Since October 2023, Israel has been attacking the Gaza Strip, killing at least 44,382 civilians and wounding 105,142, according to Gaza health officials. Since October 2024, Israel has also been conducting a ground operation in southern Lebanon while continuing airstrikes. A ceasefire was reached between Israel and Lebanon earlier this week.
The West’s silence on Israeli war crimes in Gaza is a blatant display of hypocrisy and a devaluation of Palestinian lives, according to Dr. Ahmed Jazbhay, a University of South Africa political science lecturer. In an interview with Sputnik Africa, Dr. Jazbhay argued that the West’s selective application of human rights standards reveals the inherent bias within the international legal and institutional framework.
“The Western purports to be the bastion of the human rights dispensation and its supporting institutions such as the ICJ, ICC, UN, etc.,” Dr. Jazbhay said, pointing to the West’s vocal condemnation of human rights abuses in other regions and its silence regarding Israeli actions in Gaza. “[This] means that all are not equal before the law.”
He asserted that this double standard exposes the “farce” of the post-World War II liberal order, characterizing it as a system designed to serve the interests of the Euro-North American world-system. Dr. Jazbhay further condemned the continued collaboration between Western nations like France and Israel.
“France and Israel are united in their hatred of Muslims. Hence, they work hand in glove in suppressing the legitimate aspirations of Muslims. France will only stop supporting Israel if it attacks and commits a genocide against White Europeans,” he said. “Palestinians and Muslims, in general, have been dehumanized and hence regarded as legitimate targets of oppression and human rights violations do not matter.”
Dr. Jazbhay linked France’s focus on Benjamin Netanyahu’s immunity to this dehumanization, emphasizing that the prioritization of legal technicalities over the suffering of victims further underscores the West’s lack of commitment to Palestinian human dignity.
“The West has a moral and ethical duty to atone for the sins and crimes of colonialism, since its legacy continues even after its formal end,” he said.
The international community’s failure to hold Israel accountable for ceasefire violations is undermining conflict resolution efforts in the Middle East and devaluing ceasefire agreements, according to Dr. Jazbhay. He placed the blame squarely on the United States.
“The failure to hold Israel accountable for violating ceasefire falls squarely on the feet of its global benefactor, the US. Attempts have been made at the UNSC to hold Israel accountable, but it is the US veto that has consistently protected it,” Dr. Jazbhay told Sputnik Africa.
The South African academician highlighted the West’s complicity in the humanitarian crises resulting from these violations, stating that their unwavering support for Israel makes them equally responsible.
“The West is firmly in the corner of Israel. They share equal responsibility for ceasefire violations by Israel since it has armed the entity to the teeth,” he stated. “They do not care if Palestinian or other people’s lives are prioritized and respected by Israel. They only care about prioritizing and protecting Israel, since they joined at the hip with it in their hatred for Palestinians and Muslims in general.”
To counter the prevailing narrative that allows these violations to persist, Dr. Jazbhay emphasized the crucial role of amplifying the voices of survivors and victims.
He suggested several strategies: digital documentation of atrocities; support for independent journalism and alternative media reporting from affected areas; fostering cultural and creative projects, such as art, poetry, and literature, from these regions; and encouraging academic and legal documentation of crimes within home countries.
