Support for Ukraine, irresponsibility in Gaza
By Ebrahim Beheshti
Staff writer
The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) stood by Ukraine against Russia on Saturday night in an online summit also attended by the Ukrainian president, and imposed new sanctions against Moscow on the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of its neighbor. At the same time, some Western leaders visited Ukraine to take part in a symbolic ceremony at the Kyiv airport to show their solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Canada and Italy also inked separate security pacts with Ukraine.
The West spared no effort to throw its weight behind Ukraine against Russia, while Israel’s genocidal war raged in the Gaza Strip for nearly 5 months, killing nearly 30,000 Palestinians.
Continued pressure on Russia and unwavering support for Ukraine, while turning a blind eye to the catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, once again exposed the double standards of the West regarding human rights.
Media reports have shed light on the indescribable hardship the people of the Gaza Strip are going through under Israeli relentless strikes. In addition, the threat of a ground assault on Rafah in the southernmost region of the Gaza Strip looms large over the defenseless Gagans, heralding another humanitarian disaster.
In an official statement, Israel categorically rejected the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, and the United States keeps vetoing resolutions for a cease-fire in Gaza. The West, led by the United States, continues to ship weapons to Israel to press ahead with its crimes. All this implies that there is no clear vision for the security and life of the Palestinian people.
The West has irresponsibly ignored the disastrous situation in Gaza, while at the same time they focus on supporting Ukraine and ramping up pressure against Russia. No doubt, the war in Ukraine and the Ukraine people’s plight should not be ignored. But the question is why don’t the West pay such attention to the persecution of the Palestinian people?
Human values, such as the right to life and security for women, children, and civilians, as well as respect for human rights, should be upheld universally. What is considered a right for the people of Ukraine should also be considered a right for the people of Palestine and the Gaza Strip.
If these human values are to be inclusive and institutionalized in the world, it is expected that those who claim to be the advocates of such values to call for them for everyone and apply pressure on anyone violating them everywhere. Perhaps, if a little of the pressure applied against Russia was used against Israel, or at least arming this very belligerent regime were to be restricted, the scope of the disaster in the Gaza Strip would not have been so horrible.
It is wise for the G7 leaders to reflect on their acts and review that in a world in which they claim to be playing major roles, about 30,000 people have lost their lives in a densely populated area in nearly five months. Did the Palestinian victims have no right to the human values supported by the West?