Words and deeds on the Gaza War – what a shameful gap!
By Michael Pröbsting, RCIT, 6 December 2023, www.thecommunists.net
For 60 days, the Israeli army is committing a genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. According to official figures, they have killed at least 16,248 people, including 7,112 children and 4,885 women. At least 43,616 people have been injured and at least 7,600 people are missing – most of them probably lying dead under the rubble of destroyed houses. The UN humanitarian agency, OCHA, said a few days ago, that about 1.8 million Palestinians have already been internally displaced – close to 80% of the Gaza Strip’s population.
Despite this tragedy, the Palestinian resistance remains unbroken. Thousands of heroic militants from all factions fight against the invaders and inflict painful losses on them. Still, the situation is extremely difficult. Let’s be clear: a new Nakba is looming as the Zionist state is determined to expel the Palestinians again from their homeland.
People all over the world are enraged about this mass murder. Mass demonstrations and boycott activities against Israel are taking place in many countries. The UN General Assembly demanded in a resolution an immediate ceasefire – with only Israel, the U.S. and few die-hard pro-Zionist states voting against. Every meeting of Arab and Muslim leaders ends with strong-worded statements against the Israeli crimes and declarations of solidarity “with the Palestinian brothers and sisters”.
Yet hardly any actions follow from this! General Sisi, Egypt’s brutal military dictator, helps Israel to strangle the people in Gaza as he keeps the border at Rafah closed for most of the time and opens it only if Netanyahu gives his permission. Several Arab – like the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Marocco or Bahrain – continue to officially recognise Israel.
Erdoğan rightly denounces Netanyahu as “the butcher of Gaza” and calls Hamas “a liberation movement” – yet he refuses to cut economic ties with Isarel. Up to this day, Türkiye delivers crucial oil shipments from Azerbaijan to Israel without which the Zionist state could not survive.
None of these leaders threatens the U.S. – the main enabler of the genocide since Israel could not commit these crimes without American money and weapons – with closure of their military bases or economic consequences (remember the oil boycott in 1973?).
And where is the self-proclaimed “Axis of Resistance”?! True, the courageous Houthis have implemented a number of courageous solidarity actions. But what is Nasrallah doing with his 100-150,000 missiles and his 60,000 fighters?! He was so quick in sending them to aid Assad, helping him to butcher the Syrian people. But when Hezbollah could, when it must support the brothers and sisters in Gaza, it suddenly became very restrained. And the Mullah leaders in Teheran – so experienced in supressing the Persian, Arab, Kurdish and Azeri people at home – permanently talk about the “danger of an expansion of war” but don’t follow the words with actions.
Rulers of the Arab and Muslim world – how long do you want to wait? Are 16,000 Palestinians killed and 1,8 million expelled from their homes not enough for you to do something?! Do you want to wait until these figures have doubled and all Palestinians are forced to live in refugee tent camps?! May be, you will then say that “now it too late to do something”?!
It is clear that these rulers only look at their own pockets. They care for their own money and power but not for the Palestinians! In reality, they want to keep profitable relations with the imperialist powers. If this implies the death of thousands of Palestinians – bad luck for them!
It is clear for all those who don’t close their eyes that this is the call of the hour:
* The Arab and Muslim states must impose a strict political and economic boycott of Israel. Cut off all diplomatic relations now!
* Egypt must immediately open the border to Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid! Any Israeli action against such convoys must be interpreted as a declaration of war.
* Those states – like the Western countries – which are enabling Israels genocide must be threatened with similar consequences.
* The U.S. and European military bases must be closed.
* Most importantly, the Palestinian resistance needs material support, including modern weapons. How else should they expel the invaders and defend their people?! If all these “strong men” in Riyad, Cairo, Ankara and Teheran are not willing to implement “strong actions” and send their own forces to aid the brothers and sisters in Gaza, give them at least the weapons so that they can do the job themselves!
So, Arab and Muslim rulers, what are you waiting for?! Be assured, that if you continue to be cowards, the popular masses will rise and overthrow you! Because an authentic workers and popular government would do everything in its powers to aid the Palestinian people and its resistance with word and deeds!
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We refer readers to a special page on our website where more a number of RCIT documents on the 2023 Gaza War are compiled, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/africa-and-middle-east/compilation-of-articles-on-the-gaza-uprising-2023/.