By/ Sam Nan
Since October 7, 2023, the world has witnessed a wave of challenges against Israeli policies, manifested in various political and popular alliances supporting the Palestinian cause and standing with Lebanon against what they perceive as ongoing Israeli transgressions. International law has long been the fundamental standard governing relations between states and regulating international dealings in both peace and war.
However, many believe that Israel continues to violate this law through its policies of settlement, occupation, and practices in Palestinian territories and currently in Lebanon.
Despite numerous resolutions condemning these policies, their implementation often faces political and diplomatic obstacles that hinder their practical application.
Arab and Islamic countries, along with some international politicians, stand against Israel in an unprecedented challenge, as if it were a personal vendetta against them. They attempt to confront Israeli practices through international platforms and political pressure.
What distinguishes the current situation is that these coalitions have become more powerful and influential, with growing popular support worldwide for the Palestinian cause.
Furthermore, international pressure on Israel to adhere to international standards and respect human rights is intensifying, despite the violations by the terrorist organizations “Hamas and Hezbollah” of international charters and human rights even within their own countries.
Many challenges arise from some Arabs, even from “close allies,” regarding the use of reason and sound logic.
I know an educated and informed person, who is a Palestinian origin and serves as a teacher to me—though I prefer not to mention his name—who once told me, “If Palestinians understood, they would have made peace with Israel and transformed their situation for the better in all aspects.”
However, many refuse to employ reason and logical thinking, submitting instead to ancient legacies that have proven ineffective since scientific progress permeated the world, making the internet the “greatest” means for dialogue among people to reveal truths and reject old, unhelpful legacies that do not advance society but instead lead to regression.
Rational thinking is crucial for establishing peace between Israel and all Arab and Islamic countries. I emphasize “Islamic” because there are non-Arab Islamic countries that adopt the same anti-Israel sentiment for the same reason: ancient legacies inciting people to hate Jews simply for being Jewish.
Countries supporting Palestine and Lebanon assert that solutions cannot come at the expense of oppressed peoples. They argue that if Islamic leadership in Palestine and Lebanon bombards Israel, this is perfectly normal—a reaction to what they call “Israeli aggression.”
However, if Israel retaliates and calls for civilians to be removed from bombing areas, while indeed targeting terrorist strongholds, civilians end up placing children and women as human shields to protect the terrorists. Consequently, children, women, and innocents perish in the name of what they refer to as “the resistance.”
The question remains: Why do they offer their children, women, and elders as human shields? The answer lies simply in two words: “brainwashing.”
The terrorists aim to preserve their own survival and know that Israel will not target places with civilians due to international law.
Thus, they brainwash civilians into hiding weapons in schools and hospitals, confident that Israel will not bomb them. Even if Israel were to strike, children, women, and the elderly would die as martyrs, believing they would enjoy eternal paradise.
Do politicians around the world know that terrorists are brainwashing civilians? In this context, is the fault with Israel, or with those who sacrifice children, women, and the elderly under the mistaken belief that this earns them a place in heaven?
For these politicians, the Palestinian issue is not about human rights and the rights of Arab peoples to self-determination.
They support the Palestinian cause and Hezbollah in Lebanon, perhaps to further their personal agendas. For instance, Lydia Thorpe stands in solidarity with Palestinians and Lebanese, which supports her cause as an Aboriginal born in the “Great Archfield” area.
She believes she can reclaim Australia for the indigenous peoples, restoring her primitive ancestral heritage, without considering that Australia, where she was born, grew up, and educated, would not have given her a voice, opinion, and respected position had it been exclusively for the indigenous people.
Thus, she confronted the King of England and raised her voice demanding what she calls her right to reclaim Australia for the Aboriginal people. Similarly, young women are used by certain Islamists who deceive them into believing that they will support her in establishing a political party based on Islamic principles.
However, once this party is formed, they will abandon her because, according to Islam, women cannot lead men, as men are the maintainers of women. They currently exploit her because, according to their teachings, “necessities permit prohibitions.”
