As Israel goes ballistic in Gaza, the World calls for ceasefire
By Magnus Onyibe
In light of Israel’s mission to clear civilians from the northern part of Gaza and dismantle infrastructure suspected to be operational bases for Hamas, with the goal of completely eliminating what it considers a terrorist group, the military campaign is underway.
During this operation, Israel has implemented a daily pause in the fighting, lasting 4–7 hours, to facilitate the evacuation of distressed Palestinians from Northern Gaza to the southern part of the country. However, Mr. Edward Ahmed Mitchell, Deputy Director of the Muslim Advocacy Group CAIR, has expressed reservations about the IDF’s decision to pause the battle, emphasizing that the rest of the world is calling for a ceasefire instead.
“Instituting a four-hour pause on Israel’s indiscriminate bombing of northern Gaza so that Palestinians can flee their homes and face Israel’s indiscriminate bombing of southern Gaza makes no sense. We need a ceasefire across Gaza, not the ethnic cleansing of northern Gaza.”
The Muslim advocacy group’s accusation of ethnic bias introduces a new dimension, supporting suspicions in some quarters that Israel’s ultimate plan is to render North Gaza not only uninhabited but also uninhabitable. This strategy aims to transform the area into a demilitarized zone (DMZ), akin to the one between North and South Korea—an outcome stemming from the Korean Wars in the early 1950s.
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The Korean War commenced on June 25, 1950, when North Korea invaded South Korea after years of tensions between the two nations. China and the Soviet Union supported North Korea, while the United States and its allies backed South Korea. The conflict concluded with an armistice on July 27, 1953, leading to the establishment of a demilitarized zone.
The current question is: would the Palestinians, who are likely to be further restricted into a much smaller area than the 365 square kilometers that they currently occupy in north and south Gaza, accept a situation where north Gaza is made into a demilitarized zone (DMZ) if Israel is successful in eliminating Hamas in the same way that the US and her allies defeated the extremely vicious and barbaric ISIS?
Additionally, there is the question of whether the Arab League would be willing to concede more land without a replacement for the territory that might be lost if the speculated creation of a DMZ in north Gaza becomes a reality.
In this dilemma also lies the question of whether the proposal to reclaim part of the Mediterranean Sea for the expansion of the homeland, as discussed in my previous column titled “Why the Israel-Hamas War Is the Consequence of Rebellion Against God’s Order,” is feasible and viable for the highly oppressed, ultra-sensitive, and extremely resistant Palestinians or not.
For far too long, Palestinians have borne the brunt of conflict involving both their political leaders, Hamas and Fatah, embroiled in internal strife, and their neighbour Israel. Despite a shared ancestry tracing back to the father of humankind, Abraham, Palestinians have consistently rejected acceptance by Israel and endured the consequences.
It is intriguing to consider how the current crisis might have been an African challenge had Israel embraced the land offer in Uganda presented by the United Kingdom in 1917, coinciding with the proposal of Palestinian territory. In this alternate scenario, the United Nations could have legitimized Israel as a nation in Africa in 1948, mirroring its establishment in the Middle East.
The economic progress witnessed in the Middle East, primarily attributed to Israel’s innovative initiatives, could have potentially extended to Africa, and Uganda would have become celebrated for economic advancements instead of its notorious history under the despotic military rule of Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada.
Even now, the country continues to grapple with prolonged leadership under civilian autocrat Yoweri Museveni, who has held the presidency for over 37 years since assuming power in 1986.
However, when considering the establishment of a homeland, Israel favored the land offered by Uganda over Palestine due to their historical connection to the Palestinians.
This preference stems from the fact that Palestine is the original homeland of the Israelis. Abraham, their forefather, faced expulsion along with Isaac and Ishmael due to various pogroms, including conflicts with the Ottoman Empire from Turkey, which ruled the region for an extended period.
This historical plight is compounded by the persecution of Jews during the inquisitions, their subsequent conquest by Islamists, and their eventual migration to Europe, where they endured the harrowing Holocaust under the rule of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich in Germany.
The annals of Israel’s history are marked by adversity and oppression spanning a millennium. Remarkably, in the past 75 years, they have managed a remarkable recovery since the United Nations officially recognized them as a nation through Resolution 181 in 1948.
One might ponder what could have transpired if Israelis had chosen relocation to Africa. They might have thrived on the African continent, perhaps in Uganda, much like their success in the Middle East. Through remarkable ingenuity, this small nation, with a population of less than 10 million, has transformed its desert landscapes into fertile and productive farmlands. Notably, this relatively modest-sized country boasts the highest number of Nobel Prize winners for inventions.
After all is said and done, there is a global plea directed at Israel and its supporters, the U.S. and its Western allies, to grant Palestinians the space to breathe. This phrase, akin to the oppressive act of a knee on a victim’s neck, draws parallels to the tragic incident involving police officer Derek Chauvin, who asphyxiated George Floyd in Minnesota, USA, in 2020 by kneeling on his neck.
In accordance with conventional wisdom, expressed in the Latin phrase “Vox populi, vox dei,” meaning the voice of the people is the voice of God, the global call for a ceasefire echoes loudly.
I would like to reiterate, as I did in my last week’s column titled “Why the Israel-Hamas War Is a Consequence of Rebellion Against God’s Order,” that I urge both Israelis and Hamas/Palestine to heed the voice of God. It is essential for them to sheath their swords and explore more creative and imaginative ways to end the current unmitigated bloodshed in the land that was promised to flow with milk and honey in the holy books of instruction for Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike.
- Magnus Onyibe, an entrepreneur, public policy analyst, author, democracy advocate, development strategist, alumnus of Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA and a former commissioner in Delta State, sent this piece from Lagos, Nigeria.
