Above the law, above everything [Archives:2003/675/Viewpoint]

Editor
“You know what? Just forget all you know or think about how international law is being applied when it comes to Israel. All you need to know is that the United Nations is in control of the world, and that the USA is in control of the UN, and Israel is in control of the USA, so there is no point in asking why Israel does this!” said one of my friends when were talking yesterday about the Israeli strike in Syria.
When I was listening to the speech of Israel's representative at the Security Council, I felt that Israel perhaps does think that it is above law and is the one that controls the world. The harsh words uttered by the representative accusing Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and indirectly the whole Arab world of supporting 'terrorism', show that he is unconcerned with Arabs, who continue to blame each other and drown in an ocean of helplessness and vulnerability.
What further supports the statement of my friend was G. Bush's remarks on Israel's right of self-defense in whatever form and whenever it wishes. He said that Israel “should not feel constrained in defending itself.” It is quite obvious that the US policy is in support of such Israeli action.
The Arab world is now living in a time of extreme injustice and bias. This is why Muslims are frustrated, angry, and disappointed. They are frustrated at the way the international community is keeping silent despite the oppression carried out by Israel in the region. They are angry because of the blunt and unjustifiable US support to Israel. And they are disappointed for being led by weak, indecisive, and corrupt regimes.
However, this could all be giving hints of a possible time bomb. Whether we like it or not, emotions are already running higher and higher and such practices of Israel and the USA are bringing anti-Israeli and anti-American sentiments to an unprecedented level in history.
Today, we seem to be living in a time where everything has turned upside down. It is the new world era where the butcher is the victim, and vice versa.
Today, the world is facing a bitter post-9/11 reality, where occupiers with the most advanced military capabilities and nuclear arsenal are seen to be the vulnerable and weak, who “should not feel constrained in defending” themselves. While on the other hand, those who skirmish to get a bit of freedom using their weak and insignificant weapons, are seen as terrorists posing grave threat to world peace and stability.
What is going on?
Has the world lost consensus?
Has the world lost the ability to identify between right and wrong?
At the end of the day, I believe that what is going through right now is a mere consequence of decades of oppression, neglect and dictatorship lived in the Arab world, which made Arab countries the weakest, most illiterate, and most vulnerable in the world. We cannot resolve this situation and regain our lost dignity unless we identify the causes that resulted in the miserable conditions we are living today.
And to identify them, we will have to look for them within. Let's start change in our own homes, schools, parties, and regimes.
Let's not waste more time and start today because we are the ones who allowed Israel to be what it is today. We were the ones who allowed it to be above ourselves, above the law, and above everything.
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