This assertion is echoed by Australia Muslim Times (AMUST), which reported: “Several Australian Islamic organizations and community leaders issued a statement expressing admiration and support for Fatima Payman for speaking out against the genocide of Palestinians and the relentless Israeli war crimes committed against the people of Gaza.”
In a statement released on Wednesday, June 26, ANIC stated that “the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) and the Australian Muslims Alliance (AAM) and the Australian Muslim community welcome the Greens’ proposal in the Senate to recognize the State of Palestine. We also strongly support Senator Fatima Payman’s backing of the proposal.” Therefore, Fatima Payman’s stance on Palestine is also based on religious grounds, not political ones.
Mahrin Farooqi, born in 1963, is a Muslim member of the Australian Parliament and also the first Muslim senator in Australia’s history.
She served as Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens, and her actions indicate a level of intolerance. Notably, in February 2018, Farooqi attempted to prevent Christian friends of Israeli communities from hosting an event based on Israeli settlement policies in the West Bank. Therefore, it can be concluded that Mahrin Farooqi is not on Israel’s side simply because they are Jews; as a Muslim woman, she holds a verse that indicates that Jews are among the most hostile to believers.
Thus, her stance is clear: her defense of Palestine is not based on political grounds but purely on religious ones. As for Foreign Minister Penny Wong, of Malaysian descent, she advocates for Palestine’s right to United Nations membership.
This stance stems from Malaysia’s historical connection to Palestine, revolving around Malaysian support for the Palestinian cause at both popular and governmental levels, which has significantly strengthened since Malaysia’s independence in 1957.
Lastly, Minister Tony Burke, who has not missed an opportunity to engage with the Arab Islamic community and regularly attends Islamic religious events, hoping to win their votes in elections. Burke previously announced his efforts to grant around 1,300 Palestinians humanitarian visas, unaware if they would peacefully coexist in Australia or plan to implement what Hamas and Hezbollah have failed to accomplish, or if each Muslim man intends to legally marry one woman and three others as “Girlfriends,” having many children, while the Australian government supports these children. This plan seeks to increase the number of Muslims in Australia, potentially resulting in Australia becoming a Muslim-majority country in the future.
Minister of Employment and Workplace Relations Tony Burke publicly supports the Muslim community in Australia through statements and initiatives related to human rights. Burke represents an electoral district with a significant Muslim population and has emphasized the importance of recognizing the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians while condemning hate speech and discrimination against any group, including Muslims. Yet, I wonder what hate speech he refers to?
The Torah contains no hate speech against non-Jews; the Bible states, “Love your enemies and bless those who curse you.”
Meanwhile, the Quran declares that “you will find the most hostile towards those who believe [to be] the Jews and those who associate [others with Allah].” The term “associate” refers to Christians, and the Quran also states, “O you who believe, do not take the Jews and Christians as allies, and whoever of you allies with them, then indeed, he is one of them.” So who is promoting hate speech? The Torah and the Bible? Or the Quran?
Among Muslims, the belief is that Islam is the religion chosen by God, and anyone who subscribes to any religion other than Islam will not have it accepted. So who spreads hate speech? Tony Burke’s position is clear: he supports Muslims to win their votes, not from a political perspective or rational wisdom. Each individual seeks what their roots demand, with reason and logic having no role in this matter.
This issue also applies to the support given to Lebanon in facing what they label Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon. Strangely, they seem unaware of Israel’s warnings to civilians in southern Lebanon to leave the area before bombings, as usual, they do not leave, protecting the terrorist group Hezbollah, which is classified as a terrorist organization internationally. Thus, bombings occur, and civilians die, a scenario exploited by malicious actors to spread lies about Israel being a war criminal.
In conclusion, I assert that challenging international law and rejecting rational logic are far from wise. Make peace with Israel to find goodness among them. Israelis are neither a plague nor a disease; they are human beings—wise and just—capable of distinguishing between good and evil. They are not monsters; they are rational people and shrewd politicians.
Ultimately, these issues remain a central theme in international politics, affecting relations between nations and posing a significant challenge for the international community to achieve a just and lasting peace. To conclude: blessed are the peacemakers.