When US Secretary of State Colin Powell went to meet Yasser Arafat at the latter's besieged headquarters in Ramallah on 14 April, CNN reported that the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) had assumed "defensive" positions in the area. The implication, as always, was that Israel was under attack, and was valiantly protecting itself, and Mr. Powell, from Palestinian terror. Most informed people in the world would agree that this was a distorted presentation of reality.
In Pakistan, as in much of the Muslim world, there is fury at what is happening in Palestine, what has happened in Afghanistan, and the potential destruction yet to come in Iraq, Sudan, Libya, and a host of other countries that the United States seems intent on attacking sooner rather than later. There is also a sense of helplessness at the plight of thousands of innocent people, caught in the middle of the deadly assaults by the global hegemon.
This anger is felt not only in the Muslim world, but also in Europe where people are marching the streets against their governments' complicity in the price that Israel is exacting from the Palestinian population. But there also seems to be growing recognition within the United States itself of something dreadfully amiss, and this is what will ultimately matter. On 20 April, Washington DC saw the largest ever pro-Palestinian demonstration in the United States. As long as such protests continue, it is inevitable that those who turn a blind eye to Ariel Sharon and other perpetrators of injustice against the Palestinians will be forced to sit up and take note.
The pro-Palestine voices, of course, pale in comparison to the massive and organised pro-Israel lobby that has been operating in the United States for half a century. But the voices are being heard, and this reflects a growing sense of responsibility amongst progressive elements of American society. Progressive elements in Muslim countries, including Pakistan, have much to learn from this. The politics of the Israel-Palestine conflict represents a worldwide trend since 11 September, in terms of the mandate that has been given to the powerful to attack the weak under the guise of combating terrorism.