The tragedy in the 'siege of the hospitals' in Gaza is that the Israeli state is proving by its own actions that it is structurally racist, thus legitimising claims by the likes of Hamas and Hizbollah.
Moreover, the conduct of the EU and the US lends credibility to those like Putin, who question the west's double standards and hypocrisy.
The reality is that oppressed people deserve the consolation of being internationally vindicated. The question facing the 'west' (which includes me and us) is why is Netanyahu not treated in the same way as Milosevic and Putin? The tragedy is that the only ones doing so (Turkey Hizbollah and Iran) are also of the same ilk. Erdogan's treatment of the Kurds and Hizbollah's support for the murderous Assad regime come to mind immediately when sultan Erdogan and nasrallah lambast Israel and hail Hamas as freedom fighters.
I do not detest the west. I am part of it. It is also shaped by our struggles for equality, democracy and freedom. But it is also shaped by a legacy of colonialism, brutality and nationalisms, those zombies which never die and animate an assertive far right. That is why this moral failure hurts.
But there is another disturbing aspect of our moral bankruptcy. We expect Palestinians to warm up to our hallow promises of a two state solution and our calls for restrain on Israel, while they are being butchered. Our governments expect Palestinians to accept their humiliation and to distance themselves from those resisting the occupation. Since October 7, the world (myself included) had been throwing the burden of moral correctness on a vanquished and brutalised people, thus giving their oppressor a license to maim and kill. Some did worse by literally offering their unconditional support.
And while i recoil at anti semitism, even posting this comment would probably be shot down as anti semitism by some.
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