How can we stop the genocide in Palestine ?
As many predicted, after eleven months of the Gaza genocide, Israel is now shifting its attention towards the West Bank genocide.
In this instance, the policy is more prudent, as Israel is unable to find convenient justifications as it previously did to support its attack and genocide in Gaza. Nevertheless, the narrative employed by Israel remains fundamentally unchanged. Indeed, it goes beyond being a mere tale; it is a myth that is still embraced and reiterated by Israel's followers worldwide.
The myth is that Israel's military campaign in Gaza was a response to a military operation on October 7th, whereas its current assault on the West Bank is a preemptive strike against Iran's proxies in the region.
The myth also implies that Iran shares the same objectives as the Nazis who murdered the Jews.
Undoubtedly, this is not a novel form of propaganda. Since 1948, Israeli scholars, diplomats, and politicians have sought to liken the Palestinians to Nazis. An utterly preposterous aspect of that endeavor was the assertion made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wherein he contended that the Mufti had successfully influenced Hitler to orchestrate the slaughter of Jews throughout Europe.
This ancient-modern myth resulted in the ominous analogy drawn between the soldiers and civilians who perished on October 7, 2023, and the six million Jews who were systematically murdered by the Nazis.
Such a parallel is a flagrant misuse of the Holocaust memory and, more significantly, an effort to vilify the Palestinian anti-colonial resistance, which originated in the 1920s and will persist until Palestine achieves liberation.
There is no need to allocate an excessive amount of time to disproving this type of falsehood. The crucial point is that it continues to grant protection in Western media and politics for Israel's ongoing genocidal policies in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Readers who regularly read my answers on Quora are already familiar with the classification of Israeli activities in the Gaza Strip as genocide. However, in the past month, the focus of the genocide has shifted from the large-scale killings of Palestinians to a broader endeavor to eradicate their presence from their own land.
Within the past eleven months, the implementation of this erasure tactic resulted in the complete annihilation of the colleges and libraries located in the Gaza Strip. This heinous act aimed to destroy the Palestinian identity, cultural legacy, and human resources.
Israel's activities in the West Bank are driven by the same goal, disguised as a preemptive strike against a potential "terrorist" attack on Israel.
Adhering to messianic neo-Zionist ideology, the current Israeli government believes it has a unique opportunity in history to expel the Palestinians from their homeland. These leaders and the people they represent deem all methods, including genocide, acceptable within this particular framework.
Just like in 1948, the leaders of the Zionist cause perceive a unique chance in history to accomplish, in a single significant undertaking, what would otherwise require gradual efforts over a span of several years.
This is a painful reminder of the two clocks of history working at different paces. A clock that operates at a slow pace is used to gauge the increasing support for the Palestinian people in the Western world, as well as the proactive efforts to boycott and divest from Israel.
Regrettably, the second clock is rapidly increasing in speed, measuring the extent of devastation on the ground in ancient Palestine.
Hence, the primary objective of the solidarity movement remains unchanged: to align with and influence the evolving global and regional response to Israel's policies, with the aim of effecting tangible change in the real world.
The Democratic Party's convention in Chicago in August was a distressing display, as presidential contender Kamala Harris reaffirmed her unwavering and unapologetic endorsement of Israel. This event served as a terrible reminder of America's involvement in the genocide. However, it also highlighted the absence of any substantial alternative in American politics that may give us hope for a significant transformation in the near future.
Regardless of the outcome of the American elections, it is more logical to advocate for reducing American engagement in Palestine and the Middle East rather than expecting the new American administration to adopt a policy that has never been pursued since the inception of the state of Israel.
Minimizing US involvement increases the likelihood of a better future. Regrettably, however, there is a condition.
To effectively halt the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the emerging one in the West Bank, it is imperative to intensify the pressure on the incoming president in the immediate term.
With the hope that the Uncommitted National Movement can convince Harris over the next 60 days, it is believed that halting the genocide could perhaps contribute to her victory in battleground states, where the Left and Arab American votes hold considerable importance.
Furthermore, both the European Union and the British government have consistently taken disgraceful stances about the genocide, up until the present day.
Up to this point, the resurgence of the Labour Party in power and the triumph of the left coalition in France have not resulted in a significant change in either country's policy.
While it is encouraging that Norway, Spain, and Belgium have taken positions on recognizing the state of Palestine, it is not currently an urgent priority. This is because the ongoing genocide in Gaza is spreading to the West Bank, and potentially to the 1.9 million Palestinian citizens residing in Israel.
I have consistently exercised caution, refraining from making pessimistic and alarmist predictions about the future of our specific Palestinian community, where I currently live.
However, I am concerned that we are also at risk of an existential threat as prospective third-phase targets.
Nevertheless, it is never too late to prevent the next step from happening.
The commencement of the academic year in the global north and the US is imminent, and it is anticipated that the encampments will resume their protests with revitalized zeal and even more stimulating modes of protest.
It is also promising to observe the increasing number of unions and companies divesting from Israel, as well as the decision of some colleges to completely cut their official connections with Israeli academia.
It is unnecessary to provide guidance to the Palestinians on strategic planning and their ultimate goals. What is needed is a resolute solidarity movement that firmly believes it is exerting maximum pressure on national governments to halt Israel's actions.
It is crucial to thwart the neo-Zionist messianism from achieving its goal, which its leaders perceive as a unique chance to annihilate the Palestinian population, a task that previous generations of colonial oppressors have been unable to do for over a century.
It is evident that their efforts will be futile—the Palestinians and the existence of Palestine will not be eradicated. However, it is imperative that we exert every possible effort to minimize the widespread devastation and loss of life caused by Israel all over historical Palestine.