- Western countries condemn Russia for Ukraine, but are supporting similar actions by Israel, head of Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions tells Anadolu
- ‘Very frightening’ to be in a situation where the rule of law does not seem to hold any meaning, says Ramsden
LONDON
The blatant discrepancy in the international community’s stance on the Ukraine war and what has been happening in Palestinian territories for years reinforces the urgent need for a reform of the existing world order, according to the head of a lobbying group on Palestinian rights.
There has been widespread criticism of the stance taken by several Western countries, including the US, UK and other European nations, in support of Israel despite its continuing deadly attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip.
Israeli bombardment has killed about 5,800 Palestinians in Gaza, including more than 2,300 children and nearly 1,500 women. More than 16,200 people have also been wounded in Israeli strikes targeting densely populated residential areas and other civilian sites such as hospitals and places of worship.
Israel’s violence has not been limited to Gaza, as its forces have also killed more than 100 people in the occupied West Bank over the past two weeks.
On the other side, the death toll for Israelis killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and subsequent rocket strikes stands at around 1,400.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is also extremely dire due to Israel’s decision to cut off essential supplies like water, electricity and fuel, as well as critical medical and humanitarian aid.
Speaking to Anadolu, Linda Ramsden, the chair of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD), said Western countries are not making any effort to solve the Palestine issue.
She said that the US, UK and EU have expressed “very firm support” for Israel, which was essentially “giving the green light to Israel.”
Along with the backing of Western countries, the current global order is also allowing Israel “to carry on” what it is doing to Palestinians, she added.
“There have been more resolutions put down about the state of Israel than any other single country in terms of violation of international law, so the evidence is there, but there have never been consequences for the state of Israel,” she said.
Ramsden accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of planning to “wipe out” the Palestinians, pointing to his UN General Assembly address last month where he showed a proposed map of Israel with no sign of Palestine.
She stressed that the events happening right now should not defined as a “conflict,” because Israel and Palestine are “not equal.”
“You’ve got a strong party, and you’ve got the oppressor, and the oppressed, and it’s very different. They are not equal. We have changed our language, our rhetoric over the years, so that we talk about this being settler colonialism,” she explained.
‘Hypocrisy happening in the world’
“When we saw Russia go into the Ukraine, then countries especially in the West, rushed to condemn Russia for what it was doing. But it has not rushed to condemn Israel over the years for the same type of violations,” said Ramsden.
“So there is a hypocrisy that’s happening in the world.”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been under fire after expressing the bloc’s support for Israel without mentioning the situation in Gaza, especially after Israel cut off water and electricity supplies.
However, last year, when criticizing Russia of attacking infrastructure and cutting off the services in Ukraine, she termed it “pure terror.”
Ramsden said it is “very frightening” to be in a situation where the rule of law does not seem to hold any meaning because it is not used properly or as it is intended.
To a question about the need for reforms to the UN system, she said: “There’s something wrong with the UN Security Council.”
The council has so far failed to pass multiple resolutions calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, particularly due to vetoes by the US.
On the situation in the occupied West Bank where, Ramsden said Israeli settlement activity and demolitions of Palestinian homes has increased since Netanyahu returned to power last year.
Al-Ahli hospital attack
Ramsden said the deadly attack on the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza was “shattering” and cannot ever be acceptable.
Hundreds of people were killed in the attack, which Palestinian officials say was an Israeli strike. Israel, however, has denied responsibility, instead blaming the armed group Palestinian Jihad.
Ramsden rejected the idea that the hospital blast was caused by a misfired rocket from inside Gaza, stressing that Israel has previously denied involvement in such events and then later had to admit its responsibility.
“For instance, when Shireen Abu Akleh, the journalist, the Palestinian-American journalist was killed, Israel came out saying, ‘Oh, no, it was Palestinians you know who killed her, not us.’ Later, they had to admit it,” she said.
“You know, our gut instinct is that, sadly, it was carried out by Israel. We know it has a capacity to do that. We don’t believe that the Palestinians have that same capacity.”
