Mostafa Barghouthi

In this text, Mostafa Barghouthi draws up the macabre balance sheet of the last year and clearly announces what awaits the Palestinians if nothing is done: the annexation of the rest of the occupied territories, the continuation of apartheid and the completion of ethnic cleansing. While affirming the continuation of resistance, ‘whatever the cost’.

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A new world order

The atrocities committed in Gaza by the Israeli army are not only detrimental to the people of Gaza, but to international law as well. The actions of Israel has undermined international and humanitarian law, which the West claims to care about.

Palestinians discovered the double standards of many western governments when comparing their attitudes towards Russia and Ukraine with that towards Israel and Palestine. Russia was subjected to 11,000 sanctions in two months while Israel was provided with 50,000 tons of explosives by the United States, in addition to thousands of weapons from other western countries such as Britain and Germany.

The world order will never be the same after the genocide in Gaza. People legitimately ask:

  • Where are the so-called western values of human rights, democracy, and international law?
  • Why do Palestinians have to face Israeli occupation, apartheid, and genocide?
  • Why are we mistreated by many European and American governments which refuse to treat us as equal human beings?
  • What will be the impact of this ongoing genocide on the whole international order created after the Second World War?
  • Will those in power not be held accountable for breaking the rules of international law?
  • Will the world be run by the rule of ruthless power rather than by the rule of law?

The war that started on the 7th of October was not the cause of the current political situation, rather it was the result of 76 years of ethnic cleansing that the Palestinian people were subjected to by Israel in 1948, when 52 massacres were committed by Israeli military gangs and 520 Palestinian towns and villages were erased to the ground. About 70% of the population of Gaza were refugees, displaced by Israel in 1948. They were displaced again in 2024, six to 10 times in the course of one year.

The 7th of October was also a result of 57 years of Israeli military occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza that evolved into the worst system of apartheid in modern history. It was a result of 17 years of a ruthless Israeli siege on Gaza, which left it with 94% of its water polluted or salted and a destroyed economy with 80% of young graduates unemployed.

And it was also the result of the declared Israeli government policy which resulted in the demise of a two State solution in which Palestinians were expected to build a state in 22% of their homeland, while the 181 UN Resolution gave them 44% at a time when they owned 82% of the land of historic Palestine.

No better or worse than any other people

This was a result of the Knesset state nation law which declared that the right of self- determination is historic Palestine (they call it Eretz Israel) is exclusive for Jewish people, followed by the Israeli fascist minister Smotrich’s declaration that Israel will fill the West Bank with Israeli settlements till Palestinians lose any hope of a state of their own, and then have to choose between immigration (ethnic cleansing), subjugation to Israelis (eternal apartheid), or death (genocide).

The 7th of October was a direct result of the Israeli shift not only to racism and extremism, but also to theo-fascism killing any hope for peace or justice, in Palestine.

Many Palestinians had hopes in the peace process, international law, and UN Resolutions. However, they have seen their homeland gradually and violently taken over by extreme settlers.

They live in a constant state of threat, their children are at risk, and that the United Nations and western governments are failing to impose the implementations of no less than 84 UN Security Council resolutions, and about 800 General Assembly Resolutions that support Palestinians rights.

It is clear that the Israel establishment is attempting to annex the West Bank, including Jerusalem and Gaza Strip and t displace their Palestinian populations.

Netanyahu left no doubt about his intentions when he raised the map of Israel in the UN General Assembly, two weeks before the 7th of October, which included the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the Golan Hights.

No innocent life of any civilian should be lost or killed, and this applies to Palestinians as well. The famous Palestinian poet Tawfiq Ziyad, who happened to be the mayor of Nazareth once said: “We, Palestinians, are not better than any other people, but no other people are better than us.”

We want to be treated as equals, with our rights to full freedom, dignity, and self-determination. Whatever it takes Palestinians will not be broken, and they will not give up till their dream is fulfilled and Palestine is free.

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Mostafa Barghouti – Palestinian politician, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative

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