Even prior to the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, Israel was occupying the Palestinian territory and committing heinous crimes under international law. Consequently, between 1987 and 2005, there were two significant Intifadas (attempts to overthrow the Israeli occupation), both of which were brutally put down. The third is still in progress. The West- and Israel-controlled international media not only accepts this as normal, but also uses false information to justify it. Journalists who seek to report the truth are fired because they are perceived as being pro-Palestinian. But since October 7th, a few things have evolved. One, it was impossible to overlook the savagery of the Israeli response. Two, the Palestinians have done their study and have masterfully responded to Israeli and Western lies on social media over time. Three, Al Jazeera provides constant coverage of the conflict. Fourth, millions of people have protested against the pro-Israeli policies of their own governments and in support of the Palestinian resistance, especially Hamas.
The social media response has encompassed not only the Palestinian cause but also the atrocities of the US-initiated wars against Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. Information has also been displayed that includes pictures of the torture rooms that the people of these nations had to undergo both during and after the conflicts. Commentators and anchors also note that, in all three cases, the US and its allies were unable to accomplish their political goals, unless those goals were to physically demolish housing and civil infrastructure, leaving behind hundreds of thousands of crippled and orphaned children, as well as a great deal of antipathy toward the West. An American soldier who self-immolated in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington to protest the murder of the Palestinian people acknowledged the suffering it has caused to Western citizens as well.
Additionally, social media and Arab media have helped to foster better understanding between young people in the West and Arab and Muslim communities. Words that had no meaning before, like “Nakba,” which refers to the 1948 tragedy, and “Intifada,” which refers to an uprising, now have one. Numerous films have also been made about the great Arab thinkers who established the groundwork for modern Western civilization, as well as for Islamic and Arabic civilizations.
There have also been screenings and discussions on Palestinian poetry, art, dance, architecture, and literature. This has lessened the impact of decades of Western and Israeli propaganda portraying Arabs and Muslims as subhuman and inferior people who should be feared and repressed. The duplicity and deceit of Western media reporting on regional and international matters have also been made clear by Al Jazeera and social media. It is improbable that the Western media’s credibility will ever fully recover.
Propaganda against Muslims and Arabs for years has been muted.
The Abrahamic religions and their connections have also been extensively explored. It has been stated that the father of the Arabs is Hazrat Ismail, son of Hazrat Ibrahim, while the father of the Jewish people is Hazrat Ishaq, son of Hazrat Ibrahim. Common customs and the significance of purportedly common religious venues have also been hotly debated topics.
The world has learned a lot about the conditions in which we live, causing dread and concern, thanks to the current economic interdependence between the Middle East’s resources and future plans for their exploitation by Israel and its supporters to build regional Israeli supremacy and US hegemony. It is improbable that world politics will ever return to its previous state after realizing this.
The only group that has actively assisted the Palestinians is the Houthis of Yemen. Yemeni control exists over the Bab al-Mandab strait, which is traversed by the global telecommunication network. Furthermore, the strait is the conduit for 12 to 15 percent of all international trade. The Houthis have threatened to cut down this communication network from the outside world, which would disable internet activity, in addition to attacking cargo ships that travel to and from Israel.
Most members of the UN General Assembly are in favor of a ceasefire in Palestine, with the exception of the US and its allies. But every resolution that asks Israel to enact one is vetoed by the US. There are now two camps in the world: those who back the US position and those who support the Palestinian cause.
Pakistan’s strategic location means that it will be dragged into a bigger confrontation, which some predict would involve proxies of China and Russia. However, it would be difficult for its foreign policy to strike a balance given its reliance on the US for financial support and its strategic partnership with China.