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What is the Middle East? A conflicted region dysfunctioned by authoritarian regimes, religious extremism, radicalisation, corruption, and power vacuums – or so they say in the West. Yet, as they claim superiority, they tend to overlook their own role in shaping this turmoil.
One year has passed since October 7th, when Hamas attacked Israel who responded disproportionately. A year of witnessing violations of international humanitarian law accompanied with total impunity. As they put on a facade of negotiations, the human suffering continues. They – who once created the laws, can break them whenever they no longer serve their interests.
As Israel becomes the exception to every international legal norm, Gaza becomes the exception to yet another human right. Gaza’s death toll reaches 42,000, with 97,000 more injured. With the large number of people who remain trapped or dead under the rubble, these numbers remain underestimated. Israel’s military dropped over 75,000 tonnes of explosives on the Gaza strip which is just 365 km² in size. Gaza’s infrastructure lies in ruins, under a blockade that denies access to food, clean water, and medicine. Gaza has reached unprecedented levels of suffering, setting global records for humanitarian crises. The situation could not get any worse.
But then, somehow, it does.
We’re on the brink of all-out war. Israel, the only ‘democracy’ in the Middle East, continues its bombardment of four nations at once: Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Gaza. In Lebanon, one million Lebanese people have already been displaced by Israeli attacks. Following a large-scale Israeli attack on a densely populated area in Beirut, Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed.
But does killing the leader end the resistance, or does it fuel and radicalise it? Israel has assassinated the previous co-founder and leader of Hezbollah, Abbas Al-Musawi in 1992, as well as Hamas key founders Ahmad Yassin and Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi in 2004. Yet, both Hamas and Hezbollah not only survived but grew stronger. Non-state armed militia groups have an ideological support base that transcends borders. Killing a leader, therefore, does little to extinguish an ideology. The cycle of violence only perpetuates itself. Oppression always breeds resistance. The root cause of today’s violence is Israel’s 76-year-old apartheid regime and oppression of the Palestinian people. This year, Israel has further radicalised an entire upcoming generation, driven by immense loss, devastation, and collective trauma.
The numbers are concrete, yet the laws remain fragile. Not only is a state accused of genocide escaping accountability, but it is also supplied with unwavering financial and military support by the United States. Whether under a Democratic or Republican administration, Israel serves as a proxy through which U.S. interests in the region are advanced, without direct military intervention. President Biden has the power to stop what is happening in Gaza today. Although 55% of Americans oppose Israel’s assault on Gaza, Biden persists in arming, funding and backing Israel’s genocide. As for Kamala and Trump, the Middle East seems to be merely a tool for political leverage in an electoral campaign. As we approach the November election, the very essence of democracy is put to the test, for the U.S. is broadcasting a disturbing message: democratic values are not universal, but conditional. They are upheld only when convenient, or in other words when they align with political, military, or strategic interests. But far from questioning democracy, we are questioning humanity. The moment the killing of innocent civilians has become a ‘political’ matter, we know that humanity is no longer human.
So, if you ask us, What is the Middle East? It is our homeland. It is a place of resilience, of love, of life. It is where strength is born out of struggle. It is our greatest honour, yet our biggest heartbreak.
All eyes on Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. With love and solidarity.
Featured image by Reuters – Mike Blake.
