Let’s recap. Had the project of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, which included an eastern maritime route from India to the Arabian Peninsula, a GCC-wide railway network, and a northern corridor through Jordan and Israel to Europe, in addition to a normalization of relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Israel, seen the light of day, the question of Palestine would have vanished into oblivion and the Palestinians would have become today’s Native Americans.
Irrespective of your stand regarding the October 7 al-Aqsa Flood, the issue of Palestine has now taken center stage worldwide. As a direct result of the grotesque retaliatory actions of Israel, millions of people flooded the streets across the world calling for an end to the genocide and showing support for the Palestinians. “Free, free Palestine” has become every single demonstration’s main slogan, and the Palestinian flag has become the image of the oppressed throughout the world. Furthermore, the world’s protests against the genocide have challenged existing, decades-old international resolutions put forward to protect the people of the world by exposing the world’s double standards. What is still happening is essentially an international earthquake.
I pray that the ceasefire now in effect will still be holding as we take this issue to print. My worry is that since Israel did not achieve its declared goals – even after twenty-four months of war – it might try again. In the meantime, Gazans can take a break from the 2,000-ton bombs, seeing their loved ones killed, drone attacks, the roar of Israeli reconnaissance drones, known locally as al-zanana, explosive robots, the bombing of shelters, schools, mosques, and homes, and everything else that has made their lives hell during the past two years.
As vicious and painful as the attacks on Gaza were, they do not factor into the equation of winning or losing a war. What counts is whether or not you have achieved your goals. Israel has not, but the resistance has. Abu Ibrahim, Yehya Sinwar, said it plainly: “We either force Israel to implement UN resolutions, withdraw from the occupied territories, and accept a Palestinian state, or we will isolate it internationally.” Just about every poll conducted indicates that Israel has lost the battle of public opinion not only in Europe and the Global South, but in the US too. In fact, analysts insist that the souring of public opinion in the US, and hence the risk of losing the upcoming mid-term elections, is the number one reason why President Trump effectively forced Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire. We all know that Israel will try to weasel its way out and do whatever it can to achieve its main goal, which is to expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. But I believe that the time for that has passed, and if there had ever been an opportunity to push the Gazans into Egypt, Israel clearly missed that opportunity.
The war is not over, but the Palestinians have at least won this battle.
Long Live Palestine
Publisher
Sani Meo
