MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, JAKARTA – The world must not look away: the situation unfolding in Palestine is a complex crime against humanity committed by Israel backed by Britain, which unilaterally established this oppressive state.
The assertion was delivered by the Vice Chairperson of the International Relations and Cooperation (LHKI) Muhammadiyah Central Board (PP Muhammadiyah), Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim in the Sudut Baca program broadcast by TVMU on Tuesday (25/11).
Britain, in the early years of Israel establishment, he explained, played a major role in the expulsion of 750.000 Gaza residents from Palestine in 1947. This event is known as the Nakbah. From that moment, various crimes against humanity have continued to occur.
“Since then, crimes have continued up to the present day. What do we mean by crimes? If we describe it, such as the forcible seizure of territorial sovereignty through occupation is a crime,” said Prof. Sudarnoto.
Beyond seizing territorial sovereignty, the crimes committed by Israel also destroy human sovereignty. Hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of lives have been lost, and this continues to this day,
From the beginning, the spirit behind Israel’s development, Sudarnoto added, has been driven by colonial ambition: seizing sovereignty, controlling territories, and simultaneously destroying human sovereignty. All of this has been carried out before the eyes of the modern world.
The motives behind Israel’s crimes are not singular. In other words, these acts are not driven solely by religious reasons but also by political, economic, cultural, and, of course, power-related motives.
“And this is supported by a major country, namely the United States, which, if I may say, shares the same imperialistic spirit,” he added.
This has not been for lack of peace efforts. According to Sudarnoto, various peace initiatives have been attempted repeatedly but often end in betrayal committed by Israel and its allies.
The frequency of these betrayals by Israel and its cohorts has caused many countries to grow pessimistic and lose trust in any peace processes Israel claims to pursue.
Given the long and complex nature of the crimes committed by Israel, Prof. Sudarnoto stated that these crimes are not merely crimes against humanity, but also political, economic, social, territorial, and religious crimes, including violations of international law. (Bintang Adrian)
