While Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is continuing with his personal version of a Holocaust with a determination that might make Hitler admire him, United States’ President Joe Biden has demonstrated a moral bankruptcy by repeating ad nauseum his support for Israel’s “right to defend itself”.

That right includes the carpet bombing of Gaza, the largest and the worst open-air prison under the moon, where 50,000 pregnant women are deprived of potable water and medical attention as Israeli military bombs hospitals, and brazenly demands the United Nations’ offices to be closed. The intention is that the Israeli military can then enter the capital city and shoot at sight at any human being seen or heard.

That right includes ordering 11 lakh human beings to move out of the city. That right includes ordering human beings under treatment in hospitals in the city to be moved with their ICU. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and others have shown moral courage and rejected the demand from Israel.

Here is one example of the lies being woven by Israel : Tal Heinrich, Netanyahu’s spokesperson, said on October 12 2023 , “Women, children, toddlers, and elderly were brutally butchered in an ISIS way of action Hamas is capable of”.

President Biden joined in. “I never really thought that I would see… have confirmed pictures of terrorists beheading children”, he said on the same day Tal Heinrich spoke.

The ‘story’ was repeated on Fox News and CNN. Even Representative Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in the Congress, believed the report and said, “Hamas terrorists have cut off babies’ heads.”

The next day the White House spokesperson corrected the President. “A White House spokesperson later clarified that US officials and the president have not seen pictures or confirmed such reports independently.” (The Washington Post.) Goebbels might be having a good laugh at his backboneless disciples who cannot persist in lying.

It is difficult not to point out that the so-called Homo Sapiens Sapiens in the West abuse the word ‘terrorist’. Anyone they do not like is termed a ‘terrorist’ and ergo can be killed or tortured whether in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib or elsewhere.

Let us look at the Mother of Democracy in this context. In October 2020 the 83-year-old, peaceful priest, a veteran fighter for tribal rights, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency that found a terrorist in him. He died in prison deprived of medical treatment.

In this context it is important to recall that in 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw bombs and leaflets in the central legislative assembly “to make the deaf hear.”

There is no internationally accepted definition of terrorism. But it is obvious that Israel has been practising ‘state terrorism’ in Palestine since 1948. In fact, Israel is the only state in existence begotten by terrorism.

Let us look at two examples of terrorism carried out before the state of Israel was born. On July 22 1946. The King David Hotel in Jerusalem that housed the administrative headquarters of Palestine was bombed by Irgun, a terrorist organization, killing 91 human beings including Britons, Arabs, and Jews. The leader of Irgun was Menachem Begin, Prime Minister (1977-1983). Prime Minister Clement Attlee speaking in the House of Commons condemned the “terrorist” act.

On July 22 2006 Netanyahu and others from the Knesset assembled to celebrate the attack. Netanyahu’s Likud Party was founded by Menahim Begin and Ariel Sharon in 1973.

On September 17 1948 Count Folke Bernadotte, U.N. mediator appointed by the Security Council was shot dead by a terrorist group called Lehi whose leader Yitzhak Shamir later became Prime Minister (1986-1992). Bernadotte had saved over 20,000 Jews from German concentration camps during World War 2.

In short, terrorist acts and U.N. Resolutions begat Israel. By declaring the state of Israel one day before the mandate was ended Israel’s leaders violated the UN resolutions.

The Western media and governments have condemned the acts of Hamas. By killing innocent civilians and taking hostages from the civilian population Hamas has carried out acts that must be condemned.

However, such condemnation alone cannot explain what has happened. Why did Hamas carry out such despicable acts? Because they are terrorists is no explanation. Assuming that they are terrorists, the BBC has given cogent reasons for its not calling them terrorists, we still need to look at the big picture. A part of the big picture about the origins of Israel we have seen.

We need to look at the behaviour of Israel. In 1948-49 Israel carried out ethnic cleansing and over 700,000 Palestinians fled to escape killing and Israel held on to the territory even though it was part of the state of Palestine as per the U.N. Resolutions.

After the 1967 war Israel was required under Security Council Resolution 242 to vacate from territories it captured and continued to occupy. It did not and the Arabs attacked it in 1973. That war was brought to an end by Security Council Resolution 338 that reiterated 242. Israel did not comply.

Under the Oslo Accords (1993 and 1995) Israel formally agreed to a so-called “two-states” solution. That has not been implemented till now because the only existing state does not want to see another state born. In short, Israel wants the occupation to continue, expand the settlements, and if possible, to push the Palestinians into neighbouring Arab States or even into the Dead Sea or the Jordan River.

Obviously, the Israeli leadership has not learnt the right lessons from the Holocaust. That was a quick death by poison gas. Netanyahu has now mastered the art of conducting a new Holocaust by slow death.

Hence, he has cut off electricity, food, and other essentials to the 2.3 million human beings in Gaza whom his defence minister Gallant has termed “human animals” reminiscent of the term “untermenschen” (subhuman) for Jews used by the Nazis.

We need to understand why Israel is doing what it is doing. There are two reasons. One, the Israeli elite has not learned the correct lessons from the Holocaust and is able and willing to imitate the Nazis. Two, even more important, Washington protects Israel at all costs, whether it is acting right or not.

Netanyahu is threatening to order his army into Gaza. To my mind the historical parallel is Hitler’s Operation Barbarossa against the Soviet Union.

If the Israeli military goes into Gaza, there can be two consequences. The military can get into a quagmire. Additionally, Hezbollah and even Iran might intervene.

The armed groups in Iraq might attack the US Embassy in Baghdad. Syria might also hit back at Israel. If the US task force with two aircraft carriers gets into action, the consequences are catastrophically unpredictable.

The UN Secretary General Dr. Antonio Guterres, the voice of humanity’s conscience, has called upon the belligerents, especially Israel, to see reason. The UN has pointed out that hospitals in Gaza have power only for another 24 hours.

Dear global citizen, what can be done to compel Netanyahu to see reason, or to make the ‘deaf listen’ as Bhaghat Singh would have put it.

Netanyahu has not yet ordered his army to enter Gaza, though the Israeli military says it is ready to enter and also to face war with Hezbollah, and even Iran. One reason given for the delay for the operation that was to start over the weekend is the weather.

It is rather likely that there are second thoughts within the cabinet about the wisdom of rushing into a quagmire. It is easy to get in ,but how do you get out? Biden has publicly advised Netanyahu not to 'occupy' Gaza. He might be worried about the American hostages too.

This is the moment for Hamas to make a strategic move. Put out the photographs and names of hostages, perhaps 150 in number. Announce that 15 of them including eight Americans will be released to Qatar within 24 hours. The rest will be released after Israel declares a ceasefire and negotiations start, not necessarily face-to-face. As part of the negotiations the release of the rest of the hostages can be considered.

In conclusion, the real cause of the present crisis is the moral bankruptcy of political leaders starting with Biden. All leaders who have referred to ‘terrorists’ and spoken of Israel’s ‘right to self-defence’ are morally bankrupt. Biden is only one among many.

Ambassador K. P. Fabian served in IFS from 1964 to 2000. His latest book is ‘The Arab Spring That Was And Wasn’t’ commissioned by Indian Council Of World Affairs. Views expressed here are the writer's own.

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