The relentless Israeli bombing of Gaza for the past few days continues unabated. In fact it is increasing by the hour and the death toll is rising. Most affected are children and women.
What is different from previous airstrikes, which use freely supplied, sophisticated, lethal American weaponry, is the precision targeting of civilian homes, charity organizations, hospitals and dispensaries.
There is no end in sight as Prime Minister Netanyahu stated: “We do not know when this operation will stop.” Over 185 Palestinians have been killed as Israelis pound what is described as the largest open prison camp.
No Israeli has been killed. This has encouraged Netanyahu and his cohorts to continue the bombing.
Refugees fleeing to United Nations Relief Work Agencies (UNRWA) shelters on cars, scooters and donkey carts were strafed by Israeli air force F16s.
It was hell said a Norwegian doctor working in the camps. Neither the United States nor its closest European ally Britain has said anything constructive. On the contrary, bland statements calling on both sides to exercise restraint were made after both the US and Britain stated loud and clear that Israel has a right to defend itself.
The question is: Defend itself against whom? The Gazans have been blocked on all sides. Gaza is a concentration camp. Its tragedy is that its people want to live free. They cannot.
Adding to their woes is the impotence of the Arab countries, each of which is embroiled in its own miserable condition.
And the Western media has also, as usual, covered up Israeli atrocities. The BBC and CNN are the main culprits. Their allegiance to Israeli interests, which contradicts all honest journalism ethics, has gone beyond the pale of decency.
In fact, they are “open mouthpieces of the Zio-Nazis of Tel Aviv,” said a Western diplomat.
What can we do to help the people of Gaza? Making personal appeals to our friends in the West and relaying to them pictures of the horrors inflicted on the Palestinians, making our voices heard through the Arab communities in the diaspora and boycotting Israeli goods are some of the things that we can do.
We should strive to let the people of Gaza know that while Arab officialdom is helpless, we as a people are not. So let us not talk but contribute all that we can. However much we do, we cannot wipe away the scars, the trauma and the hurt of the people of Gaza.
As for Israel, the more they continue their murderous policies, stray away from the path of peace and indulge in bloodletting, the more they will become vulnerable.
For what goes around comes around.
– The writer is Editor-at-Large. He can be reached at kalmaeena@saudigazette.com.sa and followed on Twitter: @KhaledAlmaeena
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