Maria Akbar exposes the blatant hypocrisy which lies at the heart of Western foreign policy – the swift action against an aggressive Russia but no action whatsoever against a genocidal Israel.
UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, and U.S. Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken recently held a joint conference discussing at length the destruction that Russia is causing, as well as the desperate need to achieve a two-state solution in Palestine.
Immediately following the meeting, sanctions were imposed on Iran for supposedly supplying Russia with ballistic missiles for use in Ukraine. This included restrictions on Iran Air’s flights to the UK and Europe, travel bans and asset freezes on certain Iranian officials who are accused of assisting Russia’s military.
But when it came to Israel (which is committing an actual genocide right now) there was nothing.
The level of hypocrisy is outrageous. How do these two individuals express this deep level of care, concern and support for the Ukrainian people but not have the same feeling for the Palestinians being brutally massacred in Gaza?
Their concerns for Ukraine are justified, but how do they switch their moral conscience on and off for different groups of people? What is it that flips the switch? Surely both groups of innocent people deserve the same level of care and compassion? They are all human after all.
What’s more, sanctions have been imposed on Iran for supplying ballistic missiles to Russia even though Iran is not directly firing those missiles themselves. How is it then that the U.S. and UK continue business as usual with Israel (aside from some recent minor restrictions) which is the actual perpetrator of the genocide in Gaza?
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The Russian-Ukraine war started in February 2022 and has seen 11,520 civilians killed, whilst the Israel–Gaza war started in October 2023 and has already seen 41,712 killed (probably a huge underestimate).
So it would be assumed that the higher civilian death toll in the shorter space of time would receive more assistance from the international community. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Why is this the case? Is a Ukrainian life more valuable than a Palestinian one? Is it the difference in skin colour, nation or language that sets them apart and makes them more worthy of assistance?
The fact of the matter is Palestinians have undergone a process of “otherisation” for decades now and even more so since October 7th. They have been falsely portrayed by the mainstream media as barbaric individuals, as terrorists and rapists. Therefore, it is only natural for the common laymen to feel less empathy towards them.
This is how the West keeps up this double-standard. However, we cannot stay silent when such hypocrisy exists amongst us, especially when we know that the media has spewed blatant lies about Palestinians to serve its own agenda.
Given the West’s practical action against Russia, Moscow and its allies may think twice about their next move but no such pressure is exerted on the Israelis.
Nearly a year has passed since the genocide began and very little has been done. This has been disappointing, to say the least, when the likes of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan and others who have the ability to do something, but have stood by and done absolutely nothing for the Palestinians.
Its seems the non-Muslim nations, which have no ally other than themselves, have the strength to stand up for what they believe is right when it suits them. What then is the excuse for the Muslim countries who have Allah on their side and as a source of strength?
Perhaps these Muslim countries have lost sight that Allah SWT will assist them if only they would stand for justice, and they should have no fear of the consequences. Allah alone is the source of all strength and protection.
“O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allāh, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allāh is more worthy of both.” Quran 4:135
