More than three months into the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, there is an unprecedented surge in global interest among writers and intellectuals for the Palestinian cause.
Writers speaking to Al Jazeera Net have shared their views on the ongoing situation in Gaza, where they condemned the continued brutal Israeli campaign against the Gaza Strip amid Arab silence and international complicity, describing it as a "genocide" carried out by the Israeli occupation against civilians.
"Palestine for the Palestinians as England is for the English"
Indian Professor Abdul Ghaffar El-Haddawi Kunnathody, a professor in the Arabic language department at the Government College affiliated with the University of Kerala, India, described the news and scenes coming from the land of Gaza as "horrifying and troubling to anyone who believes in humanity."
El-Haddawi pointed to the astonishing silence from international organizations and countries regarding Israel's ongoing violations of international laws in the occupied Palestinian territories. Speaking about "Operation Al-Aqsa Floodgates," El-Haddawi said, "The attacks carried out by the Islamic Resistance Movement [Hamas] against Israel were not surprising as the media describes, but rather expected reactions to the suffering of the Palestinian people from Israeli assaults on their land for many decades."
Dr. Abdul Ghaffar El-Haddawi Kunnathody (Al Jazeera)
Regarding the international stance on Israeli crimes in the Gaza Strip, the Indian professor believes that "the global powers' efforts to sanctify the Israeli occupation and justify its assaults on the Palestinian people continue, with the Palestinian resistance being defamed and condemned."
El-Haddawi spoke to Al Jazeera Net about India's support for the Palestinian cause, stating, "India's history is rooted in its ongoing support for Palestine and its people, with a wide segment of the Indian populace deeply empathizing with the Palestinians."
He reminded that India's spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi sincerely expressed his solidarity with the Palestinian people, famously stating, "Palestine for the Palestinians as England is for the English."
Discussing the current Indian popular and official stance on the events in Gaza, Professor El-Haddawi says, "In the present circumstances, despite the Indian Prime Minister's statements leaning towards Israel, the majority of the Indian people maintain their position in supporting the Palestinians and praying for their security and peace on their land."
An Ongoing Catastrophe
Syrian writer Abdul Rahman Matar, based in Canada, says, "Since its establishment, through the catastrophe of 1967, Israel is currently attempting mass displacement in the Gaza Strip, amidst complete destruction of the infrastructure of the Palestinian local communities, making life impossible under such inhospitable conditions."
He asserts that "such arbitrary measures will not achieve their goals because the Palestinian citizen, despite these harsh conditions, remains steadfast to their land." In his talk with Al Jazeera Net, he elaborated, "Each time the Palestinian phoenix rises from the ashes of fires, from under the houses turned into rubble by the Israeli war machine."
Matar expressed his deep belief that "the Palestinian cause cannot die regardless of how long the oppression and occupation last; it is bound to end."
Syrian writer Abdul Rahman Matar (Al Jazeera)
Regarding the general Western and especially American stance, the vice-president of the Syrian Writers' Association comments, "We are used to biased positions in favor of Israel, especially from the three Western countries: Britain, France, and Germany, in addition to the United States," which "is not just regrettable but also a considerable disgrace."
Addressing the role of Arab intellectuals in this period of Palestinian struggle, Matar criticizes certain Arab voices promoting Zionist propaganda, saying, "It is striking to hear out-of-step voices from some Arab intellectuals, specifically Francophone, who sided with the killers and supported Israel, for reasons relating to their relationships with major cultural institutions or in hopes of gaining recognition or status they aspire to. Whatever the reasons, this is a disgrace that will stick to them and diminish their cultural stature."
Blood and Tears
Syrian publisher and translator Sameh Khalf, living in Sweden, states that what is happening today in Gaza, after "Operation Al-Aqsa Floodgates," is "a new peak in the Palestinian tragedy, a tragedy of blood, tears, and resilience, and a clinging to land and rights."
He emphasizes, "This is a decisive moment in the course of the Palestinian issue, which the world has turned its back on, showing no concern for the actions of the occupation with the Palestinians."
Publisher and translator Sameh Khalf (Al Jazeera)
Khalf points out in his talk with Al Jazeera Net, "The world closes its eyes and blocks its ears to the Israeli army's hunting of Palestinians and shooting at them in the streets and checkpoints," explaining, "As if the matter is simply a daily routine practice unrelated to the lives of flesh-and-blood humans that doesn't deserve condemnation."
Concerning attempts to break the Palestinians' will, Khalf asserts, "The occupation will not achieve its long-standing renewed dream of finally eradicating the Palestinian issue. The outcome will not be the death of the cause but rather its revival, bringing it back into the global conscience."
Khalf explains that in Sweden, a country known for its cold climate and reserved inhabitants, more than 150 cultural figures have signed a petition demanding an end to "the unbearable violence and ending the siege on food, medicine, and water, as well as protecting the civilian population in Gaza."
"The West is Israel's Partner"
Arab writer and poet Badr Al-Swaiti, residing in Germany and director of Dar Al-Daraweesh for Publishing and Translation in Bulgaria, says, "What is happening in Palestine is not a product of today or the moment, but destruction, exclusion, and killing spanning over 70 years."
Al-Swaiti indicates that this signifies "an overwhelming public renaissance in awareness of the Palestinian cause and its necessity to endure."
Speaking about the general Western stance on the Gaza events, publisher Badr Al-Swaiti tells Al Jazeera that "the West has been complicit in the crimes of the Zionist entity since its inception to this day," adding, "They scream in secret and public; the West cannot be relied upon to support just humanitarian causes."
Al-Swaiti calls on Arab intellectuals to support the Palestinian cause and play an authentic role without equivocation or circumvention, "as is the case with Western intellectuals who support the Israeli aggression against our people in occupied Palestine."
