‘Occupier’. ‘Murderer of children’. These are the words Kuwait’s chief lawmaker used to aptly describe the Israeli delegation at the Inter-Parliamentary Union talks in Russia. The video of National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al Ganem lashing out at Israel for its crimes against the Palestinian population and its arrests of Palestinian lawmakers has gone viral, and highlighted once again the fact that no matter how much the Israeli regime tries to turn the world’s attention away from the central issue of the Arab world, it will not succeed. At all international forums and meetings, there will be those who will courageously call out Israel for what it is — an occupying power — and bring renewed focus on the last vestige of colonialism in our world.
Israel has always wanted to have a peaceful occupation. But from the streets of Ramallah and Hebron to the halls of international politics and diplomacy, there will be those who will ensure that it does not get a free pass.
After Ganem’s speech, the shame-faced Israeli delegation was compelled to leave the talks. What was heartening was the applause the Kuwaiti lawmaker got from the other delegations, highlighting the fact that the Palestinian cause is just, and continues to have global resonance.
If Israel doesn’t want to be embarrassed repeatedly at international events and, like Ganem said, if it has “one ounce of dignity”, then it must end this brutal occupation that has gone on for too long and caused so much suffering and humiliation to generations of Palestinians, and led to constant instability in our region.
