No Hope for Palestine? | Editorial

By Kieron Murdoch | Opinion Contributor

In 1977, the General Assembly called for the annual observance of 29 November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. On that day, in 1947, the Assembly adopted the resolution on the partition of Palestine. Since then, many nations have repeatedly affirmed the right to self-determination for the Palestinians. It has not ended the occupation and conflict in the Palestinian territories though.

As the world marks another November 29, the international community seems as directionless and powerless as ever to affect any significant change in one of the world’s longest-running conflicts. Still, this should not deter us from what little can do as a sovereign state to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and to support peace and humanitarianism.

The Associated Press (AP) quoted medical officials in Gaza on Friday, and reported that “two children and a woman were crushed to death as a crowd of Palestinians pushed to get bread at a bakery in the Gaza Strip amid a worsening food crisis in the war-ravaged territory” and that “a doctor confirmed that they died from suffocation due to crowding at the al-Banna bakery.”

The AP wrote, “The flow of food allowed into Gaza by Israel has fallen to nearly its lowest level of almost 14-month-old war for the past two months, according to Israeli official figures. Some bakeries in Gaza were closed for several days last week due to a shortage of flour. Footage after they reopened showed large crowds of people cramming together, screaming and pushing.”

Earlier this month, Linda Sobeh Ali, the newly appointed Palestinian Ambassador to this country, spoke to the Observer. She said, “One million are starving. They have been dying from air strikes in the north side of Gaza for the past 14 days, with no food, no water, and no medications. Women are being killed. Raped. In front of their children; 930 whole families are wiped from the civil registry of Palestine.”

Despite the carnage and suffering, however, the government of Israel and its longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu do not appear much nearer to a decision to halt the fighting. Hamas, which reignited open warfare when it launched a murderous assault on mostly Israeli civilians on October 8, 2023, continues to operate there in resistance to Israel, but the fallout from the ongoing war has affected Gazan civilians disproportionately.

Despite this reality, and the clear humanitarian imperatives for a ceasefire and the unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas since October 8, 2014, the parties in the conflict have not been able to negotiate a ceasefire or a complete hostage release, nor have others been able to compel them to do so.

As the US is the guarantor of Israel’s freedom to do as it sees fit, what is more, troubling is the ambiguity that still surrounds what the policy of the incoming US President Donald Trump will be over the long term as regards Israel and Palestine.

It is quite clear that he has been a strident supporter of Isreal’s position on its security – a position which is not just about its security but also about the expansion of the Israeli state and refusal to cease occupying land most of the rest of the world has agreed is not Israel’s.

It seems like Mr. Trump will never press Israel into many political concessions on the subject of Palestinian statehood or self-determination. The real question is whether Mr. Trump will endeavour to press Israel on any humanitarian grounds – whether he will insist in any way at all that the human suffering and death in Gaza ought to be tempered.

We know he is unlikely to try and pressure Netanyahu to reign in the conflict, but will he at least insist that Gazans have some measure of safety in line with humanitarian law? Will he insist that they have adequate access to aid and that Israel cease bombing schools, hospitals, and refugee camps,  which it has done repeatedly? Very many are not optimistic, and not without good reason.

Antigua and Barbuda meanwhile has been among the nations that have supported the notion of a two-state peace and a need for the prioritization of humanitarian and human rights objectives over continued conflict. It is commendable that our government has taken the stance consistently that it will not falter in showing solidarity with Palestinians on the legitimate issues of peace, statehood, and humanitarian imperatives.

We echo the sentiments expressed by Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders when he wrote in June this year: “Critics may argue that Antigua and Barbuda, a relatively small Caribbean state, should avoid entanglement in the complex politics of Middle Eastern affairs. However, the recent actions of other small states within the European Union – such as Ireland, Norway, and Spain – illustrate a broader trend.

“These nations have recognized the State of Palestine, challenging the perspectives of larger EU members and underscoring the importance of self-determination and respect for sovereignty. This principle is crucial for small countries, whose fate should not be dictated by the geopolitical interests of more powerful nations.”

About the writer:

Kieron Murdoch is an opinion contributor at antigua.news. He worked as a journalist and later as a radio presenter in Antigua and Barbuda for eight years, covering politics and governance especially. If you have an opinion on the issues raised in this editorial and would like to submit a response by email to be considered for publication, please email [email protected].