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It is saddening to see, amid the ongoing war and destruction in Gaza, a tendency among certain people to take on a narrow dimension of the genocide that meets their ideological worldview.
These people seem to lack an understanding of the severity and cruelty of suffering of the common people in such situations.
In this context, we can see a game of partisanship among politicians and unscrupulous individuals on social media. Some respond from underlying communal prejudices that have sunk into their minds, with statements such as the Palestinians are troublemakers that even the Arab world will not accept.
Some go on distorting religious texts, claiming that modern Israel has every right to Palestinian lands. Or they blame Hamas for starting a conflict when the issues related to the occupation and blockade of Palestine precede Hamas.
What is obvious is that while starvation and disastrous bombardment are a reality in Gaza, certain politicians and ideologues in the realm of public opinion and social media lack empathy and compassion.
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They instrumentalise conflict on a partisan basis, leaving little or no space for empathy and compassion for the common people in their hearts.
What about human dignity?
The Palestinian people and the Israeli hostages are people with human dignity. They need peaceful conditions on the ground to ensure humanitarian aid reaches them efficiently and effectively.
We need to place ourselves in the shoes of the families in Gaza to understand the severity of the ongoing suffering. Children have become orphans, and parents stand helpless, unable to feed their children.
Recently, I watched Tucker Carlson, the American conservative commentator, who interviewed an army veteran called Anthony Angular.
He narrated a touching incident of how a young Palestinian boy called Amir was murdered by the Israeli army while seeking food in sites controlled by the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – presided over by Israel and the United States.
In the context of starvation, there was no water provided to thousands of Palestinians who walked seven to eight kilometres seeking food.
The US army veteran said the little boy, who looked thin and weak because of illness or lack of food, kissed his hand in gratitude upon receiving food aid, and in a short time, was killed by the Israeli army as he exited the area.
Such brutality transcends political leanings and should have brought an effective form of action by the international community.
It is not enough to declare a Palestinian state. There is a need to stop the carnage through effective political and economic action. This could be done with empathy and compassion in the hearts of global political elites. – Malaysiakini
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Ronald Benjamin, an Aliran member, is a human resources practitioner based in Ipoh. He is currently secretary of the Association for Community and Dialogue (Pertubuhan Kebajikan, Komunity dan Dialog).