How we can support the national struggle of Palestinains

— Nasir Khan

A commentator has asked me that most powerful Western countries support Israel’s wars and killings of Palestinians. What can we do in this situation to support the occupied and Palestinians?

I will try to offer my reply in simple language without adding any adjectives to describe the wars and brutal oppression of Israel of the Palestinians. It is common knowledge that most powerful Western countries support what Israel does to the colonised people of Palestine. To start with, Israel was a British colonial project that found a clear expression of its objectives in the Balfour Declaration of 1917.

But apart from Israel’s close political and military allies and dedicated supporters like the United States and Britain, etc. in the West, Russia under Putin and India under the Hindutva fascists who govern India now under PM Modi are also tacit supporters of Israeli ethnic cleansing and oppression of the Palestinians. So, are many Arab countries, such as, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, etc. which are political and diplomatic allies of Israel.But despite all this, we have to keep in mind that millions of ordinary but politically conscious people in the world have become increasingly aware of Israel’s ethnic cleansing and its wars of aggression and annihilation on defenceless Palestinians. This has happened as more people have become aware of the goals of Israeli inhumanity towards the Palestinians under its occupation and apartheid system.

Now the question is: What can we do in such a state of affairs?

My reply is that we stand firm for the cause of Palestine and its oppressed people and try to bring factual information before the people as much as we can. This is something many of us can do. Every one of us is not a writer, journalist or columnist who can write on this issue. But every one of us who sides with truth and justice in Palestine can add his/her voice by sharing the information that some websites and anti-fascist and anti-war groups publish and post. This creates public awareness and helps to spread the truth about the situation of the colonised and dispossessed people of Palestine.

Indeed, such steps cannot change the course Israel follows as a regional superpower in the Middle East and controls the foreign policy of the United States when it comes to the Middle East. We know when Israel signals what it wants, the US political establishment (White House and US Congress) eagerly complies with it and pro-Israel media justify any such military and fiscal support by resorting to all devious tricks. That is not going to change now or in the foreseeable future. But we can inform others what this military and financial support is and how it is used. It is used primarily to crush and bomb Palestinians and also used against Syria and Lebanon. The threat by Israel to unleash a major war on Iran is always there.

The BDS movement is playing an important role in a peaceful way against the policies of Israel. This movement and its work need to be brought before the people who are not aware of it. Israel and the United States are doing their utmost to scuttle and neutralize this peaceful movement to boycott Israeli goods and products. That means the BDS is proving effective. We need to strengthen it and show its relevance.

Arab kings, emirs and dictators pay their lip service to the cause of Palestine, but they do so only to pacify the Arab masses domestically. Their verbal support from their palaces is meant to hide the pernicious reality that they are indifferent towards Israel’s brutal oppression of the Palestinians, and in some cases, Saudi Arabia, for instance, has actively put pressure on an Islamic country, Pakistan, to normalise its relations with Israel. Such rulers ignore the national and human rights of Palestinians, the victims of the Zionist colonial project.The struggle of national liberation of Palestine has continued despite all the heavy odds and the efforts of common men and men who support this just cause is gaining strength.

Freedom for Palestine and Solidarity with the Palestinians until their victory!