2023-11-13 07:07:00
The world is standing in different slums on the issue of Palestine. They range from those who strongly support Israel to those who speak for Palestine in name and those who take a hard line against Israel. While the Arab countries condemn the Israeli aggression in Palestine only for the sake of the name, the hard stance of the Latin American countries ruled by left-wing parties against Israel is commendable.
Arab and Muslim nations are discussing the Israeli offensive in Gaza at a summit hosted by Saudi Arabia, 35 days after the Israeli genocide in Palestine. In addition to the 22 countries of the Arab League, countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also participated. The summit of 57 Arab and Muslim countries was described as extraordinary by the international media.
Iranian President Ibrahim Raeesi visited Saudi Arabia for the first time after re-establishing relations with Saudi Arabia. It is after 11 years that an Iranian president is visiting Saudi Arabia.
But the fact is that no strong decisions or actions were taken at the summit, which the world looked forward to with much hope. When the death toll of Palestinians passed 11,000, the summit condemned the Israeli attack and called for the world nations and the UN to come forward against Israel. The question remains whether Israel is not ready to withdraw even with the UN’s call for a cease-fire.
The steps taken by Latin American countries in the same situation can be discussed in the second part of this article.
Only Iran’s voice that the Arab countries should take tough measures against Israel stood out. The Iranian president demanded that the Arab countries declare the Israeli army as a terrorist organization and impose a boycott against Israel in the field of energy marketing.
But Al Jazeera points out that there will be no benefit without consensus among the countries that participated in the summit.
Many Arab leaders have also refused to attend the summit due to differences of opinion with the leaders at the helm of the summit. Al Jazeera criticizes that the summit was held only to show unity among Arab countries.
After the anger of the Arab people flared up in the Israeli attacks in Gaza, the Arab countries were even ready to condemn the Israeli action. Following this, the Arab foreign ministers urged the UN members to pass a resolution in the UN condemning the Israeli attack.
It can be said that interest in the Palestinians began to decrease in the Arab countries since the peace agreement Egypt signed with Israel in 1979. Three years later, when Israel invaded Lebanon, no one stopped it. Then the Palestine Liberation Organization was expelled from the country and Hamas was formed in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Many countries maintain diplomatic relations with Israel in order to gain American support in countering Iran’s policies and its influence in the Arab region. They completely forgot about Palestine when internal problems such as the Iraq-Iran conflict, Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, and the US-led Gulf wars arose.
It should also be remembered that the people of these countries were also suffering the sufferings of the Palestinians. Arab countries are blaming Iran and Hamas for the plight of Gaza in order to strengthen their partnership with Israel.
Jordan, Turkey, and Bahrain, which struck deals with Israel in 2020 with US backing, have recalled their diplomats from Israel. Countries like Kuwait, Iran and Iraq, which do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, constantly raise their voice against Israel.
But Saudi Arabia and UAE have good relations with Israel. To strengthen Israel’s relationship with Arab and Muslim countries, the UAE and Saudi Arabia spearheaded the Abraham Accords, signed by Arab countries with the support of US President Trump in 2020.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have told the White House that they remain committed to the Abraham Accords despite the current tensions.
But many Latin American countries have taken a very different stance from the Arab countries. Latin America’s left-wing countries provide Palestine with humanitarian support that transcends language, nationality, and race. Bolivia’s position was to end all diplomatic relations with Israel. Bolivia has become the first country to cut ties with Israel following the current conflict. Bolivia had severed ties with Israel in 2008, but restored them in 2020.
Chile, Colombia and Honduras recalled their ambassadors from Israel. Colombian President Gustavo Petro was one of the first leaders to criticize the Israeli attacks as ‘genocide’.
Brazil, Venezuela and Cuba, which have not established official relations with Israel, strongly condemned the Israeli attacks and called on the UN to take action. A high-profile demonstration against Israel’s brutality in Gaza caught the world’s attention by displaying around 200 corpses on Copacabana Beach in Brazil.
There are about 700,000 Palestinians in 14 countries in Latin America. Most of them are the predecessors of those who were expelled from Palestine after the Israeli invasion of 1948, known as In Chile alone there are 500,000 descendants of Palestinian refugees.
In the city of Santiago, Deportivo Palestine, a football club formed as part of honoring the Palestinian heritage, is very popular.
About 70,000 Palestinians live in Brazil. The Latin American people, who have had bitter experiences of imperialism and occupation, should be able to identify with the pain of the Palestinians.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Latin American countries recognized and established relations with Israel when dictators took power. After the democratic forces fought against the totalitarian regime and gained power, they became involved in the liberation movements of Palestine.
Support for Palestine has grown in Latin America since the 21st century, when left-wing governments came to power in countries from Chile to Argentina, forming a political wave known as the Pink Tide.
All 12 countries that allow Palestinians to travel visa-free are either in Latin America or Africa.
South Africa has also withdrawn its diplomats from Israel and the Anglican Church in Africa has declared Israel an apartheid state.
Venezuela advertised its support by providing visa-free travel and residency rights to Palestinians. They also provided scholarships for Palestinians to study medicine in Venezuela. America’s support for Israel has always been viewed with suspicion by Latin America.
Even Argentina, with a large Jewish population and close ties to Israel, has opposed Israel for violations of international law.
As the Israeli brutality of racism and occupation continues to be exposed to the world, Latin American countries are also pointing fingers at the Arab countries.
Content Highlight: Latin america’s pro palestinian postition while Arab Countries pulls back
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