Phalapoem editor, 5/01/25
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has long been a focal point of international politics, with the actions and policies of Western states often drawing scrutiny for their perceived bias towards Israel. This essay explores the concepts of supremacy and ignorance as they relate to Western attitudes and policies concerning Palestinians, highlighting historical and contemporary dynamics.
The roots of Western involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be traced back to the early 20th century with the Balfour Declaration of 1917, where Britain expressed support for a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine, without regard for the existing Arab population. This set a precedent for ignoring Palestinian rights and aspirations, which has persisted through various forms of Western policy and diplomacy. The British Mandate, from 1923 to 1948, facilitated Jewish immigration at the expense of Palestinian land rights, contributing to the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” in 1948, where countless of massacres were carried out by Israeli terrorist gangs against Palestinian people and hundreds of thousands of them were ethnically cleansed during the establishment of Israel.
Western states, particularly the United States, have often exhibited a form of geopolitical supremacy in their approach to the conflict. This is evident in U.S. policy, which has historically provided Israel with substantial military and economic aid, ensuring a strategic imbalance in the region. The U.S. has vetoed numerous UN Security Council resolutions critical of Israel, thereby protecting Israel from international censure and potentially from accountability under international law. This support is not only financial and military but also diplomatic, with the U.S. consistently backing Israel’s right to defend itself, often without similar acknowledgment of Palestinian rights to self-determination or security. How could an occupation be defending itself from people under occupation from whom it stole their land and freedom and massacred tens of thousands of civilians? This is against international law which says that the occupation power that should protect the indigenous people living under occupation.
The notion of supremacy extends into the narrative Western countries promote or allow to be propagated. Media bias has been a significant concern, with numerous studies and journalists pointing out the disproportionate focus on Israeli suffering while under-reporting or misrepresenting Palestinian hardships. This bias can be seen as an extension of colonial and white supremacist legacies where Palestinian lives are implicitly valued less, a perspective that has been criticized in various analyses of world media coverage.
On the part of ignorance, Western states and their publics often show a lack of understanding or acknowledgment of the historical and ongoing injustices faced by Palestinians on daily basis. This ignorance is perpetuated by educational systems that do not adequately address the crimes of the Israeli apartheid and occupation , focusing instead on false narratives that align with Western political interests. Public opinion in the West, which often leans towards Israel due to historical alliances, media portrayal, and lobbying by pro-Israel groups, further demonstrates this ignorance or selective awareness.
The ignorance is also structural, seen in how international law and human rights are applied selectively. For instance, the genocide, starvation and blockade of Gaza, has been confirmed by ICJ as such, and consequently issued arrest warrants for the war criminals Netanyahu and Galant, yet responses from Western and particularly the American government have been arrogant and shameful in rejecting the ICJ decision.
This combination of supremacy and ignorance has significant consequences. It undermines peace processes by not holding all parties equally accountable and by ignoring the root causes of the conflict, such as occupation, settlement expansion, and the denial of Palestinian rights. It also contributes to a global perception of Western hypocrisy, where human rights are seen through the lens of political alliances rather than universal principles.
The Western approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict exemplifies a troubling blend of supremacy and ignorance. By supporting Israel with an asymmetry that often neglects Palestinian rights and realities, Western states not only contribute to the perpetuation of conflict but also to a broader narrative of selective justice and historical amnesia. For any meaningful progress towards peace, there needs to be a reevaluation of these stances, fostering a policy environment based on equality, acknowledgment of historical injustices, and a genuine commitment to international law and human rights. Only through such a shift can the cycle of violence and misunderstanding be broken, paving the way for a just resolution that recognizes the humanity and rights of Palestinians.