Without doubt, events in Iraq have taken over international concentration, shutting out attention from other, previously critical crises. Palestine used to be the log in the worlds eyes; the injustice of Israeli occupation was a weight on our collective conscience. Time was when the biggest threat to world peace was the escalation of the so-called Palestinian conflict; when the most intensive focus was on working out a peaceful resolution, and statespolicies were determined largely by their alignments on the Palestinian question.
But all that was before the war on terror. Before Iraq and Afghanistan. That was before it became fair for whole families to be massacred by their American protectors in retaliation for insurgent attacks, before the horrendous reality in Iraq, where Muslims invade mosque and shoot other Muslims during salaat. Before it became usual for US marines to be killed in their numbers by roadside bombs.
Iraq and the war on terror have overshadowed other alignments and responsibilities, and this global nightmare continues to unfold in its several manifestations: Al-Zarqawi, Abu Ghraib, Haditha, A suicide bomber has just killed a crowd of pensioners. Al-Zarqawis successor has just proven himself it seems, by slaughtering two captured American soldiers! As the world now focuses on more pressing issues, Palestine has no chance for the headlines anymore; no space for attention. Iran (raising the stakes, the ultimate terror weapon as bargaining chip), Afghanistan ("where is Bin Ladin?" why are the Taliban still around after weve murdered so many?"), Darfur, Somalia, East Timor, Et cetera ... Is it any wonder that nobody remembers the Palestinians anymore? It seems. so long ago that we made that declaration of solidarity, paraphrasing that "we are all Palestinians now" (Deen Digest vol, 8 No. 2 edition). A lot has happened since that time.
Arafat, the Palestinian icon is since deceased; Sharon _ the murderer of Sabra and Shatilla - is now a vegetable, wilting away on his sickbed. Elections have been held; Mahmud Abbass won in Palestine. Ehud Olmert in Israel. Then another election and Abbas Fattah party (Arafats party) lost; but Hamas, the long time outcast is now in control. Israel, then America (naturally) have vowed not to recognize the government that the Palestinians democratically elected until Hamas surrenders and explicitly recognizes Israel's statehood.
Meanwhile, since the international community does not recognize Hamas, Mahmud Abbas has taken it upon himself to negotiate peace with Israel, drawing his authority from a document prepared by former Palestinian militants in Jewish jails! If Abbass is able to negotiate, would it be easy for him to sell his "resolution" to his own people? It is an interesting form of negotiation though.
Israel is building a wall across the West Bank to "keep suicide bombers out" of Israel, appropriating more Palestinian territories in the process. When it has taken enough territory, Israel will abandon the West Bank and hold on to East Jerusalem and other settlements. The world will hail the strategic security move as a concession compelling the Palestinians to accept whatever else Israel offers. What will happen then? For now, Palestinians continue to resist occupation by the world's most sophisticated army. How? Militants fire home-made rockets into settlements in the occupied territories, wound a woman, maybe kill a child.
Israeli retaliate with laser-guided missiles, fired at cars in crowded towns but frequently missing target and killing four, five, ten civilians. (Who's counting?). The Palestinians vow revenge, fire more home-made rockets... And the Jews retaliate, harshly as aforesaid, more missiles, more civilians killed and the cycle continues. Whilst the world fights terrorism, Palestinian militants have killed 1,000 Israelis. Israel has killed 3,400 Palestinians. Images such as that of 11yr old Huda Ghalia running between the corpses of her father and six siblings on Sudaliya beach may well continue to symbolize the fate of Palestinians. The Israeli army says that the picnickers were killed by Palestinian land mines, but until accosted by journalists, they forgot to say that an Israeli gunboat had fired shells in the same area at the same time.
The Israeli occupation is now in its 40th year. Whether Hamas recognizes Israel or otherwise will not change the fact of the existence of the state of Israel. One suspects that even Hamas is not so optimistic as to believe that it can destroy the Israeli army.
The problem can be solved by Israel simply going back to 1967 borders and negotiating without demanding Palestinian surrender. But we all know that nobody will insist on that. For how long shall the carnage continue while we all look away, distracted, afraid or tired. Too tired even for sympathy. Too tired to be Palestinians anymore. It's called sympathy fatigue.
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited