The week gone has seen massive rallies calling for an end to the Israeli invasion of Gaza. From Sydney to Paris people have come together in a sign of solidarity with those Palestinians who are trapped in Gaza and whose lives remain threatened with every day that passes. But with all the goodwill that seems to resonate in the forms of solidarity rallies the world over, one has to ask, is it enough?
The solidarity rallies, no matter their size and frequency cannot mask the reality on the ground. Living in Ramallah, I see it daily. It’s in the papers that come out in West Bank cities. As every day passes, the story changes little; more homes are destroyed, people maimed and lives lost. People remain frightened, insecure and vulnerable. This is not to say that the actions of the Israeli government have not garnered the attention of the international community. The United Nations Security Council has met to discuss the matter as has the United Nations Secretary General issued statements calling for an end to the conflict.
However for Palestinians, no matter how strong the wording of the forthcoming statements is, they cannot mask the impunity with which Israel acts. For every ‘condemnation’ that is directed at Israel by the President of the United States, the same speech will undoubtedly make reference to the ‘inherent right of Israel to defend itself’. However well intentioned the sentiments of the President are, they are effectively being used by Israel as a carte blanche to justify all and every action in Gaza. At the same time the sincerity of such sentiments are constantly brought into question as the United States continues to renew Israel’s weaponry stockpile as the conflict continues. As American talk show host Jon Stewart aptly noted, the United States ‘can’t be Israel’s rehab sponsor and its drug dealer’ at the same time.
Even when the conflict in Gaza does finally come to an end, if the past is anything to go by, it is not expected that Israel will be confronted by any more than a slap on the wrist for its actions. It is the historical inconsistency between action and word from leaders in the international community that leaves Palestinians bewildered.
Palestinians are not seeking an internationally sanctioned counter invasion into Israel to bring the current conflict and the occupation to an end. However what they want is an international community that is willing to move beyond inconsistent statements and actions. They want an international community that is willing to act in response to unjustifiable widespread destruction, injury and death and the overt flouting of international law (Israel’s continual failure to abide by United Nations Security Council resolutions). Palestinians know that the international community is capable of bringing substance to it values through action. They saw such action in the form of the boycott that brought down apartheid in South Africa.
This is not to say that the international community as a whole has remained unwilling to act. Bolivia recently announced that it would end the visa exemption agreement that it had with Israel in protest to the current conflict in Gaza. The agreement had been in place since 1972 and exempted Israeli citizens from requiring a visa to travel to Bolivia.
Diplomacy still has its place. However statements should remain clear and consistent. People should not be left trying to decipher what is meant every time a statement released or action is taken. For example Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay made it known that they ‘energetically condemn the disproportionate use of force by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, which in the majority affects civilians, including children and women.’ However unlike other members of the international community this message was not later undermined by another inconsistent statement or action. Instead these countries maintained their stance; all three have recalled their ambassadors from Israel. Chile, Peru, Ecuador and El Salvador have similarly recalled their ambassadors from Israel.
The continuing destruction and death in Gaza unfortunately makes it obvious that the combined actions of those willing to act thus far are simply not enough. The actions of the few nations and the solidarity rallies that continue to be held across the globe remain overshadowed by the inconsistency between word and action of the United States, the European Union and the international community (through the United Nations). Should anyone of these major players go about bringing their words and actions into concert we can expect the reality on the ground to change. But until that happens, Palestinians will just be left bewildered as to the inconsistency and seemingly indifference the international community takes to their plight.
Raff Piccolo is an Australian living in Ramallah, Palestine, and working in Beit Hanina (East Jerusalem).