Israel’s recent actions in Gaza amounted to war crimes given the scale and intensity of the damage inflicted on the people in the region, according to Ambassador MK Bhadrakumar. He was delivering a Web-Lecture on “The Palestine Question and West Asian Politics” organised by the Vakkom Moulavi Memorial and Research Centre (VMMRC) in association with the Institute for Global South Studies and Research (IGSSR).
Amb. Bhadrakumar said that all that happened in the 11-day episode in West Asia has exposed many things. There is now an international recognition that Israel has been practicing apartheid in the Palestinian territory and the global public opinion has become increasingly critical of Israel for its role in the conflict. There is also a demographic shift within Israel with the recent inter-communal riots which do not augur well. The Palestine question has now come to the centre-stage of West Asian politics with more room for negotiations.
According to Amba. Bhadrakumar, West Asian has been the fulcrum of the world order for more than a century and the US continues to play its critical role in the region. Though there are talks about a US retrenchment from the region, it is quite inconceivable in the short-term or even in the medium term. Even if the US is no longer dependent on West Asia for fossil fuel, it is still to calibrate its crude oil market and ensure stability in the price of the oil. That’s why the US is keeping its evil eyes on the OPEC Plus.
Dr Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu, who chaired the session, said that the recent conflict has underlined the fact that Jerusalem remains the core of the Israel-Palestine conflict and sidestepping the Palestine question in any negotiation or accords will not ensure peace in the region. Moreover, the latest conflict has shown that the Palestinian people are united on the question of liberation notwithstanding the internal divisions between Fatah and Hamas who control the West Bank and Gaza. The fact that the emerging international public opinion in support of Palestinians in the Western countries, which traditionally supported Israel, could be a signal that Israel has come under increasing pressure to come to terms with the realities in West Asia.
Dr K.M. Seethi, Honorary Chairman of the IGSSR welcomed and Dr. Shahina Javad of VMMRC proposed a vote of thanks.
