DAVID Pratt’s excellent Sunday National article on the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict not only contextualises the present situation but highlights the painful vulnerability of the Palestinian position. (The war without end, Seven Days, May 16).
Years of American and European support for the state of Israel in addition to increasing self-interest or apathy from traditional Arab nations has left the people of Palestine as impotent pawns at the mercy of an increasingly hawkish Israeli Government.
Prime Minister Netanyahu continues to dance to the tune of his own far right and persists with the controversial policy of establishing new settlements throughout the West Bank, a policy that evicts native Palestinians from their homes in direct and flagrant contravention of international law.
READ MORE: David Pratt: Reflecting on my time in Gaza, amid the latest eruption of violence
Mr Netanyahu, beset by his own personal and political difficulties, adopts the traditional Israeli line of disproportionally responding to any attack on his country, which results in widespread Palestinian civilian casualties, the majority of whom in recent days have been children.
Mr Pratt reminds us of the interminable suffering of the Palestinian people since Israel was founded in 1948 in their marking of the 73rd anniversary of the Nakba (Catastrophe) last week when 700,000 Palestinians were forced from their homes. Depressingly, despite professed concern for their current plight, there is no genuine interest in either supporting the Palestinians or trying to bring the Israeli Government to heel by any of the so-called leading powers.
Though there have been demonstrations of support throughout the globe in Paris, Glasgow and even by Leicester City footballers, for example, it is clear that there does not appear to be any country of note with an ethical foreign policy that puts a two-state solution as a prerequisite to continuing any economic links with Israel and tackling the long-standing political elephant in the room: namely that this is a military occupation and an apartheid state with an inherent abuse of fundamental human rights for Palestinians.
READ MORE: UK minister won't say if Israel is using British-sold weapons on Gaza
President Biden’s administration has been unprepared for this new outbreak of hostilities and is still on the back foot with no defined approach apart from the traditional US line of appearing to call for calm without criticising the Israeli Government whilst backing their right to defend themselves.
The Trump presidency unsurprisingly offered the Israeli Government carte blanche regarding their Palestinian policy, but hopes that Biden will offer a more transparently even-handed approach look misguided at present.
The Prime Minister and the UK Government have done little more than appeal for peace from both sides without ever risking a condemnation of Israeli policy or practice. The UN will doubtless open an inquiry and kick the issue into the long grass until the inevitable next outbreak of fighting.
There have been deaths and injuries on both sides and the actions of Hamas, though they stem from decades of oppression and frustration, are also to be decried. Though foreign policy is not a devolved matter it was heartening to hear our First Minister unequivocally denounce the excessive actions of the Israeli Government and give rise to hopes of a foreign policy with a moral compass in an independent Scotland.
Owen Kelly
Stirling
BORIS Johnson says he has the bit between his to make the Union great again. The question is, who’s holding the reins?
Mike Herd
Highland
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