The Silence of Western Powers in the Face of War Crimes in Gaza

New information regarding the actions of Israeli soldiers in Gaza has ignited a wave of global indignation, illuminating what can only be characterized as heinous transgressions against human rights and crimes against humanity. The increasing chasm between the political rhetoric of "human rights" and the conduct of governments that profess to support these principles is demonstrated by these acts, which have been either disregarded or minimized by Western powers.

Israeli military leaders were heard bragging about how vicious they were in killing Palestinian civilians, including children, according to a damning Haaretz exposé and testimony from troops stationed in Gaza. A certain commander took great pride in referring to the region surrounding the town of Netzarim in the southern Gaza Strip as a "death zone," where anybody who dared to approach were slated for execution. Disturbingly, in one instance, troops murdered a 16-year-old child while allegedly being urged to carry out their killing spree by their superiors.

Some of the same commanders took pride in the fact that they let animals eat the corpses of Palestinian citizens; one of them even went so far as to call it "corpse line." Many Western nations, especially the US and EU, have been noticeably quiet or have given only ambivalent reactions, even though these remarks should have prompted worldwide denunciation. The fact that these nations are quick to condemn breaches of international law in other regions, but slow to do the same when it comes to Israel, reveals a great deal about the hypocrisy that drives their foreign policy.

Since senior Israeli military officials have acknowledged to intentionally targeting civilians, the question of responsibility takes on added urgency. Israeli forces allegedly killed 200 Palestinians, with only 10 of them being combatants, according to the Haaretz article. Despite mounting evidence to the contrary, the military maintains that Hamas militants were the primary targets of the attack.

As a result of their long-standing, unfaltering support for Israel, Western nations have exacerbated the misery of the Palestinian people, all in the name of geopolitical expediency. The United States continues to provide Israel with billions of dollars in military aid every year, and this assistance is frequently given without any evaluation of Israel's military policies or procedures. A major contributor to the continuation of violence in Gaza is the financial and political support that Israel receives, which enables it to operate with practically no consequences.

Gaza is experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe of unprecedented scale; it is not a question of unilateral attack. But Western officials still ignore what's happening on the ground. Even if they have been critical of Israeli policies on occasion, media sites like Haaretz have a hard time getting their fair share of attention in the international conversation. The customary clamor against human rights abuses by countries in strategic partnerships with the West is reduced to a murmur when these countries do the same.

The failure to speak up is political as well as moral. Beyond Gaza, the consequences of the Western reaction to Israel's conduct are far-reaching. As a whole, it's indicative of how strong nations put geopolitical interests ahead of people's lives. Western democracies' claimed dedication to human rights and international law is belied by their reluctance to confront human rights abuses by partner governments and by their own complicity in Israeli war crimes.

There has to be more nuanced discussion surrounding Israel's behavior than just "good vs. evil" or "victim vs. aggressor." Although understanding the larger geopolitical factors is critical, it does not absolve the government of responsibility for the massive slaughter of innocent people. Even though they have endured decades of occupation, the international community does little to stop the constant barrage of violence against the Palestinian people.

Western governments must reevaluate their policies and face the unsettling truth of their part in keeping this conflict going as more and more allegations of atrocities surface. That stillness has to go. Justice must be demanded for all victims of violence, regardless of their origin, by the world community, not only for those killed by Hamas. Tragically, the Palestinian people have been denied their fundamental human dignity for far too long; they deserve more than to be exploited as pawns in a geopolitical chess game.