The peace deal announced over Gaza may bring short term relief to the starving Palestinian people but no one should be fooled that this is anything approaching a just or lasting peace. Rushed through to enable Trump’s egotistical desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize, it takes any agency away from ordinary Palestinians and places it in the hands of a bunch of self-appointed administrators who will run Gaza. Incredibly, a key player will be the totally discredited Tony Blair, who presided along with George Bush over an invasion and occupation of Iraq which claimed over one million lives.
While we can all welcome an end to the immediate bombardment and military attacks in Gaza, there is every reason to continue to demonstrate on Saturday, which promises to be one of our largest protests ever. Even if the deal sticks – and already Israel’s far right are saying they will vote against it – it is not about freedom for Palestine. It will not result in prosecution for those responsible for genocide – far from it. It will not right the many injustices begun with the Nakba in 1948.
Staying on the streets is the best way to continue to fight for an end to the apartheid state, to the genocide and brutality, and to the lack of democracy which gives Palestinians no real voice. The peace deal is a continuation of the brutal imperial carve up in the Middle East. It has been agreed by the Gulf States and Egypt, brokered by the US president who is waging war on his own people, and rubber stamped by European powers desperate to halt the growing movement for Palestine solidarity which is bringing ever greater numbers onto the streets.
Blair’s involvement will ensure western investment which will benefit the investors not the people of Palestine. While talk of the Gaza riviera has been muted of late, Trump and Blair want to rebuild the shattered Gaza in their own image. Alongside this, the Palestinian people will be denied any democratic accountability or the right to elect their own representatives.
If this looks like a colonial carve up, that’s because it is. The western powers have repeatedly backed Israel over the past two years, minimising the atrocities, breaches of international law, and growing accusations of genocide. Now they are desperate to end the war. Trump reportedly told Netanyahu “Israel cannot fight the world, Bibi.” While even the first phase of the deal may be unpalatable to Israel’s right, the later phases may well prove unworkable. There is no instance historically of the west seriously opposing Israel on any long term issue, and we shouldn’t expect it now.
The apartheid state will continue, oppression will continue, illegal settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem will continue. Arms sales to Israel will continue as will its impunity internationally. So, while a ceasefire is a first step, justice and freedom for the Palestinians remains our goal. Which is why Saturday is such an important demo and why everyone who can should be there. And we must build on it for much greater action – including a day when we walk out of school, college and work to show our solidarity with the people of Palestine.
