
Palestinian people's blood ... between Netanyahu and Hamas
A NEW holocaust, by all standards, is unfolding today in the Gaza Strip, but this time, the perpetrator is different. While the world was horrified by Hitler's attempted genocide during World War II, what Netanyahu and his extremist government are doing is even more horrific than what has been reported about the Nazis. Back then, the world, especially the victorious European powers, sought to atone for their guilt by accelerating the establishment of the Jewish state.
This cause gained traction at a time when the Arabs lacked the power to defend their rights, as they were still reeling from the shock of Sykes-Picot and the calamities it had brought upon them. Conversely, the Arabs failed to capitalize on UN Resolution No. 181, which called for the partition of Palestine, marking the first stage of the conflict, at a time when the Zionist propaganda was still relatively weak. This situation remained unchanged during the subsequent wars Israel waged to expand its territory, culminating in the complete occupation of all Palestinian lands in June 1967. As usual, the Arabs exchanged accusations and failed to formulate a unified strategy for confrontation. They rejected all initiatives, starting with that of the late Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba, who advocated for the principle of 'take and demand.' Bourguiba was accused of treason and ostracized.
The same fate befell the Rogers Initiative in 1970, also known as the Second Rogers Plan, which was approved by the then-Egyptian President Jamal Abdel Nasser but rejected by the leaders of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). On the other hand, Tel Aviv seized upon these events to its advantage, spreading the narrative that the Arabs do not seek peace. When King Fahd's initiative was approved at the Fez Summit, Israel immediately rejected it, just as it did with King Abdullah's initiative. Israel has never accepted, nor will it ever accept, the establishment of a self-governing Palestinian state as stipulated in the Camp David Accords.
Today, 147 countries around the world have recognized the Palestinian state, with four others declaring their intention to do so. Yet, none of these countries offered anything substantial to remove the Israeli 'knife' from the Palestinians' throats. What they have provided are nothing more than political statements that can be retracted at any time. We must acknowledge that the Palestinian division has played a significant role in prolonging the conflict and complicating the path to a resolution. Each Palestinian faction sought to fulfill the interests of its external supporters, which is why many of these groups emerged in the 1970s and 1980s as terrorist organizations and hijacked civilian planes, incited violent events such as Black September, and positioned themselves as a de facto authority during the Lebanese Civil War.
This history is well-known across the world. Therefore, when Sinwar and Hamas orchestrated the events of October 7, 2023, we saw Western leaders, led by former US President Joe Biden, flock to Netanyahu's residence. Today, the Israeli government in Tel Aviv resembles a 'vampire regime' that is clinging to unattainable utopian dreams. The establishment of a Palestinian state, with approximately 13 million Palestinians, while the Jewish population is only around 5.5 million, poses an existential threat to Israel. As a result, Israel has pursued policies aimed at either exterminating the population of the Gaza Strip or transferring them to another state, along with displacing the residents of the West Bank to Jordan.
