The latest statements by US President Donald Trump who asked for the cancellation of the ceasefire in Gaza caused indignation through the Middle East and beyond. Although some analysts claim that he will not continue his threat, he gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the support he needed to upset the agreement and restart war.
The declarations occurred after the American president insisted on several occasions so that he “cleans” Gaza and the “possesses”. These remarks – although minimized by some – also served to encourage the Israeli government to violate the cease -fire agreement, which has announced the suspension of the exchange of captives.
By calling for the end of the ceasefire and the ethnic cleaning of Gaza, Trump again takes Israeli positions and reconditions them like hers. Although this is not a new practice in American diplomacy, Trump has brought it to a whole new level, presenting war, ethnic cleaning and annexation not in the context of the problem but part of “the solution ».
Whether he intends to implement his plan or not, his rhetorical approval of what certainly constitutes an international crime should be a reason for global concern. The standardization of these crimes is extremely dangerous.
However, it should also be recognized that the basis of the change in Trump policy was laid down by previous American administrations and other Western governments which, for decades, have engaged in a flagrant double standard with regard to systematic violations of ‘Israel of international law.
The United States and other close friends of Israel, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada and Australia, had two options from Israel: either for Keep responsible under international law, either to grant their immunity and in this way, threatens the very principle of a multilateral order based on international rules. They widely opted for the second option.
This double Western standard convinced Israel that it is positioned above any standard of international law and responsibility requirements. Consequently, violations of Palestinian rights have not stopped since the 1948 Nakba.
For decades, successive Israeli governments have engaged in colonization, siege, collective punishment, mass detention, torture, demolitions at home and forced displacement against the Palestinian people. All this has been largely tolerated and did not affect economic or political relations with the Western world.
The direct consequence of the West refusing to impose red lines on the Israeli aggression is that the Israeli army was able to carry out a genocide in Gaza for 15 months without being disrupted. And even when the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Western countries have directly or indirectly indicated that they were going to inform their obligations under the status of Rome to arrest it. Last week, France, Italy and Greece granted Netanyahu’s plane through their airspace on its way to and from Washington, DC.
This Western indulgence gave Netanyahu a free hand to extend the genocide in Gaza and regional destabilization.
But it is not only a question of his far -right government: the whole Zionist political spectrum is opposed to the implementation of Palestinian law to self -determination, whether in the context of a single solution of state solution Democratic or the solution to two states, as reaffirmed by the Knesset in July with an almost unanimous vote opposing the recognition of the State of Palestine.
The denial of Israel from Palestinian law to self -determination, tolerated by the West, means that the next logical steps can only be ethnic cleaning and annexation. The Israeli government’s decision to launch a brutal campaign in the occupied West Bank after the conclusion of a cease-fire in Gaza was a clear indication of this path.
Now, Trump’s statements have only made Israel to continue his crimes in Gaza and develop them in the West Bank. We are likely to see not only the resumption of genocidal violence in Gaza, but also concrete steps to carry out an ethnic cleaning in the West Bank and annex large areas, including the Jordan Valley. More than 40,000 Palestinians have already been moved by Jenin and Tulkarem – a criminal act encountered international silence.
Although Trump approval of Israeli plans for occupied Palestine is celebrated in Israel, it explains a disaster for the rest of the region. In particular, he goes against the basic principles of national security of two close American allies, Jordan and Egypt, who have already clearly indicated their outright rejection of the Trump ethnic cleaning plan.
Jordan and Egypt will have to reassess their regional strategies, especially after Trump threatened them with aid to cut. Cairo, for example, can be forced to reconsider the Camp David Accords which he concluded with Israel in 1979.
With his statements, Trump could try to put pressure on Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for the prevention of ethnic cleaning of Gaza. Netanyahu also jumped on the train and went so far as to suggest forcing the Palestinians to force the Saudi territory.
However, the conclusion of the Abraham agreements has already shown that standardization does not concede Israel to respect Palestinian rights. Instead, after a few Arab countries standardized relations with him in 2020, the Israeli government only hardened his positions, shattered his political commitments and continued with his annexation process. Saudi Arabia is well aware of this.
Trump’s approach to the Palestinian issue is not only aware of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, but makes fun of international law. Beyond the damage that this will make to international legal order, he threatens fragile stability in the Middle East. There must be an urgent international commitment to prevent other crimes from being committed in Palestine.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Tel Aviv Tribune.