Who’s Really Pulling the Strings ?

The world is watching. It has witnessed, year after year, a brutal cycle of suffering and suppression in Palestine. No one who values justice can ignore the pain, the unyielding cries of a displaced people, or the relentless destruction that has come to define life in Gaza. To turn away now, after the suffering we have all seen, would be to admit a profound moral failing. It is time to lay bare the truth a truth many of us have understood but few have dared to say out loud.

Since 1948, Palestinians have endured relentless waves of occupation and violence under the guise of security measures. Their lands taken, their rights erased, their future taken hostage. With each passing decade, settlements spread across territories internationally recognised as Palestine. Palestinian homes, farms, and businesses are systematically seized, reshaped to fit a narrative that allows Israel to expand its borders, unchecked and unchallenged. And what is left for the Palestinians? Refugee camps and rubble.

Israel has long justified its actions by claiming a right to defend itself, but the extent of this “defence” looks more like calculated aggression. From America to the UK, those in power consistently pledge support for peace, but we know where their loyalties lie. Entities like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) exert tremendous sway in American politics. They champion policies that protect and even encourage the dispossession of Palestinians. AIPAC, headquartered on Mount Vernon Triangle in Washington, D.C., has long shaped US policy in favour of Israel’s interests, lobbying Congress to turn a blind eye to human rights abuses that would never be tolerated elsewhere. We cannot deny it: this influence, this unyielding support for occupation and aggression, stains the very notion of democracy that America claims to uphold.

Yet, what Israel and its most fervent supporters call “security” is far from it. This is not security; this is forced expansion. There is no roadmap to peace in a strategy that aims only to expand Israeli borders at the expense of Palestinian lives. Israel’s government operates with a dictatorial zeal masked as democracy, but democracy is not built on stolen land and shattered lives. How can we speak of fairness and freedom in a nation that systematically denies these very principles to the people under its control?

Gaza stands as a painful testament to this aggression. After years of blockade and bombardment, Gaza is now little more than ruins its hospitals barely functional, its homes levelled, and its infrastructure decimated. Who will bear the costs of Gaza’s reconstruction? Who would compensate Palestinian farmers whose farms were taken by settlers? Simply stating that this is a war victim is insufficient. This is a premeditated effort to depose, displace, and destroy innocent people. And we must demand accountability.

Today, Gaza’s children, who have known nothing but war and fear, suffer in silence. The city of Gaza has been ravaged to the point that it resembles not a home, but a wasteland a “deserted island” as Israeli officials have threatened to make it. The world must see that this is not defence; this is ethnic cleansing. And the cost of this devastation should not rest on Palestinian shoulders. Those who have destroyed this should pay for rebuilding; those who have benefited from it should also take responsibility. Israel, and those who have armed and supported it, must be held accountable for the harm done to innocent lives.

In this tragedy, we hear the word “peace” echoed repeatedly, but peace is not possible without justice. The Israeli government has repeatedly disregarded the value of Palestinian lives, showing little to no intent to negotiate in good faith or respect international calls for peace. And what of the hostages taken in the midst of this brutal conflict? The Israeli government has shown no genuine path to their recovery, instead choosing to intensify the assault on Gaza, effectively sacrificing them for political gain.

Every action taken by Israel against the Palestinian people destabilises the entire region, creating a ripple effect of suffering across Arab nations. This wave of displacement, destruction, and despair threatens not only Gaza and the West Bank but the security of neighbouring countries. Israel’s goal is clear: to create an environment so hostile, so unbearable, that Palestinians will have no choice but to leave, allowing Israel to expand its territory unchallenged. The strategy of forced relocation and population manipulation poses an imminent threat to regional stability.

Some could argue that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East and that it offers some freedom in a volatile region. However, democracy requires equality, and equality requires inclusivity. Israel’s governance is not democracy in the truest sense, not when millions of Palestinians are denied the most basic rights, forced to live as second-class citizens, if recognised at all. Real democracy demands a voice for everyone, and without it, peace is nothing but an illusion.

The moment in history has arrived to hold Israel responsible for its conduct. There must be a road ahead that respects Palestinian and Israeli rights equally. And that route must be founded on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital. This is the moral obligation of the United States, the United Kingdom, and anybody who claims to support liberty and human rights. A two-state solution is more than just a political option; it is a moral duty.

Moreover, to ensure that peace has a chance, why not propose the formation of a Council of Elders, comprising Jewish settlers, Palestinian Arabs, and Christian Arabs. This council might act as a leading body in mediating, reconciling, and rebuilding trust amongst communities that have been pitted against one another for far too long. We can only aspire for a future in which children of all backgrounds live in safety, farmers may produce their land without fear, and families can build their futures in peace thanks to such collaborative efforts.

The world cannot be misled any longer. The goals of the Israeli government are clear expansion at any cost, with no regard for the lives and livelihoods they destroy. The new US administration faces a critical choice: continue to uphold policies that have condemned millions to despair, or lead a genuine peace effort rooted in justice, accountability, and compassion. This is a choice that will define a generation, a choice between endorsing an oppressive occupation or championing human rights for all.

In this moment of history, let it be recorded that the world saw the suffering of Gaza and did not turn away. Let it be known that we recognised the influence of those who advocate for policies that strip Palestinians of their land and dignity. And let it be remembered that we stood up for justice, demanding a future in which Palestinians and Israelis may coexist peacefully. This is more than simply a regional issue; it is about the world’s conscience.