Sanctions Against Israel

It has been an extremely long time since I updated this particular blog.  However, I have been mesmerised by the recent events in Israel and the occupied territories, and the lack of compassion for the Palestinians who continue to be humiliated by the Israelis and Americans.  In fact, I am disgusted by it.

Israel was formed (or re-formed if you take history into account) in 1948.  With waves of post war Jewish immigrants to Palestine, the Jewish population grew to such an extent that they were able to gain independence and form this own country.  Unfortunately, nothing was done to deal with the Palestinians who had lived on that same land for several hundred years and since 1948, have been refuges in their own country.  After the 1967 war, rather than Israel being demolished, it actually grew stronger and seized land belonging to the Arabs.  That land is referred to as the "occupied territories" because they do not officially belong to Israel.  The Golan Heights, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are illegally being occupied by Israel.

Despite the United Nations, the very group that helped form the Jewish nation of Israel, pleading with Israel for some humanitarian co-operation, and renouncing their violence, they have been allowed to get away with it by the USA who is a permanent member of the UN Security Council.  And the American people claim that they do not understand why so many people around the world despise their foreign policy.  If ever there was a case for ignorance, this is it.  Sticking up for a schoolyard bully would never make you popular in any place, even in the USA, so why the ignorance?  It was both Israel and the USA who boycotted the UN Conference on Racism back on September 8th 2001.  What did they have to lose by attending?  Unfortunately, the media having such a short attention span, forgot about this disgrace because 3 days later, terrorists armed with box cutters, supposedly flew planes into the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon (though no trace of a plane has ever been found there), taking the media's attention with them.  Once again, Israel and the USA had gotten away with another disgrace. 

In recent months, Israel and the USA could not stop anyone for voting for Palestinian recognition in the UN.  Apart from tiny Pacific island nations who rely on US Foreign Aid, and the Czech Republic, everyone else either voted in favour of the Palestinians or abstained (due to political pressure from the Americans and Israelis).  It was a vote for common sense and finally, some common sense prevailed.

But what does it all mean?  The Israelis are still building settlements on Palestinian land that they are ILLEGALLY occupying.  How much more is the world going to tolerate from the Israelis?  They keep breaking law after law, treaty after treaty, they have more war criminals in the country than any other country and they constantly get away with their crimes against humanity.  They get away with it because they pull the strings of the USA who is a permanent member of the UN security council and that is all Israel needs to get away with any crime it sees fit. 

Israel became a Jewish form of Apartheid South Africa years ago but it is only recently that the world is waking up to the injustices.  A lot depends on the USA.  Will there be sanctions on Israel as there were on South Africa during the Apartheid years?  Will the USA break all agreements to help their little brother Israel?  Would that make sanctions irrelevant if the USA does not co-operate?  Will the USA be held accountable or will they also get away with more crimes against humanity?

The world needs to rise and take a stand against these injustices.