While Israel kills Palestinian civilians with seeming impunity in Gaza – and a leading Israeli human rights group claims that war crimes are likely to have taken place – a Palestinian in Gaza worries that such behaviour is the shape of things to come:
The present subjugation of Palestinians to siege, poverty and confinement – in addition to continuing Israeli military attacks – can only make it easier for our people to slip into infighting and tragedy. Both the international community and peace-loving Israelis and Palestinians will inevitably face ever more criticism for their failure to stem this tide of misery. Even to those who never supported Hamas, it is impossible to ignore such a huge double standard: the outside world accepts Lieberman’s appointment as deputy prime minister, despite his extreme views, while it boycotts the Palestinian Authority’s elected Hamas administration.
The world will start to take notice when it realises a fascist is Deputy Leader of Israel. Avigdor Lieberman represents the real Zionist agenda, namely the expulsion of all Arabs from Israel. In some ways, his elevation is a positive development. The established Jewish community remains silent, of course, incapable of even expressing disagreement with his appointment out of supposed loyalty to the Jewish state. Sadly for them, international calls for a boycott against Israel will grow, and rightly so.
What will it take for Israel to change its ways? Large-scale international pressure, boycotts and isolation. It worked in apartheid South Africa after many decades, and it will work again.