Washington attack was wrong and does not help Palestine

Arab News

26-05-2025

https://arab.news/vmawm
The chant 'Free Palestine' is powerful and appropriate at protests across the US and around the world. But it is wholly inappropriate when shouted following a violent, fatal attack in the American capital. Such an attack must be unequivocally condemned. Palestinians, even as they endure unimaginable suffering in Gaza, must find the moral clarity and courage to reject violence of this kind.
It does not matter that the victims were Israeli diplomats, nor that one of them had tweeted a provocative message suggesting that Israel should assassinate a Yemeni leader. The Palestinian cause demands international pressure and Israeli accountability, not violence in a city thousands of miles away from the conflict.
Palestinians seek an end to Israel's war, siege and occupation of Palestinian territories. Targets outside the region are not, and must never be, part of the Palestinian struggle. The demand to stop genocide and war crimes — crimes prohibited under international law — must be pursued in the proper arena: The Hague.
Indeed, the Israeli government has deliberately weaponized starvation against Palestinians in Gaza. This crisis must be urgently addressed. But just as Western leaders were beginning to shift toward sanctions and other measures against Israeli violations, this reprehensible attack on two Israeli diplomats has served only to deflect attention — and relieve pressure on Israel.
The Palestinian cause demands international pressure and Israeli accountability, not violence in a city thousands of miles away
Daoud Kuttab
The condemnation of this act must be unequivocal. At the same time, we must reject Israel's attempt to frame it as an act against Jews or as part of a global antisemitic campaign. While invoking 'Free Palestine' in this context is wholly inappropriate, support for Palestinian rights is not inherently antisemitic. Israel is a state whose citizens include Jews, Muslims, Christians and others. Zionism itself is not exclusive to Jews; it also includes some Christians. To conflate criticism of Israel or Zionism with antisemitism is both dishonest and dangerous.
Leaders in Europe, the UK, Canada, Australia and elsewhere should not allow this act to deter them from their recent calls for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the war on Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's inflammatory response — blaming international opposition to Israel's policies for inciting violence in Washington — is unacceptable.
Netanyahu, currently facing multiple criminal charges for corruption and abuse of power, is prolonging this war to preserve his political survival. By calling international criticism antisemitic, he attempts to silence dissent and bully world leaders into complicity. There should be no prohibition of justified criticism of Israeli policies.
Despite their legal obligations under international law, most Western leaders have yet to act meaningfully. Article 1 of the Geneva Conventions requires signatories to 'respect and to ensure respect' for the conventions in all circumstances. That includes taking concrete steps to prevent violations — steps that go beyond words. While recent statements from Western leaders are welcome, they remain insufficient if not followed up by action. This is precisely why the Netanyahu government wants to shut them down — and why he is exploiting the Washington attack to do so.
Because of the publicity surrounding this case, the world now knows the names of the two Israeli diplomats attacked in Washington — Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. But how many people know the names of the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza?
According to UNICEF, after nearly 18 months of war, more than 15,000 Palestinian children have been killed, about 34,000 injured and nearly 1 million repeatedly displaced and denied access to basic services. Thanks to the courageous student protesters at Columbia University, one name has broken through the silence: Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces during the invasion of Gaza. Six of her family members and two paramedics trying to save her were also killed.
At the same time, we must reject Israel's attempt to frame it as an act against Jews or as part of a global antisemitic campaign
Daoud Kuttab
The UN estimates that more than 28,000 women and girls have also been killed. On International Women's Day, Jordan's Radio Al-Balad — the station I am involved with — read the names of some of these women on air. Politicians, celebrities and even a princess participated in the campaign, titled 'We Are Not Numbers.'
This war must end immediately. According to multiple media reports, Hamas has expressed a willingness to release all Israeli hostages if the Netanyahu government agrees to end the war. The group has also reportedly offered to relinquish control of Gaza to a transitional Palestinian committee ahead of elections for a new unified Palestinian government.
Any lasting resolution must address the root of the conflict: Israel's ongoing occupation of the territories it captured in 1967. Palestinians must be allowed their fundamental right to self-determination. Peace will only come through the implementation of long-standing international resolutions, including the creation of a sovereign and democratic Palestinian state alongside Israel and a just solution for Palestinian refugees.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be resolved in the Middle East, with the support of the international community. Justice — and peace — will only come when the underlying injustices are addressed. What is needed now is persistent, principled pressure from the global community, including peace-loving Israelis.
A violent attack against diplomats in Washington is not the way to free Palestine.