Pro-Palestinian or Anti-Israel?
by Khaled Abu
Toameh
April 26, 2012 at 5:00 am
April 26, 2012 at 5:00 am
|
Share:
 |
Be the first of your
friends to like this.
It would
also help immensely of these activists came to the West Bank and Gaza Strip to
offer advice on, and help in building, proper government institutions, and in
combatting administrative and financial corruption. But as far as many of the
pro-Palestinian activists in the West Bank and Gaze are concerned, the
interests of the Palestinians are not as important as hating Israel.
Pro-Palestinian groups and individuals in the
US and Europe are doing Palestinians injustice by devoting all their energies
only against Israel.
There is a feeling in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip that most of these groups and individuals are more interested in
campaigning against Israel than helping the Palestinians.
Being pro-Palestinian does not necessarily mean
that one also has to be anti-Israel.
The pro-Palestinian camp in the West should
raise its voice against violations of human rights and media freedoms under the
Palestinian Authority and Hamas.
In the past few weeks, six Palestinian
journalists, bloggers and cartoonists were arrested by security forces
belonging to the Palestinian government in the West Bank.
The pro-Palestinian activists around the world
chose to turn a blind eye to the ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression in
the West Bank.
They also failed --- even refused -- to condemn
the Palestinian Authority government's decision to block web sites that are
critical of Palestinian leaders in the West Bank.
The pro-Palestinian activists in the West also
refuse to examine what is happening under Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They
apparently do not care, or do not want to see, that there are executions,
arbitrary arrests, and assaults against women and torture in Hamas prisons.
The pro-Palestinian activists and organizations
also do not seem to care if the Palestinian Authority and Hamas are
brainwashing Palestinian children and filling their minds and hearts with
hatred.
Those who care about the Palestinians should
come to the Gaza Strip and work toward promoting human rights under Hamas -- of
children, women, and journalists.
It would help immensely if hundreds of
pro-Palestinian activists came to the West Bank and Gaza Strip to teach
Palestinian children English and expose them to the benefits of democracy and
Western values, such as equal justice under law, free speech and a free press,
and financial transparency and accountability
It would also help immensely if these activists
came to the West Bank and Gaza Strip to offer advice on, and help in building,
proper government institutions, and in combatting administrative and financial
corruption.
But as far as many of the pro-Palestinian
activists in the West are concerned, the interests of the Palestinians are not
as important as hating Israel.
Anti-Israel messages and campaigns serve only
the radicals in this region who do not want either peace or coexistence.
The time has come for the emergence of a
genuine pro-Palestinian camp in the West that would focus less on Israel and
more on helping the Palestinians.
Related Topics: Israel
| Khaled Abu
Toameh
To subscribe to the this mailing list, go to http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/list_subscribe.php
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment