The United Arab Emirates (UAE) support of Trump’s Deal of the Century with Israel reeks of treachery and betrayal. It stabs not only the Palestinians in the back but the aspirations and fate of all Arabs.
It is yet another disgraceful milestone in the sordid history of shameful deals in the entire region: from the ignominious times of arch-colonialists Balfour and Sykes-Picot, to the creation of Israel as gendarme of Western imperialist interests, through to the latter-day unholy alliance of Trump-Netanyahu in league with the servile Emirati and Saudi despots. No consultation with the Arab people of the region.
Blatant contempt for the rights of the Palestinian people perpetually cast out in the cold. The plotting intrinsic to imperialist interests sowing death and destruction from Egypt, Libya and the Levantine coast; from Yemen through Syria and Iraq to Afghanistan – with Iran an ultimate target.
Acclaimed as a glorious peace deal, nothing good can come of such cynical connivance, only further woes and suffering should machinations work. Except of course nefarious deeds such as this opens people’s eyes; exposes the perpetrators, has the habit of backfiring – for reaction and repression fuels resistance; pours petrol over smoldering coals; stokes the reflexes of the intifada. We are bound to hear from the Arab street.
That is why it is so important that people around the world, who believe in justice for Palestine, protest and invigorate the BDS campaign to isolate Israel, condemn the USA’s sustained military aid, and denounce those collaborationist Arab regimes. Machiavellian choreography is underway, the stage has been set, and Bahrain, Oman, and for sure the murderous Saudi regime, will make up the Gang of Four with the UAE; and watch this space for Egypt’s duplicity.
I have been asked the question as to how Africa would have responded to such betrayal during the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. Fortunately, the independent African states, through the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU), showed far more backbone, unity and solidarity, in the liberation struggle against Apartheid, than has been the case of Arab states and the Arab League, with respect to the sacred Palestinian cause.
The key Western countries, most notably the USA, UK, West Germany and France, openly or tacitly supported the Apartheid regime, but were staunchly opposed by the OAU and their own people. In the case of the USA the powerful black lobby in Congress, representing outraged African-Americans, played a key role in applying pressure on the White House – as did the Anti-Apartheid Movement globally.
This is what is required in relation to the current betrayal of the Palestinians; and the Black Lives Matter struggle against racial discrimination is already swinging in favor of the Palestinian cause. Facing such betrayal from Bantustan leaders, aimed at the same divide and rule treachery underway in Western Asia today, saw those pliant and avaricious sell-outs, facing the people’s wrath inside South Africa, and almost total isolation and contempt internationally.
Once again, that is why we in the Palestine solidarity movement call for international protests and stepping up the BDS campaign.
– Ronnie Kasrils, veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle, and South Africa’s former Minister for Intelligence Services, activist and author. He contributed this article to The Palestine Chronicle
– Ronnie Kasrils, veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle, and South Africa’s former Minister for Intelligence Services, activist and author. He contributed this piece to The Palestine Chronicle
My dear what an old wife whinning lamenting.
Not to imagine that israelis would have taken such a stand if having lost just one war against islam aggressors.
They are bold people.Likew little childs crying for mama , calling always for external help instead of an own vision for future. If you don’t go with the times, you go with the times.
But thats probably to intellectual, for fanatic minds on the back of their neighbours suffering from senseless nonsense action that only cost blood and never achieved anything.
In the Arab world, there is a direct correlation between the level of anger expressed and impotence.
I always thought Israel would fail. Some day it will. I did not expect US to fail first. That is happening now. Soon more than a century of treachery & 72 years of expulsion must implode. How & at what cost cannot be calculated, but it will happen.