The indiscriminate bloodbath and wounding of protesting Palestinians at the Gaza border, perpetrated by the Israeli defence forces on May 14, 2018, was the deadliest incident since 2014 in the Israel-Palestine conflict. At least 60 Palestinians were killed and more than 2,700 were wounded by live Israeli firearms.
The catastrophic incident took place as Israel was celebrating the 70th anniversary of its founding. The US President Donald Trump also relocated the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on the same day. Guardian columnist Jonathan Steele has aptly commented: "Choosing to move the US embassy to Jerusalem on the very day Israelis marked their state's anniversary while Palestinians mourned their Nakba ('catastrophe') showed insensitivity at best. At worst it was a deliberate provocation, denying to the Palestinians all pretence of US even-handedness."
The US decision of relocating their embassy to Jerusalem infuriated and enraged the nationalistic Palestinians and thousands of them - men, women and children - launched a non-violent 'March of Return' programme.
The Israeli government alleged that Hamas was behind these protest marches, rallies, and confrontations, aggravating violence. It emphasised that Israel is a sovereign nation and has the right to determine its own course of action. The US administration also blamed Hamas for the tragedy. The Deputy White House Press Secretary Raj Shah said, "Israel has the right to defend itself."
On the other hand, the Palestinian groups who organised the weeks-long demonstrations and protests underlined their right to safe and dignified return to their ancestral homeland, now occupied by Israel. It is a non-negotiable right, a bedrock of the Palestinian struggle. The Palestinians, who were illegally driven out of their land and made refugees in 1948 as well as in 1967, have an inalienable right to return to their homeland along with their descendants.
The UN Security Council (UNSC) held an emergency meeting following the Gaza border carnage. But failed to address and resolve the issue due to the US veto. Earlier, the UNSC released a draft expressing disappointment at the draconian measures applied by Israel against peaceful Palestinian protesters. It said, "The Security Council expresses its outrage and sorrow at the killing of Palestinian civilians exercising their right to peaceful protest", and called for "an independent and transparent investigation into these actions to ensure accountability."
The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) held an extraordinary session in Geneva on 18 May 18. Twenty-nine countries prodigiously voted to immediately set up an "independent, international commission of inquiry" to look into violations of international humanitarian law at Gaza. Notably, only two countries - the USA and Australia voted against the resolution and 14 others abstained, which condemned "the disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force by the Israeli occupying forces against Palestinians civilians."
Earlier, a good number of US allies in the Middle East and Europe strongly criticised Trump's decision over the US embassy relocation and his unilateral decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. This has shattered the international consensus and hope for a two-state solution.
However, the Trump administration stubbornly defended its official embassy relocation act. It also refused to condemn Israel's disproportionate use of military force to disperse the Palestinian protesters.
President Trump's unilateral move as well as Israel's heavy-handed military response angered a majority of the global actors. The indiscriminate killings and massacre at the Gaza border by the Israeli military produced worldwide protests.
The strongest critics were Britain and France - two major allies and security partners of the USA. Both expressed resentments and condemned the move in strongest terms. The British Prime Minister Theresa May stated, "We disagree with the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement."
The British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson asserted, "There has got to be restraints in the use of live rounds". He added, "The UK position is that we don't agree with the US decision to move the embassy and we continue to believe that it is playing the wrong card at the wrong time."
The French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean Yves Le Drian insisted that Israel should respect the Palestinian right to demonstrate peacefully. He added, "France disapproves of the American decision to transfer the United States embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem" as it "contravenes international law."
The Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull declared that Australia has no intent to move its embassy to Jerusalem. Turnbull said, "We have taken the view, as indeed most countries have, that it's more conducive to the peace process to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv."
Notably, many invited diplomats representing Western nations did not attend the US Embassy's inauguration ceremony in Jerusalem.
The Arab League identified the embassy transfer as a "blatant attack on the feelings of Arabs and Muslims" and a "grave violation of the rules of international law." Also, thousands marched in Jordan and Egypt protesting and condemning Israel and the USA. The Israeli atrocity and shifting of the US embassy to Jerusalem have apparently isolated both Israel and the USA.
These developments have also exacerbated moral predicaments of the Israelis. For example, the influential Israeli newspaper Haaretz questioned: "Should we not ask what responsibility we bear for creating conditions in which so many young Gazans are willing to throw their lives away for so little?" Highlighting the issue, the Haaretz concluded, "Monday's events - the US embassy opening and the bloody day at the Gaza border - should pose painful and profound questions to those Jews and Israelis who still care about the morality of our actions."
In sum, the resilient Palestinians are undefeated as Israel celebrates its 70th founding anniversary. The critical question is: Can Israel live as a Jewish apartheid state and claim its legitimacy as a democracy? Or, can the unflagging US support be sustainably maintained for an apartheid-based Jewish state?
If not, perhaps the Israelis should come to terms with their moral dilemmas, grant the Palestinians their democratic rights as equal citizens and accept the two-state solution and help restore peace in the ancient sacred land.
Dr. Kamal Uddin Ahmed is a former Professor and Chairman, Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka.
