Everybody is aware that the fresh episode of war between Israel and Palestine has started with a sudden attack of Hamas on Israel on 7th October 2023. Israel also proclaimed that a befitting reply to the attack would be given. Not only have Israel resorted to a quick response in the form of carpet bombing of Gaza killing thousands including innocents and children but they have led a complete siege of Gaza by blocking water, fuel, food and energy. Already more than 10,000 Palestinians have lost their lives among which the overwhelming numbers comprise innocent civilians and children. Israeli military offensive is not even sparing the hospitals and medical aid centres in Palestine. Lakhs of people from Gaza are fleeing in search of safety and refuge, but alas, such places are very few and far. A harrowing nightmare has descended on Palestinians with no end in sight.
Coming forward on the plea of Hamas attack, the imperialist forces—the US and the British--have unequivocally made it clear that Israel has the fullest right to defend itself, which amounts to endorsing the brutal carnage of the Palestinians. The bandwagon of the US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister of Britain Rishi Sunak has been joined by even our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A large section of the media, already nearly completing its right wing fundamentalist journey, has also launced a high pitched and dubious campaign against Palestinian people. They have stamped the entire Palestinian people as militant, Islamic and fundamentalist force. But nothing is further away from truth.
The imperialist forces together with the Israeli ruling class alongwith their Indian followers are trying tooth and nail to brand Hamas the sole culprit for precipitating this war, as if this is the first instance of Israeli aggression into Palestine. As if hitherto the state of Israel was a peace loving monk, formed by decapacitated, Jewish refugees from Europe. As if Israel is home to helpless Jews who were the victims of Hitler's holocaust and atrocities. This narrative is a big lie to say the least. This is a concocted story of the imperialists and the Israeli government bearing several aspects into which we must delve, though in brief.
The Jewish state of Israel came into existence in 1948 in Palestinian land at the cost of driving out a large section of the sons of the soil. In the face of it, the argument of the rightists regarding the issue of resettlement of the Jews that they have been driven out of Europe experiencing immense brutality and holocaust seems to hold water. But the cardinal question inextricably linked with it is, where to find land for the Palestinian refugees. If today, the Indian Americans of North and South America demand their lost land from the occupying Europeans will they agree to concede it? This history spans a mere 400 years in comparison to the 2000 years of the Jews leaving their home. The European powers should have explored and found some land in their own continent as they seem to be harbouring so much compassion for the Jews. That was precisely the continent where the Jews were residing. The Tzarist Russia was home to half of the total Jewish population in the late 19th century. Following Jewish pogrom and illegal persecution (there is no scope to go into the cause and details of the same here) they fled in large numbers to USA (around 1.5 million), a good 35,000 migrated to Palestine, some to several other European countries during 1883 - 1903. Hence driving them out from their home and finding some other land to resettle them was clearly absolving themselves of their responsibility. It was like washing off the blood stains from their hands and stamping it on the forehead of the Palestinians. On what basis the imperialist forces of Britain and USA in conjunction with the newly formed United Nations could decide to resettle the Jews at the expense of the Palestinians? If that was not application of brute force, then what was it?
In fact the plan of formation of Israel was not started after the Holocaust as it is hyped about in the media. Actually the plan predates the barbarity of Hitler that was unleashed upon the Jews. At the end of World War I, the Ottoman Empire lost almost the entire middle-east to the British forces. Except Palestine, the other states in that region became independent following the war. However, The League of Nations (predecessor of United Nations) agreed to British holding Palestine. The British authority started negotiations with the Zionist organisations who were already seeking a common heritage, a common identity to forge a binding force for this nation state for quite sometime. Their urge and decision, to return to their ‘holy land', Palestine and Jerusalem with which they had no relation for the last 2000 years was also no doubt an invention of false ‘holy land'. In pursuance of their demand the British government published the Balfour Declaration, which accepted an independent homeland for the Jews in Palestine. Since then the emigration of Jews to Palestine swelled under the patronage of the Imperialist forces.
In the backdrop of anti-colonial struggle it was clear to Western Imperialist forces in general and British Imperialist in particular that they had have to withdraw from Palestine in the near future. But the oil rich region meant a lot to them. To keep control on that territory they needed a state which depended on them heavily and in lieu will serve their economic interest. Israel has performed the role aptly. In order to exist as a Jewish state encircled by Arab countries, which were opposed to such solution it needed full patronage from the imperialists. Needless to say it received all sorts of support including lethal armaments and substantial economic development. It was simply to serve the interests of the imperialists in that oil rich region that the state of Israel was curved out by forcefully driving out the Palestinians. In reality the compassion for the Jews was no more than crocodile's tears.
On the very inception of Israeli state the United Nations proposed a formula by virtue of which the Palestinian land was to be divided into two halves constituting the Israeli and Palestinian states and the administration of Jerusalem to be controlled by the UN. Nevertheless defying this solution Israel captured 77% of the land following the war with Jordan and Egypt in 1948 with unflinching support of the Imperialists. The Gaza Strip and West Bank area went to Jordan and Egypt following that war which Israel reoccupied in the 1967 Yim Kippur war. These wars forced millions of Palestinians to take refuge in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon etc. The refugee camps became witness to the birth and demise of Palestinians for three generations.
