Israel rightly faces global public criticism : Analysis

The ongoing surge in public activism in the United States and around the world, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians, is a significant battleground in the century-long conflict. This activism demonstrates the diminishing effectiveness of traditional pro-Israel propaganda in the face of more visible and explicitly apartheid policies by Israel, as well as the widespread mobilization and technical proficiency of pro-Palestine and pro-justice movements. Moreover, it highlights the global recognition of the Palestinian people’s plight and their struggle for national rights as one of the last anti-colonial struggles in the world.

The signs of this trend were evident even before the October 7 Hamas attacks on southern Israel, which resulted in the death of 1,200 people and the capture of approximately 240 individuals. However, Israel’s subsequent brutal assault on Gaza, which killed 15,000 people and displaced nearly 80 percent of the population, has further clarified Israeli policies and revealed their long-standing colonial origins, consequently turning global sentiment against Israel’s aggressions. The pressure from the public also compelled even Western proponents of the war to reluctantly advocate for a week-long ceasefire and negotiated exchanges of detainees between Israel and Hamas before the fighting resumed.

One of the most significant political developments arising from this activism is the increasing number of students and young professionals in the United States and beyond who are advocating for equal rights for both Palestinians and Israelis. They have employed various global mass actions, including demonstrations, legal proceedings, strikes, media campaigns, and public expressions of support by athletes, artists, and other members of society. However, these efforts have been met with countercampaigns from pro-Israel groups seeking to stifle the voices of pro-Palestine activists and criminalize elements of Palestinian identity, such as displaying the Palestinian flag or wearing the keffiyeh headdress.

Numerous public discussions and meetings on the issue have been banned, and individuals who express any form of sympathy for Palestine, even in old social media posts, have been dismissed from their jobs. Israel has even imposed a ban on public displays of joy by families and communities for young Palestinian prisoners freed during the truce, although this ban has been largely disregarded by Palestinians.

Several factors explain the shift in public sentiment, both in the United States and globally, away from a heavily pro-Israel stance and toward a more equitable position that calls for an end to Israel’s occupation and military aggression against Palestinians, as well as accountability and redress for a century of Zionist settler-colonial abuses across historic Palestine. These reasons notably include Palestinian ethnic cleansing and forced exile, the status of being stateless and fragmented nationhood due to occupation, and refugeehood.

The rising support for Palestinian rights reflects the visibility of Israel’s harsh, and at times criminal, policies, which jurists and scholars are increasingly examining through the lens of genocide. Partnerships forged between Palestinian activists and progressive groups worldwide have also amplified the demand for justice. This solidarity significantly expanded after the Black Lives Matter movement raised global awareness of and focus on social justice demands that persist among oppressed and colonized communities in various countries. People worldwide have made connections between history, Zionism, Israel, the Palestinians, and the consequences of full-throated support from the US and the United Kingdom for Israel’s actions. The majority of the world, which has suffered from and remembers the pain and disgrace of Western colonialism, instinctively recognizes the Palestinians’ ongoing resistance to Israel as the world’s last anti-colonial struggle and seeks to support it.

Young people and university students are leading this new wave of activism for social justice, as they witness the damage inflicted on people’s lives worldwide by colonial policies reminiscent of the 19th century, whether directed at African Americans in Missouri, Palestinians in Gaza or Jenin, or ethnic minorities elsewhere. International reports by reputable organizations such as Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch describing Israel’s control over Palestinians as apartheid have further spurred the world’s conscience into action in partnership with youth and students, seeking universal equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians, similar to the resolution attained in South Africa after decades of nonviolent and occasional military struggle.

Unsurprisingly, this global wave of activism for Palestine has been met with baseless accusations that the protests, especially on US university campuses, are motivated by anti-Semitism or support for Hamas. These accusations primarily stem from the desperation of Zionist and pro-Israel groups who perceive that their traditional propaganda in the West is losing effectiveness.

In an attempt to divert attention, other arguments have been raised to undermine the genuineness of the global movement for universal social justice and ending settler-colonial occupations. Some claim that activists unfairly single out Israel while ignoring other governments that mistreat their people. Others argue that Israel treats its Palestinian citizens well because a few of them are in parliament or that Israel is a progressive place due to its respect for LGBTQ rights.

However, these propagandistic diversions are destined to fail, as they have in recent years. The pain, cruelty, and criminality of settler-colonial apartheid, which are witnessed daily on television screens around the world, override these attempts. While Israel possesses numerous impressive qualities in fields such as science, education, and agriculture, these accomplishments are overshadowed by the stark reality of its soul-crushing settler-colonial apartheid.

Hence, we continue to march in the streets, as good people have always done throughout history, calling for social justice and liberty for all, determined to address the weaknesses and rectify the wrongs in our world.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Source: Aljazeera news: Israel deserves every bit of the global public criticism it is receiving