As-salamu alaykum - Denial, amnesia and the question of welcoming Israel back
As-salamu alaykum brothers and sisters,
Many analysts are worried that the world is already preparing to bring Israel back into the fold, even as Israeli leaders insist they did nothing wrong. Insha'Allah, I’ll try to lay out what people are saying and why so many are concerned.
Over two years of fighting in Gaza, more than 67,900 Palestinians have been killed and over 170,000 injured. Around 92% of homes in the enclave were destroyed or damaged, and the blockade has caused conditions so severe that famine was declared. Human rights groups, international bodies and Israeli organisations like B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel have argued that these actions meet the definition of genocide - a finding a UN inquiry echoed in September.
During that period, criticism of Israel’s campaign spread across Europe and huge protests took place in many capitals every weekend. But now, as a ceasefire deal is announced, parts of the Israeli establishment and some Western politicians are treating this as a chance to move on.
In the Israeli parliament, opposition voices told lawmakers - and even visiting foreign leaders - that protesters in cities like London, Rome and Paris were misled and that there was no deliberate starvation or genocide. Some analysts say this kind of dismissal of outside criticism has helped create public consent for the government’s actions: continuous media mobilisation and a steady refusal to acknowledge the suffering have made it easier for many to accept the official line.
Inside Israel there are only small dissenting groups who have been openly critical from the start. For many others there still seems to be a refusal to accept the scale of destruction in Gaza and the human toll - including the children pushed into hunger by policy choices.
People who study this from inside Israel warn that a genuine public reckoning looks unlikely. Without that acknowledgement, the risk that hostilities could resume remains real. As one doctor from an Israeli rights group put it, it’s not that people are unaware of the allegations of genocide - many aren’t even aware of the widespread destruction and suffering. Conversations are stuck on claims of staged footage and blame put entirely on Hamas. Families and communities are living in completely different realities, so agreeing on a single truth - a prerequisite for accountability - feels out of reach.
Some Israeli politicians have reacted angrily to the ceasefire. Hardline ministers called the deal a national defeat and others spoke of never forgiving until total destruction of armed groups in Gaza and total control over the strip. Those kinds of statements worry observers who fear there will be no change in the policies that caused so much harm.
At the same time, many Western leaders seem keen to accept the ceasefire and talk of a lasting peace, while urging a quick return to normal ties. Some EU officials have been suggested as possible partners in reconstruction if tensions in relations are smoothed away. Even talks about whether Israel should be able to rejoin sports and cultural events have been raised again.
Experts warn there is a political appetite, in capitals, for re-normalisation - a return to something like the pre-war status quo where the violence is kept below a certain threshold and relations continue. That mirrors what happened after the Oslo years, where the process was emphasised more than the outcome.
But public feeling, especially among young people, changed a lot during these two years of carnage. More and more people refuse to accept the story that everything is fine or that state complicity in systemic violence is acceptable. The reality on the ground - the dehumanisation, the structural violence, the harsh occupation - gives many strong reasons to keep speaking out.
For the people still living in Gaza, suffering from hunger and repeated attacks, any fast international rehabilitation of Israel has immediate consequences. Some governments will move on, perhaps wanting to avoid uncomfortable questions about their own role. But victims and organisations that care about humanity aren’t just going to forget and walk away.
As Muslims we should keep the victims in our du'as and continue to call for justice and accountability. May Allah grant ease to the oppressed and guide leaders to truth and mercy. Jazakum Allahu khayran for reading - I’m interested to hear what others think, inshAllah we can keep this discussion respectful and constructive.
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