the media and Western Governments, is the behaviour of a tyrant and a fascist regime, not a democracy with so-called “Western Values”. Netanyahu is without doubt the most dangerous person on Planet Earth at this time. He has been granted the power to commit mass murder with impunity. He will go down in history with the worst fascists and murderous leaders that ever existed.

 

Despite this current hopelessness, will peace and freedom be possible for Israel and Palestine after this? Can both states exist? For both Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace, harmony, safety, security and with dignity and freedom and in accordance with the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, a number of steps must happen. First and foremost, Netanyahu, his Ministers, and senior members of the IDF must be held accountable for their war crimes at the Hague. With them out of the picture, a new chapter can begin. So what happens next for Palestinians when the bombs finally go silent and they are left to pick up the pieces of their lives and homes…

 

As a bystander, I knew little about this situation until recently and I still have a lot to learn. My main hope is merely to see a two-state solution in the Middle East succeed and for both countries to live in freedom, peace, safety, and security, and be afforded all the same rights, freedoms, opportunities, and access to resources and help as everyone else on Earth. At the moment the Israel Experiment is turning into Frankenstein’s monster, a failed state, and for some, a terrorist state inflicting an apartheid regime on Palestinians, subjecting them to daily violence and human rights violations. Even when the bombs are not falling, Palestinians in Gaza are forced to live under Israeli occupation, deprived of basic services, rights, and freedoms, fearful and worried about their future. Their movements are restricted and without warning or reason the IDF can unleash terror on their homes, lives, and livelihoods. In the morning, you had a family and job, by nightfall it’s all been destroyed by the IDF and all hope is gone. In the morning, you had parents and friends you were playing with by the sea. By nightfall, it’s all been blown up and your loved ones have been murdered by the IDF. For no other reason than the IDF felt like killing innocent Palestinians that day. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, settler violence is frightening, despicable, out-of-control, and utterly illegal. Despite being condemned by the United Nations, no-one has brought the illegal settlers on Palestinian land to justice or held them accountable or compensated the Palestinians who have been expelled from their homes. Palestinians have been forcibly removed from their homelands and threatened with death if they do not obey and comply. Israel seeks to continue to de-humanise and ridicule Palestinians and resort to violence to justify its existence, to assert itself and its authority, and to validate its place in the Middle East, rather than adopt a mature approach, using diplomacy, treaties, truce, and a genuine commitment to higher values of goodwill and acceptance, peace and stability, respect, dignity, and generosity of spirit. More importantly, it simply fails to acknowledge Palestinian statehood and Palestine’s right to exist.

 

Israel has a right to exist. Palestine has a right to exist. Israel has a right to defend itself. Palestine has a right to defend itself. Israel has the IDF to defend itself. Palestine has the Palestinian Resistance to defend itself. This applies to every nation on Earth and all countries are entitled to these basic things.

 

After all the blood-shed and atrocities Israel has committed over the past month, the collective punishment of an innocent population, how does the world move forward with our souls in-tact, our values upheld, and our humanity, hope and faith restored?

 

Firstly, a ceasefire must be immediately declared for the foreseeable future. This includes Hamas and the Israeli Settlers in the West Bank. The death, destruction and devastation being wrought on Palestinians by Israel must stop, once and for all. Israel is committing war crimes and other human rights violations and atrocities and all of it simply must stop. The killings of Journalists and Charity Workers must cease immediately, too;

Secondly, aid, water, food, essential items and services, medical supplies, charity workers, journalists, electricity, internet, and fuel must be allowed into Gaza and people requiring specialist medical treatment must urgently be let out;

Thirdly, search and rescue teams must be allowed into Gaza adequately equipped so that search and rescue operations can begin and people and children can be saved;

Fourthly, while search and rescue operations are occurring, MSF and Engineers Without Borders and other professionals must be allowed in to offer urgent medical assistance and assess the damage and the rebuilding task;

Five, a Palestinian Governing Authority must be appointed via special nomination given the impossibility of elections amongst the ruins. They could meet with Israel and diplomats and negotiators from the Middle East to discuss a) an abiding and enduring commitment to a peaceful two-state solution; b) re-drawing borders fairly and legally; c) freedom of movement and civil liberties to be afforded to the Palestinian people; d) the human rights of Palestinians to be upheld and respected; e) the Israeli settlers to retreat and the borders reset so that neither group encroaches on the other’s territory and the Palestinians who were forcibly removed can return to their home and live there in peace, freedom, safety, and security; f) the occupation of Palestinian Territories is immediately lifted permanently; g) Palestinians finally be granted statehood, self-determination, autonomy and the right to live in safety and with dignity and without fear of retribution or attacks from Israel; h) no more bombs, violence of any kind, kidnapping of Palestinians, or oppression from Israel and no more attacks from Hamas; i) Palestine be recognised as a legitimate state by the rest of the world, as it always was until Israel embarked on its gruesome quest to wipe Palestine off the map for the last seventy five years; j) Open up the sea and the land borders so Palestinians can enjoy true freedom of movement and civil liberties without attack and have unrestricted access to the sea.

