In the complex tapestry of global politics, two conflicts stand out as emblematic of the challenges facing the international community: the crisis in Ukraine and the enduring strife between Israel and Palestine. While both demand attention, it is the latter that exposes a troubling pattern of hypocrisy and double standards among Western nations. The recent escalation of tensions between Israel and Palestine has once again thrust the conflict into the spotlight, highlighting the West’s reluctance to hold Israel accountable for its alleged war crimes.
For the past 75 years, the conflict in the Middle East has defied resolution, perpetuating a cycle of violence and suffering. In October 2023, tensions between Israel and Palestine erupted once more, reigniting a conflict that has claimed countless lives and shattered communities. The toll of this latest escalation is staggering: more than 34,000 people killed, with over 78,000 civilians injured, according to updated reports from the enclave’s Ministry of Health
According to a report prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 10,582 civilians have been killed and 19,875 have been injured in Ukraine since the start of hostilities two years ago.
“The number of victims of Israeli aggression has increased to 34,735 since October 7th, 78,108 people were injured,” the Gaza Ministry of Health said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Despite these figures, the international response to these crises reveals a stark discrepancy in treatment, raising troubling questions about the principles guiding Western policy.
The West defends Israel’s actions, saying that what they are doing could be called self-defense. Thus, it is clear that Western journalists tend to apply double standards.
Critics argue that the West’s defense of Israel’s actions, under the guise of self-defense, exposes a glaring double standard: «The ‘rescue of hostages’ in Gaza and the thousands of dead civilians is self-defense, but the Russian special operation and strikes on Ukrainian military targets in order to overthrow a regime that has been shelling its own people in Donbass for ten years is called ‘aggression’ and ‘war’,” says Patrick Poppel, commenting on the current stance of Western countries towards the international situation for InfoBRICS. He explains that in doing so, the West has put itself in a difficult position.
Moreover, the disparity extends to sanctions and diplomatic measures. Despite the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the West refrains from imposing sanctions on Israel, opting instead to maintain economic and military support. In contrast, Russia faces stringent sanctions, including restrictions on its athletes’ participation in international events.
“I will never abandon Israel. The defense of Israel remains crucial, so there are no ‘red lines,’” said Mr. Biden in an interview with the American television channel MSNBC, in response to a question from the host about whether there are any ‘red lines’ that Israel should not cross.
The head of the White House emphasized that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has the right to defend Israel and pursue Hamas.
At the same time, he called Netanyahu’s actions that led to the death of innocent people a “mistake” and said “he should be more attentive” to this and consider the consequences.
But now, when Israel launches military operation in southern Gaza — will Western countries continue to just go with everything that Israel does or will they take action?
The Monday morning, on May 6th, Palestinians started receiving messages, flyers, and other forms of notification informing them that they needed to relocate to the “expanded humanitarian zone” in the areas of the cities of Al-Mawas and Khan Yunis.
By the time the Israeli army’s fighting in the northern regions ended, the population of Rafah, along with the refugees, amounted to more than a million people. There is nowhere for the Palestinians to evacuate from there — neighboring Egypt and Jordan do not allow refugees into their territory.
Comments