Dr. Kamal Hamidou
Genocide is one of the most abominable crimes in human history; it leaves an indelible mark on the collective conscience by dehumanizing a part of humanity with a collective intent to punish an entire population. While governments and parliaments around the world try to advance local legislations to ensure national and international recognition of past genocides, one of the most abominable genocides is currently unfolding under their eyes, in broad daylight and full view of all. Yet, such a barbaric act seems to be relegated to the shadows of indifference by major Western political actors—those who have the final say in international affairs. This failure, which can be legally termed as “failure to assist a population in danger”, raises crucial questions about justice and morality in international politics. How many Palestinian deaths will it take for the conscience of global decision-makers to awaken? Is it judicious to turn a blind eye now when thousands of innocents, including children, women, the elderly, and the sick, are being threatened in their lives, perhaps to hypocritically honor their memory tomorrow? The Palestinian genocide, ongoing for years, remains largely ignored by the international community. For decades, the Palestinian people have endured an incessant cycle of violence, discrimination, and dispossession. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed, injured, or forcibly displaced and starved. Yet their suffering remains largely invisible on the world stage. This shocking indifference raises profound questions about political biases, structural racism, and moral hypocrisy underlying the international system.
Should we continue to accept that the foreign policy of many countries, especially Western powers, continues to be biased in favor of Israel, at the expense of the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people? Dominant narratives in media and politics tend to dehumanize Palestinians, thus justifying blatant violations of their fundamental rights. Yet, United Nations texts recognize the right of peoples to resist by any means, in accordance with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2625 of October 24, 1970. This resolution stipulates, “Every state has the duty to refrain from any coercive measure that would deprive peoples [subject to foreign subjugation, domination or exploitation] of their right to self-determination, their freedom and independence. When they react and resist such coercive measures in exercising their right to self-determination, these peoples are entitled to seek and receive support in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter”. The selective approach to justice and morality undermines the credibility of international institutions and undermines the fundamental principles of human rights and universal justice. How many resolutions aiming to increase the rights of the Palestinian people have been shamefully undermined by American, British, or French vetoes? Recently, the United Kingdom’s plea within the International Court of Justice itself called on judges not to rule on the United Nations Security Council’s request for an advisory opinion in order, they say, not to undermine peace negotiations.
This plea left us more than perplexed, because how can we still believe in peace negotiations when Israel has long been engaged in a process that de-facto renders the establishment of a Palestinian state impossible? How can we still believe in a negotiation process in which Israel remains Goliath and the Palestinians the little David, to whom all clauses are imposed, making the chances of Palestinians to determine themselves almost null and void? Everything indicates that Israel is instrumentalizing negotiations and playing for time. In face of this procrastination, the international community must intervene to put an end to the Israeli far-right hegemonic and expansionary ambitions. Indeed, the latter ceaselessly blows on the embers, in order to impose not the peace of the brave, but the peace of the strongest, even if it means today laying the groundwork for the wars of tomorrow.
Genocides are often a matter of a race against time; we have dramatically experienced this recently in former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, at the cost of hundred thousands of lives. Let us not allow the ongoing genocide to widen further in Gaza, history will not forgive today’s leaders for their silence; they may become guilty tomorrow for the diplomatic and military protection they provide to a state increasingly opting for religious fascism. This supposedly democratic state is increasingly formalizing racist and discriminatory policies towards the populations it occupies. A state that is increasingly marginalizing itself from the international community by challenging international law and universal human values. We have to act urgently to stop the timer, 143 days of blind and indiscriminate bombing raids is more than criminal. It is time to act to stop the macabre meter; 29,782 dead and 70,043 injured until Monday 26-02-2024 is a horrendous figure, the first number equates to a cemetery of 31 kilometers long if we put the graves side by side, the second number equates to filling 351 hospitals with a medium capacity of 200 beds. It would be more than urgent to stop the massacre in Gaza! It would be time to act, even invoking Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter if necessary, it is indeed about preserving world peace, justice and the credibility of the international order.
