By Anadolu Agency
October 5, 2024 3:56 pm– ‘The Palestinian cause is now a central cause, a central issue in international politics, in world solidarity,” Baroud tells Anadolu
– ‘If the International Criminal Court decides to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant and others … this is going be a game changer,” says Baroud
ISTANBUL
The genocidal war in Gaza has triggered a global reassessment of the international community’s stance on the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Many countries, once aligned with Tel Aviv, are now shifting toward a more critical approach, as calls mount to hold Israel accountable for its actions in the occupied territories.
Since Oct. 7, several nations have formally recognized the state of Palestine, renewing their commitment to a two-state solution. These countries have also taken a unified stand against Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian land.
According to Palestinian American analyst Ramzy Baroud, global solidarity with the Palestinian cause has intensified dramatically amid the ongoing conflict.
“International support for Palestine and the Palestinians has increased exponentially since Oct. 7,” he told Anadolu in a video interview.
Growing solidarity
Baroud emphasizes that the solidarity movement for Palestinians did not begin on Oct. 7. Instead, it is the culmination of years of groundwork laid by grassroots organizations around the world.
“There’s been a lot of educational work, a lot of leg work that has been done before. The resistance of the Palestinian people and their steadfastness on the one hand and the degree of the criminality of Israel on the other hand kind of allowed the movement to grow in terms of numbers to reach new audiences, new platforms,” Baroud explained.
Despite efforts by Western mainstream media to, in Baroud’s view, block the Palestinian narrative and normalize Israel’s actions in Gaza, the solidarity movement has continued to expand — largely due to the power of social media.
“Ordinary people, anywhere in the world, became citizen journalists,” he said, noting that numerous influencers, each reaching different generations and demographics, have helped to spread the message.
In the early days of the war, he noted that the Israeli narrative had benefited from false claims that Palestinians had committed horrific atrocities during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7. But, according to Baroud, those initial claims eventually unraveled.
“There are so many good investigators out there, there are so many intelligent people who do not buy Israeli propaganda,” he said, adding that in contrast, the mainstream media eagerly “bought into the Israeli propaganda.”
Countries stepping forward
With over 146 nations now recognizing the state of Palestine, Baroud sees this as a pivotal moment in the global response to the conflict.
“New soldiers of truth (are) coming to the fore, telling the story without having to go through the filters of Western media and so forth that created the space for countries like Norway, Ireland, Spain and others to step forward and say, ‘We are ready to kind of make an additional move in solidarity with Palestinians’.”
Baroud compared this shift to the collapse of apartheid in South Africa, where international consensus gradually turned against the oppressive regime.
“The same thing is happening in Palestine — not fast enough for us, but these are the rules of the game.”
He added, “Everything that Israel has tried to do, which is to completely marginalize the Palestinian cause, has failed. And the Palestinian cause is now a central cause, a central issue in international politics, in world solidarity.”
The role of UN resolutions
Baroud also highlighted the significance of the UN General Assembly resolution calling for an end to the Israeli occupation within one year.
“For the first time in history, we actually have a date. Within a year of the passing of that resolution Israel must end its occupation,” he said.
While Baroud acknowledged that a UN resolution alone would not immediately change the reality on the ground, he stressed that Israel’s occupation could no longer be ignored by the international community.
“What Israel tried to do is to completely ignore that there’s such a thing as a foreign occupation.”
“So when the international community comes back and says, listen, this is null and void. The Israel, all the settlers would have to leave, all the settlements would have to dismantled … Everything that Israel has done, not just in the West Bank but also East Jerusalem and Gaza, is illegal under international law.”
Baroud emphasized that the overwhelming international support behind this resolution represents a major defeat for Israel, both politically and strategically.
Political analyst Omar Shaban echoed this sentiment, recognizing the importance of these international legal developments but expressing frustration at the lack of concrete action.
“These institutions were created to prevent genocide, but they haven’t stopped it,” Shaban said, adding that while the decisions are important, “we are totally disappointed by lack of action.”
Arrest warrants and accountability
Discussing potential arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, Baroud said that if the International Criminal Court (ICC) were to take such action, it would be a game-changer.
“If the International Criminal Court decides to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant and others … this is going to be a game changer,” Baroud explained.
Such a move, he argued, would be the first move of this nature that is “practical and binding” and would reinforce the idea that Israel is becoming a pariah state due to its repeated violations of international law.
A call for unity
Shaban, the founder of Palthink for Strategic Studies, expressed hope that the growing international support for Palestine would translate into tangible outcomes. He also urged Palestinian factions to unite in the face of Israeli aggression.
“The divide must get overcome by the Palestinian Hamas and Palestinian Authority and Fatah and all political factions must realize the urgency and the need to come together,” Shaban said, underlining the need for a “Palestinian roadmap to strengthen our position.”
For the international community, Shaban’s message was clear: “We need to stop the war. We need people who left Gaza due to the war to go back. We need the international community to intervene and to pressure Israel to stop its aggression and to withdraw.”
He concluded, “Israel is an occupying power. We are living under occupation and occupation is against all international law.
“In principle, the world knows what is needed. What the world needs is to take the decision to have the will to do what they know that they have to do.”
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