Ehud Olmert, former Israeli Prime Minister (2006–2009), wrote in an article published in Haaretz, “What we are doing in Gaza is a war of destruction, indiscriminate killing, and crimes against civilians, all carried out as a result of a government policy dictated by malice, and a lack of sense of responsibility. Yes, we are committing ‘war crimes.’
How can Netanyahu openly say that Gaza must be starved and that two million people should be deprived of basic human needs? Yes, there are ‘terrorists’, and we must fight them, but what the government is doing is not a war on Hamas. Rather, it increasingly looks like a political war waged by a prime minister and a group of thugs representing the Israeli government.”
Israeli Jewish historian and intellectual Ilan Pappe asked, “Why do intellectuals become fools when they defend Israel? It is surprising to see senior academics, politicians, and journalists continue to support the current Israeli government. These are highly educated, knowledgeable people on virtually every global issue, and we respect their expertise and perspectives. Yet, when it comes to Israel, we are forced to ask - How can some of the most capable and informed among them be so blind as to uncritically echo the Israeli narrative, without criticism or questioning, despite the critical thinking they apply elsewhere? This phenomenon demands serious investigation. We call it moral stupidity. It is unbelievable and utterly foolish. “The Germans are particularly notable in this regard. I don’t know if anyone has truly engaged with German intellectuals about why they still back Israel. It is deeply embarrassing and calls for careful analysis and understanding. It’s as if they are willing to humiliate themselves while believing they are intellectuals, researchers, and journalists, yet they choose to appease a state that commits daily aggression against other people.”
In a powerful speech to the Security Council about the situation in Gaza, American trauma surgeon Dr. Feroz Sidhwa shared his firsthand experience witnessing the severe impact on Gaza’s healthcare system during his medical missions to Khan Yunis. He said, “I am not here as a policymaker, but as a doctor who has seen the destruction of healthcare infrastructure, the targeting of medical personnel, and the suffering of an entire community.” Dr. Sidhwa described performing surgeries under extremely difficult conditions, including operating on unsanitary floors without adequate anesthesia, and treating children suffering from preventable conditions due to restricted access to medical supplies. He also recounted caring for pregnant women with severe injuries.
Dr. Sidhwa revealed that 83 percent of American medical personnel in Gaza reported treating children with gunshot wounds to the head or chest. “This is not a failure of the system. It has been systematically dismantled through violations of international law,” he stated. He also condemned the man-made famine that is now claiming more civilian lives than the bombs. His testimony culminated in the March 18 mass casualty incident at Nasser Hospital, where 221 wounded had arrived one morning. Ninety of them were found dead on arrival, nearly half of them children, killed by an assault overwhelming any besieged healthcare system. Parents identified their children’s remains by their clothing. Highlighting the psychological toll of the conflict, he said, “Nearly half of Gaza’s children are now suicidal, some asking, ‘Why didn’t I die with my family?’” Dr. Sidhwa appealed to the Security Council to implement seven urgent measures, including an arms embargo, condemning their inaction as “evidence of the collapse of the global conscience” while Gaza’s last doctors and a generation of Palestinians face annihilation. He concluded his testimony with a powerful statement - “You cannot claim ignorance when children no longer want to live.” And yet, after all this, a controversial Kuwaiti writer called on Palestinians to surrender ... to their fate.
By Ahmad alsarraf
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