Every day it seems the Israelis kill a few Palestinians and it's only when they hit a certain threshold that anyone seems to notice. Is it possible that Israel's defenders just don't see the Palestinians as humans?
It's very difficult to conceptualise how the death of 19 people mostly women and children - who were sleeping at the time of killing - can be considered a result of an accidental "technical failure" by the Israeli army (bearing in mind that the "failure" took place less than 24 hours after the Israeli army declared an end to its offensive in the area, which has been carried out since November 1).
The reaction from across the Western world has been appalling: The US asked for "restraint"; the UK contended it was hard to see what this action was meant to achieve and the EU found it shocking. No one has condemned Israel for carrying out its murders against innocent civilians. Arabs were as usual, quiet - probably looking out for the next offensive thing to come out of Europe.
At the UN level, there was a typical reaction: The US vetoed UN Security Council resolution urging an immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and condemning the Israeli attack, thus showing an American backing for such crimes.
This is the seventh time the US has vetoed a resolution targeting Israel's aggression against the Palestinian people.
What political, religious, moral, historical or even intellectual justification can be attached to such murders? How could anyone look at what has happened to the Palestinians at Beit Hanun and see the reasoning behind such massacres?
The question begs itself: can any country in the world (other than Israel) get away with this type of behaviour? No. Israel is unique. With the backing and blind support of the world's sole imperialistic power, Israel goes it alone as the country being allowed to carry out such crimes without being checked (even at the UN level). The strength and solidness of Israel's official lobby in Washington DC, the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) provides the main explanation behind the Jewish state's strength and control.
Lobby
This lobby has penetrated every angle of the US governmental system. Just look at the latest midterm elections; AIPAC's official website states that they've reached nearly every lawmaker elected as part of an effort to "educate" political candidates on the value of the US-Israeli relationship. I quote: "Nearly every candidate has met with AIPAC professional staff members and submitted a position paper summarising his or her views on US policy towards the Middle East."
Critics of AIPAC are routinely tarnished as anti-Semitic (if not self-hating Jews). Not only this; the active organisation has built coalitions with non-Jewish constituencies in an effort to secure influence over US media as well as national interest groups. What is most admirable about this organisation is that it has managed to keep the illusion of Israel as a strategic asset throughout recent history. They argue that Israel is closest to America in the Middle East due to their shared democratic systems; therefore, Israel has to be America's most reliable ally in the region and is the only country capable of carrying out the US's strategic goals in the Middle East.
It doesn't require an expert to see that Israel has not promoted peace or stability in the region, having fought several wars against Arab states. Their ongoing conflict against Palestinians is demonstrative of the fact that this country is but a source of major contention in the Middle East. Yet the Israeli lobby ensures such a perception is out of sight for the active US government.
The US yet again turned down an opportunity to become actively involved in re-starting peace talks or even brokering an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians following Israel's attacks on Beit Hanun. In fact since her visit to the region last month, US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice has not taken a single step to revive any peace talks.
Needless to say, the latest US veto against the UN resolution condemning Israel signals America's complete and unequivocal backing to Israel's murders in the Palestinian territories, however illegal they may be. It also reinforces the notion that this special relationship between the two is not about to change any time soon.