Through this, Israel aims to establish the Jewish state, as enshrined in the 2018 Knesset law, by exploiting the fragmentation and weakness of the Arabs, and benefiting from Western support. Israel continues to advance its goals, while the Arabs remain divided, with their Arab League reduced to issuing mere statements of concern and condemnation. Based on the above, the proposed solutions for resolving the Palestinian issue seem like acts of surrender, as there is no unified vision that can convince the world that we, the Arabs, genuinely seek peace. Moreover, there is a lack of will to form a cohesive Arab pressure group. This cycle will continue. Netanyahu will leave, but another like him will take his place to carry on the violence. A new Yahya Sinwar will rise, and Hamas will continue to exploit the Palestinian cause, while innocent Palestinian civilians will continue to be slaughtered daily.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Arab Times
4 hours ago
- Arab Times
How Thailand Laborers Became Hostages In The Israel-Hamas War
BANGKOK (AP) — Israel says it has retrieved the body of a 35-year-old Thai hostage who was abducted into Gaza during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war Nattapong Pinta was among 31 Thais taken by the Hamas militant group. Thailand's foreign ministry in a statement Saturday confirmed that Pinta, the last Thai hostage in Gaza, was confirmed dead. It said the bodies of two others have yet to be retrieved. The ministry has said 46 Thais have been killed during the war. Thais were the largest group of foreigners held captive by Hamas. They were among tens of thousands of Thai workers in Israel. Here's a look at what they were doing. Why are there so many Thais in Israel? Israel once relied heavily on Palestinian workers, but it started bringing in large numbers of migrant workers after the 1987-93 Palestinian revolt, known as the first Intifada. Most came from Thailand, and Thais remain the largest group of foreign agricultural laborers in Israel today, earning considerably more than they can at home. Thailand and Israel implemented a bilateral agreement a decade ago to ease the way for workers in the agriculture sector. Israel has come under criticism for the conditions under which the Thai farm laborers work. A Human Rights Watch report in 2015 said they often were housed in makeshift and inadequate accommodation and 'were paid salaries significantly below the legal minimum wage, forced to work long hours above the legal maximum, subjected to unsafe working conditions and denied their right to change employers.'A watchdog group found more recently that most were still paid below the legal minimum wage. How many Thai nationals work in Israel? There were about 30,000 Thai workers, primarily working on farms, in Israel prior to the attack by Hamas In the wake of the attack, some 7,000 returned home, primarily on government evacuation flights, but higher wages than those available at home have continued to attract new arrivals. The Thai ambassador to Israel, Pannabha Chandraramya, recently said there are now more than 38,000 Thai workers in the country. What happened after some left? Faced with a labor shortage in the wake of the exodus, Israel's Agriculture Ministry announced incentives to try to attract foreign workers back to evacuated areas. Among other things, it offered to extend work visas and to pay bonuses of about $500 a month. Thailand's Labor Ministry granted 3,966 Thai workers permission to work in Israel in 2024, keeping Israel in the top four destinations for Thais working abroad last year. Thai migrant workers generally come from poorer regions of the country, especially the northeast, and even before the bonuses, the jobs in Israel paid many times what they could make at home.

Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Kuwait Times
Iranian Embassy holds event to commemorate Imam Khomeini
KUWAIT: Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait Mohammad Toutonji speaks at an event held to mark the 36th anniversary of the passing of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini. KUWAIT: The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kuwait held a ceremony to mark the 36th anniversary of the passing of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini. The event was attended by a distinguished group of scholars, intellectuals, social and political figures, several former members of the National Assembly, members of the Kuwaiti-Iranian Friendship Association, and a large crowd from the Iranian community. 'On this great day, we gather to commemorate a man whose influence extended far beyond the borders of the Islamic Republic of Iran,' Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Toutonji said. Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, was an inspiration to all the free people of the world. He was a figure who united religion and worldly affairs, basing every social movement on faith and justice. The late Imam was not merely a political leader; he was a prominent jurist, a profound philosopher, and a spiritual thinker reflecting deeply on the essence of humanity and existence.' Ambassador Toutonji continued: 'In a world where the voices of the oppressed are still silenced, and people are crushed under the weight of power, greed, and war, the message of Imam Khomeini - a message of justice, dignity, faith, and freedom - is more urgent than ever. Let us all, with our different religions, languages, and homelands, stand united to build a humane society worthy of our dignity.' Several speakers also gave remarks, highlighting that the Palestinian cause was always on Imam Khomeini's agenda. They emphasized his lifelong commitment to Islamic unity, his resistance to division and discord, and his opposition to any attempts to sow strife - efforts that are detrimental to the interests of the Islamic nation. They stressed that the Imam consistently called for unity and the extinguishing of sedition.

