Boats, Boycotts and Backdoor Politics

By Tariq Shadid

Like it or not, we are living in messy times, and the Middle East, bridge between three continents, is the region where many of the historical events of this troubled era are unfolding. The present chaotic situation also has a considerable impact upon the Palestinian struggle for liberation and independence, making it nearly impossible to view this issue as isolated from the rapidly evolving situation on a global level.

In times like these, schisms between peoples and ideologies are becoming sharper and deeper. We also notice that the variety in the predictions of political analysts, even those that have the same background and convictions, increases significantly. Different perceptions and views arise among them almost as quickly as the changes that are presenting themselves on the chessboard of international politics.

In short, who can tell where all this is going? We are getting quite close to the stage where we can all say: your guess is as good as mine. There has rarely been a time in modern history, when having a reliable overview of unfolding events was as difficult as it is today.

The Arab World

The wave of Arab uprisings has changed the atmosphere from the Maghreb to the very tip of the Arabian peninsula, and none of the ongoing revolutions have as yet provided any clarity of a new stabilized status quo, neither today nor in the near future. Attention for the day-to-day situation of the Palestinians among Arabs across the Middle East has therefore understandably been diverted to the high urgency of their own domestic struggles.

Another factor in this perceived diminished interest undoubtedly is the disillusion caused by years of political rift among the Palestinian factions themselves. It is highly unlikely however, that there is any sort of decrease in solidarity with the Palestinians among the peoples of the Arab world; they just have other things to deal with at the moment.

The Western World

Hatred of Muslims (often euphemistically termed ‘Islamophobia’  instead) is increasing steadily in the Western world, most notably in Western Europe where it has become one of the main themes that political parties use to lure voters into supporting them. Voices of tolerance calling for a multicultural society have become muffled, to a level where speaking in this tone seems to have become so out of fashion that politicians rarely even as much as venture in that direction.

Speaking about the Palestinian cause in the West, which in the perception of many citizens is linked to Islam and Muslims, has therefore also become increasingly difficult, in the sense that there is a bigger chance for the speaker of alienating himself, and a smaller chance of being able to reach out to the masses. Many politicians who are still at the beginning of their careers, therefore prudently shy away from the issue of Palestinian human rights, and resort to parroting prefab quasi-neutral statements about ‘peaceful solutions’ if forced to address the topic.

Global politics

The so-called ‘Peace Talks’ between Israelis and Palestinians, a long series of Oslo-born tedious ‘negotiations’ which resulted in enormous advantages for Israel and devastating setbacks for the Palestinians over a period of more than 15 years, have been stalled. This has put tremendous pressure upon the comfort zone for the Western World about Middle East issues that was provided by this sham process. Two developments have proved to be major challenges in this respect: one of them is the decision of Fatah and Hamas to attempt to create a government of national unity, and the other is the Palestinian Authority’s bid for UN recognition of statehood.

Stubborn attempts by the European Union and the United States to resuscitate these deceitful ‘Peace Talks’ have so far proved futile. It has become too obvious that continuing these talks would merely result in further Israeli expansion of settlements and land confiscationsl. Although it seems that certain elements within the Palestinian Authority were willing to accept this intangible situation for many years, in exchange for a continuous flow of EU euros and American dollars, the systematic treachery of the superpowers seems to have reached the limits of even their tolerance.

Positive changes

There is more to say about each of the complicating factors mentioned above, but these already suffice to paint a picture of why rallying support for the Palestinian struggle among the masses in the Arab World, the masses of the Western World and on the political level of governments and the United Nations has become even more complex than it already was. Nevertheless, there are also significantly positive developments that must be mentioned, just in order to keep things in perspective.

Public opinion in the Western World has undoubtedly turned more pro-Palestinian, despite the increasing odds against it. If we leave aside the masses that are gripped by anti-Muslim hatred, and focus on those sections of society that have maintained their sense of reason and justice, we can see that there is a considerable rise in support for BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) against Israel among Western populations. Over time, there has been an increase of interactions between Westerners and Palestinians, which inevitably has led to a paradigm shift in the views of those who have engaged in these encounters.

Factors contributing to this change are the increasing number of Palestinians in the diaspora on the one hand, and an increased involvement of young Westerners with Palestinian youths in the Occupied Territories through solidarity movements such as the ISM (International Solidarity Movement), the PSC (Palestine Solidarity Campaign) and others.

Israeli terrorism

It is to the advantage of the Palestinians that the Israelis systematically underestimate the effect of their limitless attitude of atrocity towards Palestinians upon the perceptions of people in the West. Those who are willing and able to think outside of the pro-Zionist brainwash meted out to them by their schools, media and political parties, have discovered the inherently violent nature of the Zionist state. What the Israelis consider to be ‘military operations’ against civilian populations, with names like ‘Grapes of Wrath’ and ‘Cast Lead’, is increasingly and justifiably viewed by younger and older generations in Europe and the United States as bloody invasions into the Shire by the forces of Mordor.

In terms of marketing their image, the Israelis never seem to miss an opportunity to shoot themselves in the foot, as they did on the Mavi Marmara in 2010 by needlessly slaughtering 9 unarmed civilians who were embarked on the Freedom Flotilla. The impression they are creating upon unprejudiced minds is that, just like the armed forces of Sauron, they will respond with disproportional violence in any given situation or challenge, this being the only answer they believe in.

Greek disappointment

This might very well be the very reason why the Israelis decided to avoid letting their own forces engage in a direct confrontation with the second Freedom Flotilla, and have pressured Greece through public coercion as well as backdoor politics to be the executors of the blockade – not on the shores of Gaza, but indeed in the harbors of Greece itself. Apparently, the Greeks were more than willing to cooperate, possibly presented with the promise of an opportunity to find a way out from their desperate financial crisis.

But has this really improved people’s perception of the Israelis? Has it not given the impression that the Zionists have hidden networks of financial power which they can use to force countries into cooperating with them, even a country with an overwhelmingly pro-Palestinian population like Greece? And has Greece not demonstrated that committing a massacre is completely unnecessary in order to stop a Flotilla of unarmed humanitarian activists, thereby underlining the atrocious lunacy of the Israeli murders on the Mavi Marmara one year earlier?

Far from over

Therefore, despite the increasing complexity and chaos on the stage of international politics. let us not forget that this struggle is far from over, and that campaigning against the odds has been a hallmark of pro-Palestinian activism longer than we can remember. Let us not forget, that we live in an era when tens of international music stars have refused to perform in Tel Aviv, and when thousands of young Westerners have traveled to Palestine to stand by the Palestinians in their struggle against Apartheid and ethnic cleansing.

We even live in a time when international musicians, mainly from the UK, have endeavored to aim for the top 10 of the UK Charts with their single called ‘Freedom for Palestine’, under the name ‘OneWorld’ . It will take 25,000 sales to achieve this, but if this bold musical release succeeds (buy the single now!), then we will truly be able to say that we have entered into a new world, where anything must surely be possible, including the liberation of Palestine.