THE situation no longer accepts compliments or sweet talk. What is happening in Gaza is beyond description. Holding Israel responsible is the reality, because it fundamentally rejected all Arab initiatives to end the ongoing tragedy that started in 1947. On the other hand, the truth must be told. Palestinian organizations have deviated from their primary goal and resorted to a corrupt method in championing their cause. Sometimes, they blackmail Arab countries, at other times they resort to terrorism; including hijacking planes, bombings and assassinations around the world. This has prompted some people to refrain from supporting the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

Today, with Israel’s insistence on completing the invasion of Rafah -- the last safe area for the people of Gaza, the support of the West and Europe for it, and the unconditional American support for this operation; it is necessary to ask: Did the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ operation achieve its goals? Is this the objective of Hamas leaders in Gaza? Indeed, Tel Aviv must be held accountable for all the crimes, but what about those responsible for the October 7 escapade?

Does putting the issue before the global public opinion require the killing of about 36,000 innocent people; injuring more than 78,000; destroying the entire Gaza Strip; causing famine to its people and damaging the economic structure, while losses have now amounted to more than $19 billion?

Without a doubt, what is happening in Gaza is the second ‘Nakba’. It is more horrific than the first ‘Nakba’ in 1948. Indeed, what the Palestinian people lost in 75 years is not equivalent to what has been happening in the past 215 days and counting. Thus, we must ask Yahya Al-Sinwar, Muhammad Al-Deif and other leaders of Hamas and the rest of the factions: How long will your selfishness blind you from reality? Is it possible that implementing your regional employer’s project is more important than your family?

These questions are also for all the ‘remote-controlled’ militias -- the Iraqi sectarian factions, the Lebanese ‘Hezbollah’’, the Houthis and others -- that have caused all the tragedies for 44 years in response to the corrupt principle of ‘exporting the revolution’, which brought calamities to the Arab world. Today, the leaders of ‘Hamas’, ‘Jihad’ and the rest of the absurd militias are crying out for help from the Arab and Islamic worlds. They are threatening to keep on blackmailing their leaders. Sometimes they accuse them of reactionism, and at other times of Zionism, while the only Zionists are those who serve the Israeli plan by fragmenting the Arab nations through sectarianism, strife and terrorism. The leaders of such factions have not realized that the real ‘killing’ of Israel is through peace treaties, and stressing that its idea that the Arabs would throw the Jews into the sea is not true.

Therefore, it is necessary to reach a two-State solution, in accordance with the Saudi initiative approved at the Beirut Summit, as it is the basis for everyone to get out of the impasse. The existence of one legitimate Palestinian government, not two authorities -- one in Ramallah and the other in Gaza -- will end the suffering of the Palestinian people. This will direct the compass towards self-determination and global recognition of the State. Consequently, there must be a single national authority that manages the Palestinian issue.

It is sufficient for the Arabs to submit to these organizations run by rogue states. The tragedy has become open to all possibilities. There is no longer a way out of the terrible hell except by making all Arabs face their responsibility regarding the absurd practices of militia leaders who were raised on blackmail, and accumulated wealth at the expense of the blood of innocent Palestinians and the rest of the countries that these organizations have entered only to wreak havoc there. Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran: “… and Satan has made their deeds pleasing to them and averted them from the right way, so they have guidance.”

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times
[email protected]