From the seventies to the early nineties of the last century Palestine Liberation Organisation (or PLO) headed by Yasser Arafat led the liberation movement Palestinians. In 1993 The Oslo Accord was signed between the warring sides by which PLO recognised Israel as a legitimate state and Palestinian Authority was recognised by Israel in Gaza Strip and West Bank. But the irony is, on that two very small tracts of land Israel retained considerable authority especially military governance conceding merely the management of some civic authorities to the Palestinians. The self-rule or independence of Palestine once again elusive. With the passage of time the PLO leadership started losing popular support owing to corruption and adopting many anti-people stance. That vaccum was filled in by Hamas, particularly in the Gaza Strip. The liberation movement has been spearheaded by Hamas since then.
As has been said above, Israeli control and atrocities in Palestininan land (as per Oslo accord) is revealed by an Israeli Human Rights organisation in 2010. The conflict between the two claimed 6371 Palestinian lives between 2000 and 2010. Among the victims 1317 were children and 2996 persons were innocent civilians. The death toll on the Israeli side were 1083 including 124 children and 741 innocent civilians (source : https://www.jhttps://www.jpost.com/israel/btselem-since-2000-7454-israelis-palestinians-killed). It is absolutely clear from the figures which side took the role of agressor from the very beginning. Israelis have also been settled in the West Bank Palestininan land by brute force. A 2009 report divulges that by then almost 5.0 Lakh of them were settled in West Bank. A 2009 Israeli military declaration asserted any Palestinian citizen would be labelled as illegal migrant and driven out. They have laid a complete siege of Gaza Strip. All entries and exits are shut from 2007 barring the Rafa crossing with Egypt. Free imports and exports forbidden, whatever little industrial units sprang up are now fully shut. Unemployment is soaring every day, economy is in deep crises. A rough estimate by UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Work Agency) puts the figure of people living below poverty line at more than 50% and alomost 80% depend on aids. There is no need to elucidate more the intensity and widespread poverty, misery, destitution inflicted by the state of Israel on the Palestinians.
Hence the present struggle of the Palestinians, whether adopting a rational path or not, must be understood as a form of their long and painful struggle for liberation for the last 75 years. The Western imperialists and their sycophants like Modi are trying hard to supress the scandalous role played by them in subjugating the people of Palestine. Their endeavour is to blame the Hamas for this war in order to suppress the truth of the long drawn liberation movement and thus distort history.
It is shocking that the hypocrisy of the imperialist powers can sink to such lower depths. On the one hand they are giving lip-service for the rights of the Palestinians, while on the other, they are backing the Israeli government with all sorts of supports including military assistance. It is shocking more because this is happening exactly when Gaza is being pulverised and the entire region is transformed to rubble by relentless Israeli bombing and ground invasion. Pictures of Gaza from the internet, before and after the attack, bring harrowing contrast within this three weeks' time. Even the UN has been requesting Israel to ensure safety of the civilians and that paltry humanitarian aid is sent to the Palestinians. Even there also hyposcrisy is so noticeable—the UN has resolved that this is non-binding on Israel. The farce is beyond any rational comprehension.
In the midst of all this the role of the Indian government is deplorable to say the least. It has coined the Paletinians as ‘terrorist'. In its so-called bid to fight against the ‘terror' it has extended unconditional support to Israel. It has also abstained from voting in the UN to stop the war. It is the same government who at the slightest instance of opposition or criticism terms its own people as ‘antinational' and slams them with charges of ‘UAPA' before throwing them behind the bars. It has been successful to unleash immense ‘terror' in the country by this ploy and many others. Terror is not merely committed by any group of people or organisation. Actually the state can also jolly well resort to terror and in the present world there is no dirth of such states.
From the above discourse it is as clear as daylight that it is not the Palestinians but on the contrary, the imperialist forces, the dominant Israeli state and their accomplices like Modi have contributed to the escalation of attrition in this region. There is practically none on the side of the Palestinians in their gravest hour. The international proletarian movement which could have stood beside them and led them is itself in tatters, disoriented, and fragmented. It was precisely the force which could have provided the leadership to them in their anti-imperialist struggle. However even with no help from any corner the Palestinians are waging their heroic liberation struggle. They are not humbled even by such strong coalition of imperialist forces. In such an uneven war it is quite obvious that the persecuted, tortured people may take diverse paths to drive out the enemy. It is foolish to expect a normal, disciplined war under one command from such strife torn people. It is quite evident, as once their liberation struggle failed to achieve the expected result under the reformist PLO, likewise under Hamas also it is bound to fail. A broad united struggle of the toiling masses of Israel and Palestine can only bring a just solution to the long standing feud in the region. It goes without saying unless the international proletarian movement resurrects its struggle from the present defeated condition, unless it is able to draw and lead the Palestinian and all other oppressed people into its struggle for true freedom, till then the liberation of the broad mass of people of Palestine will continue to elude them. But until then shall we keep quite? NO, not in any way, let us unite as far as possible and stand beside the Palestinian people in its legitimate and just liberation struggle against the heinous imperialist forces including Israel.
07th November, 2023
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