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The ongoing genocide in Palestine and the West Bank has significantly changed how the world views Israel and its long-standing Holocaust narrative.
As I write this article, rough estimates suggest that more than fifty thousand people have been killed in the Israeli assault. Tragically, the vast majority of the victims are women and children, non-combatants who had nothing to do with the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Beyond those killed, over a hundred thousand people have been injured, many of whom have lost their limbs. The cruelty of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) is horrific and difficult to describe.
Breaking international conventions and protocols, the IDF has bombed Palestinian homes, mosques, churches, hospitals and blocked all forms of aid into Gaza. In addition to denying urgent medical supplies to the besieged population, the Israeli army is starving civilians by refusing international food aid.
Even drinking water is being withheld from the people of Gaza. Facing low morale in their fight against Palestinian resistance fighters, Israeli forces have turned their frustration toward innocent civilians. Unarmed Palestinians are arrested and detained without cause.
Since Israel has killed hundreds of journalists, the world remains largely unaware of what happens behind Israeli prison walls. Among the detainees are many women. Several Palestinian women who managed to escape from detention have reported being sexually assaulted and raped by Israeli personnel.
Besides the freshly detained prisoners ever since October 7, 2023, it has been several decades, the Israeli government has detained many Palestinian men, women and children without any form of trial. Their lives in prison have to endure hunger, physical and mental torture.
For a very long time, ever since Israel illegally and forcefully occupied the land of the Palestinians, through media manipulation, lobbyist groups in the United States of America and Europe managed to get the sympathy of the world on its side.
Controlling the world media and Hollywood movie industry, Israel managed to paint a dark image of the Arab world and Islam. For a very long time, Hollywood movies have portrayed Arabs as a bunch of barbaric, uncivilized and terrorists. Interesting to note here that, in recent times, many Indian filmmakers are following a similar trend to their counterparts in Hollywood.
Despite the negative portrayals of Islam, Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the Qur'an, and Muslims, Islam remains the fastest-growing religion in many parts of the world, particularly in America and Europe.
With the rise of the Internet and social media, global communities are now better informed about the true essence of Islam and the message of peace it promotes. The widespread sharing of accurate information has drawn many atheists and agnostics toward the faith.
Since the advent of social media and smartphones, individuals have gained the freedom to record and share real-time images and stories of violence, brutality, racism, injustice, and acts of prejudice with the rest of the world.
At the moment, with the widespread use of social media and various online applications, mainstream Western media is steadily losing control over its narratives about Islam and the Muslim world. Its carefully crafted, half-truth reports are no longer taken as seriously as they once were.
Instead of relying on traditional media outlets, people now prefer to get their news and insights from individuals on platforms such as YouTube, podcasts, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and others.
With these recent developments, Israel is finding it increasingly difficult to convey its narrative to the global community. At present, the chances of Israel swaying public opinion to sympathize with its immediate existential crisis appear slim.
The allegations against Israel regarding genocidal policies in Gaza have become widely recognized at the United Nations and beyond. For nearly two years, the world has witnessed the atrocities committed by Israel in Palestine through social media, significantly shifting public perception about which side in the conflict deserves sympathy and support.
Compared to the Zionist regime in Tel Aviv and the reformed Jews who came from across Europe and the United States, the Orthodox Jews in Israel have, for a long time, maintained a relatively good relationship with the Palestinians.
Their presence and participation in public rallies supporting a Palestinian homeland deserve recognition and applause. Perhaps they represent one of the groups among the "People of the Book" mentioned in the Qur'an.
"They are not all alike: Among the People of the Book is a group that is upright; they recite the verses of Allah during the night and prostrate [in prayer]. They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and hasten to good deeds. And those are among the righteous." - Surah Al-Imran (3:113-114)
Israel's years of lobbying as victims of the Holocaust are now gradually fading. The sympathy that was once directed toward Israel has shifted to Palestine and its poor, humble people. Witnessing the genocide in Gaza has transformed the mindset of many devout Christians and Jews in America.
These groups, alongside university students, have joined marches for Palestine, often chanting the slogan, 'Free! Free! Palestine!' Among all European countries, Ireland and Spain condemn vehemently the Netanyahu government and at the same time call for a free and independent Palestinian state for the Palestinians.
While peace-loving people in America and Europe have strongly protested Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza, many Arab leaders have yet to show the courage to demand Netanyahu's withdrawal from politics or to advocate for the establishment of an independent Palestine. Instead, their support for alleviating Palestinian suffering remains lukewarm and insufficiently committed.
In contrast to oil-rich Arab countries, nations such as Iran, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, and a few others have remained consistent in their support for the Palestinian cause. Notably, Yemen-a poor nation-has shown remarkable courage in defending the Palestinian people against Israeli attacks.
For many years, Indonesia and Malaysia have provided substantial assistance to Palestinians through monetary aid, food supplies, and medicine. Iran has not only provided food aid but also some technical support to the freedom fighters in Palestine to resist the Israeli occupying forces. To commemorate the struggle for Palestinian independence, the Iranian people observe the last Friday of Ramadan each year as a day of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Besides the devastating situation in Palestine, a positive outcome of the war between Hamas and the IDF is that many colonial settlers who had migrated from America and Europe to live in Palestinian lands have left Israel and returned to their countries of origin.
This conflict has also brought to light for many colonial settlers that the land they had been occupying all along does not belong to the Israeli government, but to the Palestinians, the rightful owners.
Many political analysts believe that, given the volatility of the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East, those migrant Jews who left Israel might not want to return due to concerns for their safety and security.
(The views expressed are those of Dr. Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak, Department of Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Studies, AHAS KIRKHS, IIUM, and do not necessarily reflect the views of IslamiCity.)
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