KARACHI: The Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) on Saturday organised a seminar where former ambassadors and academics delved into the subject of ‘Israeli Aggression in Gaza and Peace in the Middle East’.

They spoke about the double standards of the United States and observed that it was the major issue that harmed the peace in the volatile region.

PIIA chairperson Dr Masuma Hasan spoke about the present crisis in Gaza after Hamas fired 5,000 rockets at Israel on Oct 7. “Israel was bound to retaliate and has since let loose the worst kind of terror on the poor Palestinians of the narrow Gaza Strip,” she said while also pointing out that even though the West calls Hamas a terrorist organisation, it really stands for an Islamic resistance movement.

While pointing an accusing finger at the United States, former ambassador and Pakistan’s permanent representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Mustafa Kamal Kazi said that in the case of Palestine there can be no greater hypocrisy and double standards.

Western mind has never forgotten the Crusades, opines Ambassador Ghori

“The United States of America even vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution which sought not a ceasefire but just humanitarian pauses in Israel’s bombing for medicine and other essential life supporting supplies to enter Gaza,” he said.

“In my view, Washington’s three decisions after the year 2000 which directly or indirectly harmed the prospects of peace in the region are the events after the 9/11 tragedy leading to the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, President Trump’s abandonment of nuclear accord with Iran, making Iran free to raise uranium enrichment to a higher level. Therefore, raising the interest of other regional countries towards greater competitive interest in nuclear technology and the so-called Abraham Accords, which were the brainchild of amateur strategist Trump’s son-in-law, signed by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.

“But these countries were in no position to advance the cause of settlement of the Palestinian and Israeli issue. On the contrary these accords triggered Palestinian desperation that now even their Arab governments were abandoning them through American persuasion. This unity amongst the Arab countries is a factor, which dilutes their strategic and economic power potential,” he said.

“The Arab League has 22 members out of which six — Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Sudan and Somalia — have been crippled by conflicts. Sudan was even dismembered and partitioned. The Arab League was founded within an objective to develop close relations amongst the member states. But this Accord speaks for itself. Very disturbing reports have emerged during the current crisis that some Arab countries spy on the poor Palestinians and report to Israeli intelligence. This needs some soul searching,” he added.

He also spoke about American-led invasions in at least seven Muslim countries during the past 23 years, which has claimed lives of more than a million and displacement to around 37m. “It’s a clear signal to the Muslim world where they are standing in a West-dominated world where Islamophobia continues to flourish,” he said.

Joining online from Canada, Ambassador Karmatullah Ghori was of the view that the Western mind has never forgotten the lessons of the Crusades.

“When history repeats itself the first time, it is a tragedy. When history repeats itself a second time, it is a calamity,” he said.

“What is the aggression here? It is not even a war. It is a Palestinian struggle for all their fundamental rights as they have been living under Israeli oppression for the last 75 years,” he said.

About America and Europe, he said that they wanted to create a Western colony in the heart of the Arab world, which they have quite successfully as the Arabs surrounding Israel have not been of much help.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Talat Ayesha Wizarat, the former chairperson of the Department of International Relations at the University of Karachi and former head of the Center of Policy and Area Studies at the Institute of Business Management, said she feels depressed at the plight of the Palestinians.

“They are waiting for food, electricity and medical help. Israel has attacked hospitals and schools. Something has to be done very quickly,” she said.

“Everywhere the US is interested in a ceasefire but when it comes to Gaza, they are not interested in a ceasefire,” she pointed out.

As a solution, she said that perhaps all the 65 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) should tell the US that if it does not change its attitude, they are all going to break diplomatic relations with it.

“Considering the present state of fear this seems like a dream. But threatening to do this would be effective I think. If all of the OIC members do it then it will present a different scenario. So I think the Muslim countries should do it for their own good, because if they think that only Gaza is going to suffer and that is going to be the end of the story, it is not going to end there. The US has already destroyed six or seven Muslim countries in a span of 23 years. They will not stop here,” she said.

Published in Dawn, October 22th, 2023