Time to demilitarise Israel By Zafarul-Islam Khan
The Israeli-American adventure in Lebanon has badly backfired. Condi’s “birthpangs” have led to a still birth. Israel has been exposed as a giant with feet of clay. A serious and concerted effort will eliminate this cancer from the Muslim body. Even Americans will now realise that their pampered gangster is unable to deliver the job it is pampered for and showered with highest per capita military and civil American aid: to ensure the submission of the Arab countries and to facilitate the plunder of their resources. America will soon realise that it is always better to deal with the people of the region in a humane and equitable manner. By supporting the illegitimate Zionist project in Palestine America and west have forfeited the support and respect of Muslims and peace- and justice-loving people all over the world.
With the defeat of the Israeli Goliath at the hands of the present-day David, the Israeli-American project of a “New Middle East” is buried deep in the sands of Arabia. It is exactly the same project of subjugation, Balkanisation and plunder for which a similar invasion was launched by the war criminal Sharon in 1982. That adventure, which soon brought many western forces to support the Israeli project, led to the emergence of Hizbullah in order to resist foreign occupation. Hizbullah slowly forced the umpteen occupation forces to withdraw from Lebanon. The Israelis, who had colluded in such historical crimes as murder of hapless Palestinian men, women and children in Sabra and Shatila refugee camps, too had to withdraw to south Lebanon until they were finally driven away unconditionally in May 2000 – the first such achievement by any Arab force since the emergence of Israel in Palestine. Popular and committed resistance succeeded where a plethora of Arab armies had failed since 1948.
Hizbullah is a genuine and legitimate resistance movement. It is well-respected in its own country. It has representatives, including a Christian, in the Lebanese parliament and two members in the Lebanese council of ministers. It takes part positively in the Lebanese politics as a serious and responsible force. The Lebanese government and people are thankful that Hizbullah has been able to drive the foreign occupation forces out and is now fighting to keep Lebanon free. To call it “terrorist” is a travesty of the truth. It is like our own Azad Hind Fauj and the European resistance forces during the Nazi occupation.
Now that the myth of Israeli invicibility built on unlimited American support even during the present war just as during the Ramadan war of 1973, has been exposed, it is time to call Israel’s bluff. Israel must be made to pay for the damages it has inflicted on Lebanon and elsewhere and made to exist in the Middle East not as a gangster but as an ordinary state subject to approval by the Palestinian victims of the Zionist project. The Palestinian refugees must be allowed to return to their homes in realisation of the solemn pledges made by Israel when it was accepted as a member of the UN in 1949. Israel must be demilitarised as its continuation in its present shape as a military base threatnes all countries in the Middle East and North Africa. There is no solution to the Arab-Israeli problem other than forcing Israel to exist as an ordinary state, not as a mafiosi and street gangster.
The writer is the editor of the Milli Gazette ( www.milligazette.com ). His publications included Palestine Documents (Delhi 1998). This article appeared as the editorial of the 16-31 August 2006 issue of the Milli Gazette.
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