Kuwait Times
4 days ago
- Kuwait Times
Coral-rich Greek archipelago hopes to gain from trawler ban
As a reddish dawn broke over the tiny, coral-rich Greek archipelago of Fournoi, Manolis Mytikas's wooden fishing boat slowly glided home, his nets almost empty. The modest catch nevertheless quickly drew several islanders in search of fresh fish, a rarity in past years in this island chain in the northeastern Aegean Sea, which has fewer than 1,500 inhabitants in total. 'Today, there were two of us heading out to sea, and we caught some fish by chance,' said the 76-year-old fisherman, his skin deeply tanned by the Mediterranean sun. 'Yesterday, we earned 30 euros ($34). The day before yesterday, not a penny. Sometimes, we don't even have enough to eat,' he told AFP. But things could be looking up for this small corner of the Aegean Sea. Last month, the Greek government banned bottom trawling in the waters around the archipelago, to protect a recent discovery of exceptionally rich coral reefs. Greece is also outlawing bottom trawling in national marine parks by 2026 and in all protected marine areas by 2030, the first country in Europe to take such a step. Fishing is generally allowed in protected marine areas worldwide, often even by trawlers, which scrape the seabed with a huge funnel-shaped net. 'Finally!' Mytikas exclaimed when told of the ban. 'They've ravaged the sea. They plough the seabed and destroy everything.' At the island port, his colleague Vaggelis Markakis, 58, compared trawlers to 'bulldozers'. 'If we stop them from coming here, our sea will come back to life,' Mytikas said. 'The sea will be filled with fish again.' Research conducted in this archipelago by the conservation groups Under the Pole, which organizes diving expeditions in extreme environments, and Archipelagos, in collaboration with European scientific institutions, has highlighted the existence of major underwater animal populations. At depths between 60 and 150 meters (around 200 to 500 feet), scientists have documented over 300 species living on the seabed under minimal light. Fishing trawlers docked with "doors" (heavy metal that widen the net opening) at the port of Nea Michaniona. Workers operate next to a fishing trawler docked with "doors" (heavy metal that widen the net opening). Fishing trawlers docked at the port of Nea Michaniona. This photograph shows corals in the deep sea off the coast of the Greek island of Fournoi. This photograph shows corals in the deep sea off the coast of the Greek island of Fournoi. 'Underwater forests' 'What we discovered is beyond imagination - vast coral reefs dating back thousands of years, still intact,' gushed Anastasia Miliou, scientific director of Archipelagos. The sea floor-dwelling species discovered include vibrantly red gorgonians (Paramuricea clavata) and black corals (Antipathella subpinnata). 'When these organisms occur at high densities, they form true underwater forests,' said Lorenzo Bramanti, a researcher at the CNRS Laboratory of Ecogeochemistry of Benthic Environments. But these habitats are extremely sensitive. 'A single trawl pass is enough to raze them,' warned Stelios Katsanevakis, professor of oceanography at the University of the Aegean. And the damage can be potentially irreversible, added Bramanti. 'Once destroyed, these forests may take decades or even centuries to recover,' said the marine scientist, who has worked on corals in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Pacific. 'No one doubts that cutting down a forest is an ecological disaster. The same is true for animal forests,' Bramanti said. Setting an example By banning bottom trawling around Fournoi, Bramanti hopes Greece will set an example for other Mediterranean countries, he said. 'We must act quickly, because these are among the last ecosystems still untouched by climate change,' given that they are located at depths greater than 70 meters, he said. 'And we risk losing them before we even truly understand them.' But the measure has left industrial fishing professionals fuming. HYT, There are around 220 bottom trawlers in Greece, and sector representatives complain restrictions on their activity are excessive 'We were not invited to any kind of discussion on this matter,' said Kostas Daoultzis, head of the trawler cooperative at the northern port of Nea Michaniona, one of the country's main fish markets. Daoultzis said the decisions were 'based on reports from volunteer organizations lacking scientific backing'. He said trawlers already avoid coral areas, which can damage their equipment. Fournoi fishermen counter that trawlers do fish in their waters, but turn off their tracking systems to avoid detection. Under pressure globally, trawling is likely to be on the agenda at a United Nations Ocean Conference next week in the French city of Nice. Daoultzis said he fears for the survival of his profession. 'Our fishing spaces keep shrinking. Our activity is under threat, and consumers will suffer - fish prices will skyrocket,' he warned. - AFP