 

None of this is a big ask. Both groups have a right to exist. Both groups have a right to sovereignty, autonomy, and self-governance. Both groups must accept that basic fact and move on knowing that either both exist and ongoing peace, prosperity, joy, safety, harmony, stability, and freedom is their destiny or neither exist and perpetual war, suffering, loss, grief, anguish, death and destruction is their fate. This means the formulation of an abiding, enduring truce, a peace treaty signed by both parties where both agree to be allies and wish peace and harmony for each other, as well as themselves. A peace treaty that is binding on both parties, both populations, and any betrayal of that treaty means all bets are off and they will endure the wrath of the aggrieved party once more.

 

Before Palestinians can move to a place of hope, freedom, safety, and calm, the bombing of Gaza and the opportunistic settler violence in the West Bank must stop immediately. This attempted genocide and ethnic cleansing by Israel is a crime against humanity and the rest of the world must unite as one to stop it from happening, to stand against it. Israel calls Palestinians “human animals” and brands all Palestinians as “Hamas”, “Terrorists” or “human shields”. These “human shields” are non-combatants and Israel uses the guise of “Hamas using Palestinians as human shields” to justify bombing and slaughtering non-combatants, babies, children, families, journalists, medical workers, United Nations facilities, and aid workers. Israel is lying about these things and is breaching International Law every day. One day, Netanyahu and the IDF will be brought to the Hague to answer for their war crimes, as mentioned. None of their excuses for slaughtering innocent civilians will stand up to scrutiny in the eyes of the law. At the very least, their actions must face legal scrutiny in front of a war crimes tribunal or we are truly lost as a civilisation.

 

In the meantime, Palestinians are not “human animals”. They are trapped in a concentration camp and Israel treats them like that, but they are not “animals”. Palestinians are human beings. They have thoughts and feelings, hearts and minds, souls and a vibrant spirit. They have dreams, goals, aspirations, values, beliefs, and a vision of peace, harmony, and freedom in their future. They are good-natured, warm-hearted, kind and deeply religious and compassionate. They are children, babies, Mums, Dads, Grandparents, teachers, doctors, poets, lawyers, engineers, journalists, professionals, writers, artists, singers, and dancers. They create, pray, worship, sing, dance, smile, laugh, play, embrace, and love. They are friends, lovers, partners, husbands, wives, mentors, confidantes. They are a community, a society, a neighbourhood longing for their place of belonging to be restored back to them. They like the sea, parks, food, animals, and school. They want to work and contribute and be something one day. The children want what every other child has, silence from bombs, peace, safety, security, a future, an education, clean water, love, family, their parents, something to live for and freedom. Their parents have no great demands: all they want is freedom and a peaceful future for their children.

 

The documentary “Born in Gaza” gives a blistering insight into the horrors confronting Palestinians daily from Israeli aggression. Nothing “started” on October 7^th. The Gaza strip has been an ongoing horror-scape, wasteland, killing field, and graveyard for years. Nobody is immune from Israel’s violence, hostilities and atrocities in Gaza. Farmers, children playing by the sea, children at a school run by the United Nations, fishermen, ambulance drivers, people just sitting at home, friends, innocent people. No-one can escape Israel’s bombs that rain down in perpetuity and without warning. How do you restore hope, faith, and humanity to innocent children who you have stripped all purpose, spirit, joy, and life from? Children who have borne witness to the gravest horrors that break grown men. Children who have seen their siblings, parents, and family members blown to pieces right before their very eyes. This is unimaginable terror. Is it any wonder that in the face of ongoing oppression, resistance is born. Rightfully so. It is not terrorism to fight back. It is not terrorism to defend yourself. It is human nature to resist such barbaric and inhumane treatment. When resistance is their only hope and all there is to live for, then no-body has the right to begrudge Palestinians that path forward out of hell. “When you’re going through hell, keep going. Why would you stop in hell”. If Israel wipes out Hamas, who will defend Palestine?

