Note to the Arab leaders: your silence is louder than the bombs

The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross criticised the international community recently for its moral failure in addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis and bombardment of Gaza. Mirjana Spoljaric’s statement echoed the sentiments of UN Secretary-General António Guterres who, in May 2021, declared, “If there is a hell on earth, it is the lives of children in Gaza.” Now fast forward to 21 December, 2023, which marks the 76th day of the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.

A joint statement by 48 human rights organisations from eight Arab countries, written in October, highlighted the international and Arab failure to prevent the annihilation of the Palestinian people. Hence, this note to the Arab leaders, whose silence is louder than the bombs.

The League of Arab States, in particular, has failed to address the blockade of Gaza and Israel’s use of starvation as a method of warfare, constituting a war crime and crime against humanity. Despite issuing a weak resolution on 11 October, the Arab League has not presented a unified Arab stance on the war crimes, including the deliberate starvation of Palestinians in Gaza. It has yet to take any initiative to issue a UN resolution or recommendation for a ceasefire, or even open humanitarian relief corridors. Moreover, the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah has devolved into a tool of the occupation, lacking legitimacy and restricting rights and freedoms in the occupied West Bank.

To the leadership of the Palestinian Authority I say this: you have forsaken your own people. Shame on you.

As the bombs continue to fall, and the cries of children resonate through the shattered streets of Gaza, a pressing question remains: why is there this deafening silence from Arab leaders? In the face of the harrowing plight of the Palestinians, the absence of any outcry from those who could effect change is disheartening. Do political expediency and power outweigh the legitimate cause of the Palestinian people? Are these interests more valuable than their lives, dignity and humanity?

The Palestinians find themselves surrounded by adversaries indifferent to human life and moral integrity. As the world watches their relentless suffering — the genocide is playing out in real time on social media — a chilling question emerges: who is next in line to be abandoned when they are in desperate need?

READ: Spain calls on Europe to speak ‘clearly’ on Gaza to stop human suffering

It is crucial to contemplate the repercussions of aligning oneself with entities devoid of compassion, and lacking in moral, ethical and humanitarian principles. Today, it’s the Palestinians; tomorrow, it could be anyone no longer serving the interests of the US, the Zionist settler-colonialist project, or the West. Let the struggle of the Palestinian people serve as a cautionary tale to the Arab world; a testament to the cost of silence and inaction.

As the genocide unfolds, and the number of children and women killed increases, Arab leaders must let the weight of their silence rest heavily on their individual and collective conscience. It’s time to transcend political calculations and stand up for humanity. The echoes of anguished cries will linger as haunting reminders of the duty they have chosen to neglect. The people will not forget this inaction, and if democratic elections are ever permitted, their days in power are numbered.

The criminal occupation by Israel has inflicted decades of immeasurable pain on Palestine and its people, and the situation cannot be resolved by a ceasefire alone. The Palestinian people’s only “crime” is their refusal to accept Israel’s brutal military occupation. The apartheid state’s ability to act with impunity must end. Silence in the face of so many victims and so much destruction is unacceptable. There can be no neutrality; to claim otherwise is to stand with the oppressors. Violence and hatred against innocent Palestinian civilians, witnessed by the whole world, defy the terms of the UN Charter. If human rights do not apply to Palestinians, then they apply to nobody.

Inaction, silence and moral failure will have repercussions. The world is sending a very troubling message to future generations.

OPINION: Israel is conducting its own ‘Final Solution’ in Gaza

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.