Betrayal of Palestine: The Arab World’s Deafening Silence on Gaza

• Hashim Sheikh
• . March 21, 2024
• . Update: March 22, 2024 10:58 am
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As Israel’s relentless assault on Gaza enters its sixth month, a grave humanitarian crisis looms over the besieged strip. Health authorities have reported a staggering 32,000 Palestinians killed and over 74,000 injured, with an alarming rise in deaths due to malnutrition and hunger, particularly among children. The United Nations Human Rights Office has denounced Israel’s restrictions on aid entry and military operations as potential war crimes, tantamount to the use of starvation as a method of warfare.

Arab Regimes’ Complicity and Complacency

Despite the overwhelming evidence of Israel’s genocidal policies and practices, the Arab world appears disturbingly oblivious to the plight of Gaza. Arab governments and leaders have failed to take decisive actions to halt the ongoing atrocities, settling for mere protestations and appeals to moral standards that Israel has repeatedly disregarded.

Their acquiescence to American monopoly on peace plans and acceptance of demagogic declarations from Washington speaks volumes about their incurable weakness and dependence, preventing any meaningful intervention on behalf of the Palestinians.

A Glaring Disconnect from Public Sentiment

A recent survey conducted by the Arab Center in Washington DC and the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies across 16 Arab countries has exposed the stark disconnect between Arab regimes and their populations’ sentiments regarding the Palestine question and the ongoing war in Gaza.

An overwhelming 92 per cent of respondents consider the Palestine question a concern for all Arabs, not just the Palestinians. Majorities reject diplomatic relations with Israel and call for rescinding the normalization agreements, even in countries party to the Abraham Accords. Additionally, 94% judged the American position on the war as unacceptable, and 81% believed the United States was not truly committed to establishing a Palestinian state.

Looming Famine and Humanitarian Catastrophe

Three focal issues lay bare the Arab regimes’ supineness in the face of Israel’s documented genocidal war on Gaza: the impending famine, the siege of Rafah, and Israel’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire.

According to a recent report, if current conditions persist, famine could strike some 300,000 people in northern Gaza by May, while another 1.1 million Gazans have exhausted supplies required to prevent starvation and malnutrition.

Rafah, home to 1.4 million displaced Palestinians, is under siege and threatened with invasion, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared plans for an attack to bring about Hamas’s “final defeat.”

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Meanwhile, talks about securing even a temporary ceasefire have failed due to Israel’s insistence on realizing its ultimate goal of defeating Hamas, imposing unreasonable conditions and denying Palestinians’ national rights.

A Call for Self-Reliance and Unity

As the Arab political order remains a marginal actor, unable to influence events in a way that could aid Gaza’s Palestinians, the harsh reality is that only the Palestinians themselves can be the true defenders of their cause. Self-reliance and national unity continue to be the right path forward in realizing their inalienable rights and achieving independence.