 

Israel has turned Gaza into a concentration camp and robbed millions of children of their future, their innocence, their childhood. Israel is still doing it. Tearing apart lives, livelihoods and families. Israel kidnaps and shoots Palestinians or holds them hostage simply for being in the “wrong place at the wrong time”. The sea is not even their friend. This is shocking. Their one escape from this nightmare has been barricaded by Israel. Surely trapping civilians in Gaza and not letting them sail away in boats is a violation of International Law? The sea belongs to no-one and no-one has the right to deprive anyone of that gate-way out of hell. The depravity and inhumanity of the Israel and the IDF is shocking and disturbing.

 

The children of Gaza desperately need help, support, and encouragement. They need love and hope and to see the beauty in life again and feel joy in their hearts again. They need pathways to a life beyond mere survival, beyond avoiding Israel’s bombs, and beyond enduring the psychological torture and terror of being trapped where they witnessed their loved ones blown up and murdered. They are trapped in a psychological and emotional hell as well as a physical hell where ghosts from the past haunt them and the sounds of bombs exploding and the physical wounds from their own injuries plague their hearts, minds, and bodies. They are deeply traumatised, grief-stricken, and full of sorrow and anguish. They need to be heard, to be listened to and to know that people around the world care about Palestinians trapped in Gaza. They need to be freed from Gaza and offered safe haven and help somewhere else. Gaza used to be home, now it is hell. For those too traumatised to stay, they deserve help to leave. In 2014 only a fraction of what is happening now occurred. One can only imagine the horror, torment, anguish, and torture the children of Gaza and their families and communities are going through right now. If they survive this round of Israel’s war crimes and genocide, will they then survive the trauma and forget the suffering and learn to live again with hope, freedom, peace, and their dreams?

 

Will that day come where Palestinians will find peace again? Will the day come where Israel will stop terrorising and murdering Palestinians and forcing them out of their own homes, while savagely brutalising and killing them in the Gaza Strip? Will Israel ever accept the right for Palestine to exist and the right for Palestinians to defend themselves from Israeli aggression, hostility and terror? In darkness and in silence, Palestinians wait to be murdered or to be saved. It is now up to the world to shine a light for Palestinians and restore hope, peace, freedom, faith, and statehood and demand an immediate end to these latest atrocities and war crimes from Israel. After so much loss, it is the least Palestinians deserve. Palestine deserves its sovereignty and future back. Palestine deserves peace. Palestinians deserve to live, love, play, laugh, breathe, and enjoy life again. But first, Israel must be stopped. Stop Israel. One would be forgiven for wondering, does Israel have a right to exist if this is how it goes about asserting its existence….? People are entitled to be rightfully appalled by such a state while these illegal atrocities continue and the spectre of the past is used to justify the actions and condemn critics. In the face of such ongoing horror, does Israel deserve to exist as its own entity or should the territories be restored to Palestine and the lands simply be returned to what they were originally meant to be, a safe haven and sanctuary for Jewish people. Maybe then, with the State of Palestine restored, and Jewish people granted the privilege of living on Palestinian land safely and securely, with freedom, will peace finally be achieved in that part of the Middle East. Sadly, that’s not how it has played out and history will recall with horror and disappointment the ruthless and relentless path Israel has taken Palestinians down on their land instead. Worse still, twenty-first century civilisation let it happen.

 

But I stand with Palestine. I will continue to advocate and protest for Palestinian freedom, statehood, safety, independence, and peace. Palestine has a right to exist. Palestine has a right to defend itself. Palestine has a right to peace, freedom, and safety. Israel does not have a right to take away Palestine’s statehood or freedom or deny them their fundamental human rights. Israel does not have the right to inflict terror on an innocent population for decades and then complain when they retaliate. Israel is not “defending itself” right now. It is merely inflicting the same terror and brutality on Palestinians that it has done for decades. This is ethnic cleansing and genocide. This is illegal. This must stop. Israel must be stopped. Those with the authority and power to stop Israel committing these crimes against humanity and war crimes must intervene and stop this madness. The only way forward is peace. Let the Palestinians be free…

 

“All we are saying, is give peace a chance…” for Palestine, for humanity, for our civilisation. Once Palestine has peace, Israel will enjoy peace.

Only then will Palestinians and Israelis be free.

 

This isn’t just a test of values for Palestine and Israel. This is a test of values for Western Civilisation. What path will we choose…?