Western support for the continued existence of the illegitimate state of Israel and its repeated aggression on Palestinian lands is a negation of all the pretensions of the western countries for human rights. But their silence at Israel’s dastardly attacks on Gaza has come as a rude shock to all the peace loving people of the world.

Israel’s actions of bombing the civilian areas, not sparing even schools and hospitals, is nothing short of war crime for which its leaders must be tried before international tribunals.

The United States’ silence on the Israeli raids and its continued military support for the Israeli war machine has broken all its past records of supporting the illegitimate state.

Israeli rulers mounted the raids on Gaza on a lame excuse of retaliating against killing of its soldiers by Hamas. The real reason was that it got upset by the recent moves for reconciliation between the two groups of Palestinians, the Hamas controlling Gaza and the Al-Fatah based in West Bank. It wants to keep the Palestinians divided into feuding groups so that it can carry out its evil designs against the Palestinian and Arab peoples.

To be sure, Israel has no right to exercise any kind of control over Gaza and the West Bank. It is an out and out an aggressor. It had withdrawn from Gaza in 2005 under international pressure but it has turned the place into a large prison by building a wall and blockading the entire area. Unfortunately, Egypt has also closed its doors to the Palestinians on the other side which has virtually imprisoned the two million people in a small space.

Till the writing of this note the Israeli air strikes had been continuing on Gaza with the death toll reaching 2000, half of who were women and children. Many houses and apartment buildings have been raised to the ground.

A particularly pathetic part of the story is that the Palestinians have been forsaken in this hour of grave crisis not only by the western world but even by the Arab and Muslim states who have as yet failed to take any concrete measures to stop the Israeli aggressors. The least that the Arab and Muslim countries can and should do is to reach a consensus on the issue and force the Israeli aggressors to stop the systematic genocide of the Palestinian people.

At the same time, the Palestinians, particularly those incarcerated in Gaza must be helped. The blockade should be lifted so that normal social and economic life can be resumed there. Secondly, now in the wake of widespread destruction of the enclave, a reconstruction plan should be undertaken. Funds and expertise should be provided by the Arab and Muslim countries.

Fortunately, some of the brotherly countries have offered to help rebuild the Gaza enclave battered by Israeli bombardment. Qatar which incidentally enjoys good relations with Hamas who control of Gaza, has already offered aid for rebuilding the destroyed city. Other Arab states should follow suit. Besides, countries outside the Arab world such as Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia would be too willing to provide medical aid for the injured and displaced people and help rebuild health and education infrastructure in the destroyed city. The initiative in the matter should come from the OIC.

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