Do not judge the International Court of Justice solely by whether it calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. Much more important is whether it finds South Africa’s genocide allegations deserve a full hearing.
Ethnic cleansing or “transfer” is an intrinsic part of Zionism’s early history, and has remained an essential feature of Israeli political life. More recently, “transfer” has been mainstreamed by billing it as encouraging “voluntary emigration.”
Israel’s massacres against civilians in its past military engagements have never pushed the U.S. to pressure Israel into a ceasefire. Only when Israel has suffered a military defeat has the U.S. called for a cessation of hostilities.
The 30 years since the Oslo Accords has shown Palestinians that Europe will not serve as a counterweight to the U.S., but rather as a pillar in their dispossession.
The 1987-1993 Intifada represents – alongside the 1936 Rebellion and the 1982 Siege of Beirut – for many Palestinians their finest hour during the past century. There are many reasons for this, but top of the list may well be the abiding perception that the combination of adversity and hope consistently bought out the very best in people at the individual and collective level under the worst imaginable circumstances.