Nader k. Alturk
I stood for a long time in front of an article published by The Economist magazine saying that: the Russian entry into Ukraine broke the rule that was established after World War II, which stipulates that the borders should not be changed by force, I say to this magazine and its respected writers: The people of Western countries and many countries of the world will become victims of the double standards that they have established in international issues.
Where were you saying this when Israel was established as a state out of nowhere in 1948, that is, after World War II, according to United Nations Resolution 181, which determined its borders on 56% of the land of historical Palestine, and the world’s silence on Israel’s occupation of 78% of the land of Palestine instead of the area specified for it by an Unfair International Resolution?
Where was the international community at that time? And why did they ignore an important principle of the principles of the United Nations, “the inadmissibility of occupying the land of others by force”?!
And why was the international community silent about Israel’s occupation of the rest of the land of Palestine in 1967 and its occupation of Egyptian, Syrian, Lebanese and Jordanian lands, and at that time contented itself with condemnation and denunciation without taking practical positions on the ground?
Why did the international community suffice with condemnation and denunciation when Israel decided to annex Jerusalem to its borders and declared it as its capital?
Why was the international community content with silence when it announced the annexation of the Syrian Golan to its borders?
Also read: Palestine condemns premeditated Israeli assault on Gaza
The international community, left our Palestinian people alone in front of the Israeli killing machine and brutality for many years, until there was nothing left for us but to accept a Palestinian state on 22% instead of 43% of the historical borders of Palestine, as approved by the Partition of Palestine Resolution 181 in 1947, and it is the same international community that accepted to keep negotiating to achieve this for many years since 1991 and till now.
The international community, which stood silent in front of the decision of the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, in December 2017 to recognize the occupied city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, was also silent about his implementation of the decision and his transfer of the United States Embassy to Israel to the occupied city of Jerusalem in May 2018.
The international community was silent about the haste of several countries to announce their intention to move their Embassy in Israel to the occupied city of Jerusalem.
The international community understood and accepted – whatever the results – all Israel’s claims and justifications that all its expansionist moves and its criminal policy are the results of its need to achieve security for its people!!!
It is the same International Community that accepted Israel’s imposition on the Palestinian people of the principle of land exchange in its negotiations to achieve Israeli security needs, supported by the understanding of the United States of America and the International Community.
This International Community, by adopting double standards in all of the above and more, is the basis for Russia not relying on the results of the long negotiations and its movement to change the post-World War II borders by force, so the Ukrainian people were a victim just as the Palestinian people were and still are.
We do not know who will be the next victim in Europe or the whole world.
May Allah have mercy on our wise ancestors when they told us the story of (the three bulls white, black, and red with the lion), the last bull left said: “I am not going to be eaten today because I was eaten on the day the white bull was eaten”.
Meaning that it always begins with others and ends with you, so be careful and do not fall prey to deception. What affects others affects you.
*The writer is the Deputy Head of Mission of the State of Palestine.
*Disclaimer: The Diplomatic Insight does not take any position on issues and the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Diplomatic Insight and its staff.
