Recognition without action is insufficient. There is a need for accountability to end the cycle of violence and achieve true peace.
By Hilal Bukhari
Recently, we witnessed many nations debating the tragic happenings in Palestine. Many Western powers, including the United Kingdom, France, and Canada, have formally recognised Palestine as a state. While this is a welcome gesture, it will not by itself bring peace to the region. Recognition without action risks becoming symbolic, a mere political statement that does not change the daily reality of suffering for millions of Palestinians.
As one wise man has said, “Whatever is happening in Gaza (or Palestine) is a permanent stain on the world’s collective conscience. History will never forget that we allowed this to happen.” These words ring painfully true today. The tragedy unfolding before our eyes is not just a regional conflict between Israel and Palestine; it is a moral test for humanity, one that the so-called champions of democracy and justice have consistently failed.
The so-called world powers, and particularly the United States, have not only witnessed this brutal atrocity but have actively enabled it. The United States continues to provide billions of dollars in financial aid and military support to Israel, while simultaneously presenting itself as a global advocate of human rights. In doing so, it has not merely looked the other way; it has become a direct partner in the violence. This contradiction exposes the deep hypocrisy that lies at the heart of international politics today.
Western powers, by and large, have failed to call a spade a spade. They are quick to label Hamas as a terrorist organisation, and they never hesitate to condemn its acts of violence. But when asked about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government’s actions, they remain silent, evasive, or deliberately ambiguous. Why is Netanyahu not called a war criminal despite the overwhelming evidence of war crimes? Why is the systematic killing of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians not described as state-sponsored terrorism? This selective morality is not only dangerous; it is an insult to human reason and justice.
Netanyahu, with the backing of his extremist regime, has accumulated a horrifying record of innocent blood on his hands. There is little doubt that he now ranks among the most brutal leaders in modern history. Yet, instead of facing sanctions or international isolation, he continues to be welcomed in Western capitals, invited to summits, and even praised as a “defender of democracy.” The double standard is glaring. Sanctions were imposed swiftly and heavily on leaders like Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. They were denounced, demonised, and ultimately toppled with Western backing. But when it comes to Netanyahu and Israel, the same Western powers hesitate, make excuses, or worse, offer unwavering support.
The Netanyahu government has time and again behaved like a racist and extremist power against the innocent masses of Palestine. The entire machinery of the Israeli state has been mobilised to impose collective punishment on a population that has already endured decades of occupation, displacement, and systemic discrimination. This extremist regime has unleashed brutal force illegitimately, immorally, and with complete impunity. The world’s silence, especially that of Western democracies, only emboldens Israel to escalate its oppression further.
Let us examine the scale of the devastation. Hamas was blamed for killing approximately 1,200 innocent Israeli citizens in one shocking attack. That tragedy deserved global sympathy and accountability. But Israel’s response has been utterly disproportionate, amounting to a war not on Hamas but on the entire Palestinian people. In the Gaza Strip, home to just about two million people, more than 60,000 have been killed and over 140,000 severely injured in less than two years. More than 60 per cent of the victims are women, children, and elderly people who had nothing to do with Hamas. Among them are nearly 14,000 children, infants whose only “crime” was being born Palestinian.
The physical destruction is equally horrifying. Over 90 per cent of Gaza’s housing has been rendered uninhabitable. Families that had modest homes now live in rubble or makeshift tents. Schools and universities٫, places meant to nurture future generations, have been bombed to the ground. Hospitals, already under strain, have been targeted or cut off from fuel, electricity, and medicines, turning them into graveyards instead of sanctuaries. When every element of civilian life is deliberately destroyed, can the world still claim this is self-defence? Or is it closer to ethnic cleansing disguised as counter-terrorism?
Israel’s long-term plan appears increasingly clear: to flatten Gaza, evict its inhabitants, and deny them every basic human right. This is not speculation; Israeli leaders themselves have spoken openly about the idea of “relocating” Gazans, of ensuring they can never return to their ancestral homes. In international law, forced displacement and the destruction of civilian infrastructure on such a scale constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Yet, despite this, the global response remains muted, diluted by political calculations and economic interests.
The world’s failure to act decisively is shameful enough, but the hypocrisy of Western liberal democracies is especially galling. These are the same nations that lecture the Global South about democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. They impose sanctions on weaker countries for far lesser offences. They topple governments in the name of “protecting civilians.” Yet, when it comes to Israel, they suddenly discover the virtues of silence, neutrality, or endless “peace talks” that never yield peace.
This double standard is not just a political inconvenience; it is a moral catastrophe. It sends a clear message to oppressed people everywhere: justice is selective, and human rights are negotiable. It tells dictators and aggressors that as long as they are aligned with powerful nations, they can commit atrocities without fear of punishment. It erodes whatever little trust still exists in international institutions like the United Nations, which appear powerless in the face of Israeli aggression.
The West often prides itself on liberal values, freedom, and democracy. But these ideals lose all meaning when applied unevenly. If the killing of civilians in Ukraine is rightly condemned, why is the killing of civilians in Gaza tolerated? If Russia’s aggression deserves sanctions, why not Israel’s? The answer is obvious: geopolitics and alliances matter more than morality. But such cynicism comes at a heavy price. The longer these double standards persist, the harder it will be to achieve genuine world peace.
The conflict in Gaza is not just about Israel and Palestine; it is about the very soul of humanity. Can we continue to allow powerful nations to define morality according to their interests? Can we remain silent when children are buried under rubble, when hospitals are bombed, when entire generations are erased? If we do, then the stain on our collective conscience will never wash away.
The world must recognise this hypocrisy and act decisively. Justice cannot be selective. Human rights cannot be conditional. And peace cannot be built on the ruins of silence. The double standard shown by these so-called liberal and democratic nations is a massive hurdle that will never allow world peace to hold on. Unless we confront it honestly, history will remember our era not for its progress, but for its failure to defend the most basic values of humanity.
What is urgently needed are concrete steps, measures that can halt the cycle of violence, ensure accountability, and create conditions where peace is given a genuine chance. Words and resolutions must be matched by practical efforts: diplomatic pressure, economic sanctions, and international legal proceedings against those committing atrocities.
The brutal regime in Israel cannot be allowed to continue its unchecked campaign of destruction. It must be held responsible for repeated violations of international law and stopped from committing further war crimes. Unless accountability is enforced, recognition of Palestine will remain hollow, and peace will remain a distant dream.
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