The Voice of Resistance

The mainstream news media concept of a ‘cycle of violence’ in Palestine and Israel falsely equates Israel’s brutal and overwhelming military Occupation with Palestinian acts of Resistance to it. While a few of the responses by Palestinians can be illegal and extreme, Resistance is, nevertheless, a right recognised in international law. The daily land-grabbing imposition of Israeli settlers, population-control, economic sabotage and agricultural ruin inflicted by the Occupation, need to be recognised as the root cause of all the suffering.

By not even sanctioning Israel in this regard, the international community is failing to uphold humanitarian law and, tragically, is actually providing support for the Zionist enterprise. For example, Israel’s already superior military might is boosted by the United States with a $3.8billion yearly contribution. In Britain, on 31 January this year, a written question to the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs requested clarification of the UK’s position on the International Criminal Court’s investigation into alleged war crimes in the West Bank and Gaza. On 8 February, the Parliamentary Under Secretary, David Rutley, wrote the following reply: “The UK is a strong supporter of the International Criminal Court and we respect the independence of the Court. We do not consider that the ICC has jurisdiction in this instance as the UK does not currently recognise Palestinian statehood.”

The Under Secretary’s response amounts to a contemptuous denial by the UK Government of the Palestinian right to self-determination and sovereignty. It also further exemplifies the determination of New Zealand’s traditional allies to support Israel’s offences, no matter how great the human cost. The Zionist state controls the whole of Palestine’s West Bank, over 60% of which has had imposed upon it Jewish-only settlements, supported by restricted military zones and bases. Palestinian citizens of Israel, along with those living under Israeli military Occupation outside of Israel, are subject to 65 discriminatory laws that, directly or indirectly, fragment the Palestinian people. The destruction of Palestinian homes and schools, expulsion of Palestinians from East Jerusalem, uprooting of olive trees, ethnic cleansing, child abductions and relentless population-control, all amount to the internationally-recognised crime of genocide, as the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights explained in 2016.

The Israeli Supreme Court serves the demands of Zionism and, as the ideology grows ever more powerful, even judgements formerly issued in recognition of injustices, may be overturned. For example, a judgement by the Court made in 2020 found that the Mitzpe Kramim settlement outpost was illegal. The settlers had received privately-owned Palestinian land from the Settlement Division of the World Zionist Organisation, it was claimed, in ‘good faith’. In July 2022, however, the Court declared the settlement should remain because of the ‘good faith’ provision. The reversal of judgement had been achieved by means of a legal tool called “market regulation” which grants retroactive legalisation regarding outpost homes built on Palestinian land, so long as they were constructed in “good faith.” Discrimination is at the heart of legislation in Israel. In 1950, the Law of Return granted every Jew in the world the right to settle in Israel, just as Palestinian refugees were being excluded from returning to their homeland with the land-grabbing Absentee Property Law. Every inhumanity and violation of international law committed by Israel in Palestine strengthens the imposition of racist Zionist settler colonialism.Think upon for a moment, just one action by the government-controlled forces of the so-called democracy-respecting state, Israel:

Home invasions and forced family evacuations

Tubas – morning, Israeli Occupation troops forced several families out their homes in the Khirbet Humsa al-Fawqa area for ten days of military training to be conducted on separate days between 5 February and 1 March. The village of Khan al-Ahmar is home to more than 200 Palestinians, all of whom are threatened with exile and the destruction of their village. The residents, including children, are in danger also because of the remains of live ammunition left behind following Israeli military exercises. Consider then, the purpose behind an ideology that would justify the carrying out of such merciless and contemptuous home invasions. Is that not state terrorism?

The movement for sanctions against the Zionist regime has substantial grassroots support globally – support for it at the United Nations and within Israel itself is growing. In Israel, the Refuser Solidarity Network (RSN) has just reported that, after over 120 days in prison, two young Israelis have finally been released with exemption from military service! Shahar Schwartz (aged 18) and Evyatar Moshe Rubin (aged 19) both speak out in moving condemnation of Israel’s conduct. RSN proudly supports the conscientious objectors who, it says: “refused to participate in war crimes by an occupying army.” Upon his release, Shahar Schwartz told the world:

“I’m glad that the long months in prison are over, where I learned up close what it is like to lose your freedom. This experience only strengthened my opposition to the predatory regime enforced by the Israeli army in the Palestinian Territories, and I continue to believe that oppression should be resisted even at personal cost.”

Evyatar Moshe Rubin also spoke upon his release:

“In an age where access to information is so widespread, refusal becomes an increasingly powerful tool. To me, the great battle regarding Israel is a battle for information – if only everyone knew the truth about the history of this country, about the terrible crimes that are committed here every day to maintain the racial dominance, the apartheid regime in the occupied territories would not last until the end of the year.

As a result of my incarceration, I saw not only many of my friends in Israel being exposed to new content and information, but also people abroad, an equally important arena for this struggle, who are more and more aware of the situation in Israel due to the publications and widespread support for refusers, especially on social media.”

The courageous willingness of these Israeli teenagers and others like them, to sacrifice their freedom in defence of humanity puts to shame the hypocrisy of both our Western-aligned political leaders and the mainstream news media that deny reality by covering for Israel. Later this year, the International Court of Justice will be producing an advisory opinion on the 55-year Israeli Occupation of East Jerusalem, the rest of the West Bank and Gaza. With Zionist ideology seeking to widen its influence, it is imperative for the whole global community to unite in opposition to Israel‘s dangerous undermining of the principles of democracy and human rights.