A few weeks ago, I wrote that Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians is throwing up more heroes and villains on the global stage.
A group of unlikely heroes consists of the many conscientious Jews, who have taken a stand against Netanyahu’s government’s unprecendented aggression on occupied Palestine; and openly denounced it.
They include the countless Jews who have attended rallies, have written articles, issued statements and made videos declaring full support for the oppressed people of Palestine, while calling for adequate measures to end their plight.
These courageous Jews clearly do not have a thing to gain by taking the Palestinian side and denouncing their “kith and kin” in the Israeli establishment, they are just people guided by the dictates of their conscience to do what is right.
Whenever i see them giving speeches, at Pro-Palestinian rallies, I always mentally raise my hand in salute. It takes a lot of willpower to go against the grain.
I first heard that such Jews exist when I read about them in John Pilger’s book ‘Freedom Next Time.’ Those were Israeli soldiers who refused to serve at the Occupied Territories, because they know it’s all about maltreating, dehumanising and sometimes down-right killing of Palestinians.
Whenever they refuse such postings they are usually dismissed or they themselves leave the Israeli Defence Force.
But I didn’t know such Jews, with a great deal of humanity in them, abound in other parts of the world, until this latest round of annihilation attacks in Gaza brought them out in their thousands. They were on the streets of Europe and the US, criticising, condemning, as well as calling for the right measures against what’s supposed to be their ‘homeland’; the apartheid state of israel.
Among these Jews is Miko Peled, a man whose pedigree includes being the grand-nephew to a former Israeli president.
In his 3.18 minutes video, he prescribed what would effectively end Israeli savagery against Palestine, failing which the killing might not stop because nothing else will be as effective.
Miko Peled described himself as an activist and a writer who was born in Jerusalem to a Zionist family. His father was a general in the Israeli army, his grandfather signed the declaration of independence of Israel and he had a great-uncle, who was even a president of the apartheid state.
But he had this to say on how to deal with the current situation in Israel.
“We are now in the midst of a savage slaughter of Palestinians…. Israeli savagery has been going on for 75 years and now the world is focusing on the fact that a small group of young Palestinian fighters left the Gaza Strip in order to commit acts of armed resistance.
The world is focusing on whether they were cruel or not cruel, completely ignoring 75 years of savagery by the Zionist, apartheid state known as Israel.
One has to wonder how much longer it’s going to take before the world wakes up…. Negotiations are being held about a ceasefire, a safe passage, a safe corridor, when in fact what needs to take place are immediate sanctions against the state of Israel, withdrawal of all diplomats out of Tel Aviv and kicking out all Israeli diplomats from the various capitals around the world. Severe sanctions, boycotting and kicking Israel out of every international arena: sports, cultural and diplomatic arenas. There should be no contact with this pariah state.
And immediate support needs to be given to Palestinians everywhere but most particularly in Gaza. And a no-fly zone should be declared over Gaza Strip. Nothing less than this is worth even discussing in terms of negotiations….
So this is my message. I belive that Zionism is a crime and the state of Israel is the expression of that crime. We need to do everything we can….”
Above are the great words of Miko Peled. Proof of his commitment to ending the oppression, and now genocide against Palestinians. It’s obvious that his prescription will definitely end the Israeli carnage, if adopted by Arab leaders and members of the international community. But both groups are too scared of Israel to heed Mr Peled’s advice or act on them.
So once again while thousands of Palestinians are being bombed out of existence, we can only continue to pray for the divine intervention that will surely grant them victory over Netanyahu and his Zionist goons.
As if referring to this current war on Gaza, Michael Heart, the Syrian-born American singer sang:
“The leaders of countries afar debated who’s right and who’s wrong
Their powerless words are in vain
The bombs come down like acid
And nothing remains
But a voice rising out in the smoky
haze
We will not go down
In the night without a fight
We will not fo down in Gaza
Tonight.”
This was way back in 2008, during another round of Isreali bloodbath in Gaza.
However, we all know that Arab leaders will remain impotent, while the UN and others will continue to be mere spectators to genocide
•Written By Aisha Umar Yusuf
