Pro-Palestinian activists have accelerated their protest programs in key cities of the United States. The protests calling for a cease-fire in Gaza began in New York on December 18 afternoon, causing significant disruption in streets across the city.
Many protesters were seen holding flags and signs with slogans including “From Gaza to Jenin, Revolution until Victory,” “Support Palestinian Resistance,” and “Queers for a liberated Palestine.”
In other videos emerging on social media, protesters were heard chanting, “There is only one solution, the Intifada revolution!” reported Fox News on December 18.
Ilham Omar, the staunch Islamist Congresswoman, personally warned Biden his re-election would be in trouble if he ignored ‘heartbroken’ young Muslim voters. Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters shut down Grand Central Terminal; demonstrators were seen heckling actor Alec Baldwin on the streets of New York City.
Live-streamed footage showed the actor being asked by a pro-Palestinian activist, “Whose pocket are you in?” and pressing him on whether he condemns Israel while invoking Hollywood.
“I am in Hollywood’s pocket, you say?” Baldwin responded before slamming the “stupid question.” Police escorted him after talking to protesters, Fox News reported.
Human Rights Or Politics
Is this protest spree motivated by a sense of human rights or sheer politics? The protesters will undoubtedly invoke human rights. But this can be doubted.
If human rights are at the center of these protest rallies, why don’t they speak of the holocaust of October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a sustained assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip?
The Palestinian Sunni Islamist group led the surprise attacks by land, sea, and air. The attacks began with a rocket barrage of over 5,000 missiles. Hamas-led fighters breached the fences with Gaza and entered southern Israel. They killed at least 1,400 people, including children and civilians.
The entire protest extravaganza of pro-Palestinian protesters is motivated by political underpinning and not human rights. Did the October 7 attackers think they would escape reprisal and retribution, or did they believe the entire Muslim countries would jump into the fray and destroy the State of Israel?
Motive Behind Protests
The motive behind these demonstrations is to exert pressure on the Biden administration to draw back from supporting Israel. Hamas and its handlers have failed to contain the retaliatory action of Tel Aviv.
After the decisive action by Israel in which many civilian deaths took place in the Gaza Strip and many Hamas commanders were shot dead, Islamists all over the world raised the demand for a ceasefire in Gaza.
They wanted the Hamas some respite to reinforce their ranks and restructure their tactics of fighting back Israeli troops in Gaza. But Israel turned down the suggestion of a ceasefire.
It said that a ceasefire cannot work unless Hamas lays down the arms and gives assurance that the October 7-like blitzkrieg will not be repeated. This has led to a stalemate of sorts as Israel continues with its retributive policy, and Hamas and its supporting auxiliaries have no option left.
A Big Move
Nobody believes that the Islamists would not react and react viciously because their entire credibility is at stake. Secret but severe thinking is going on in extremist Islamic circles about how to deal with the situation.
A message has gone across the entire spectrum that this is a very crucial hour for the survival of Islamic civilization. Therefore, the Islamic leadership of all hues must come together to reflect on the ground situation centered on the Palestinian issue.
The News of December 17 published a sensational report under the caption, “Islamic convention featuring Hamas leaders says war would end if nuclear-armed Pakistan threatened Israel.”
Pakistani leaders, in or out of power, have often been speaking about Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal and its willingness to go for nuclear strike if circumstances demand.
The report says that Hamas leaders and Islamic scholars met in Islamabad last week and argued that “Israel’s war in Gaza would end if Pakistan, a country armed with nuclear weapons, threatened Israel.”
Pakistani newspapers widely reported the deliberations of the meeting, which was picked up by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
The conference’s title was conspicuous and forthright: “The sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the responsibility of the Islamic Ummah.” The Pakistan Ummah Unity Assembly, a network of Islamic religious organizations, organized it.
Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas boss and one of the featured speakers, was quoted as calling for nuclear-armed Pakistan to play a more robust role in the Israel-Hamas conflict. “Pakistan is a strong country. If Pakistan threatens Israel, then the war can stop,” Haniyeh said.
“We have lots of expectations from Pakistan. Pakistan can force Israel to retreat.” He deemed Jews the biggest enemy of Muslims in the world. Naji Zuhair, another Hamas leader, also attended the meeting. He was reported to be in Pakistan some weeks ago.
It is widely rumored that Hamas volunteers have been receiving training in terrorism at various training camps in Pakistan and that Hamas leadership has been in regular contact with ISI officials in Pakistan.
Implications
Pakistan knows the implications of making a catastrophic decision like that. But the deep state will exploit the situation fully for political dividends.
Reckless Islamist elements in Pakistan would also feel encouraged. Some myopic Pakistani leaders would consider it timely to show down India for supporting Israel. But is that a solution to the diverse problems confronting Pakistan?
Let us see how Pakistan will try to derive political mileage from the suggestion of a nuclear option made by the Hamas leader.
First, Pakistan will use it as an instrument of pressure against the US so that the Biden administration bends back on the US’ traditional support to Israel. The recent joint visit of the Pakistan army chief and the ISI Director General to Washington and their meeting with the Secretary of State Blenkin could be interpreted in this context.
Of course, Washington will not change its traditional pro-Israel policy on the asking of Pakistanis. But Pakistan will project its image as the lone Islamic nuclear-powered state and hence, its political importance.
Secondly, by giving wide publicity to the nuclear option, Pakistan wants to send a message to the Islamic states that her arch-enemy India is one of the states that support Israel. This could be a ploy to denounce India, particularly in the eyes of Arab states friendly to India.
Thirdly, the assembly indirectly sends an encouraging message to Pakistani home-bred outfits not to be cowed down by the mysterious killing of about 20 top militant leaders in different parts of Pakistan and the doom looming large on such top terrorist leaders who are still alive.
Pakistan is well aware of the consequences of resorting to the nuclear option. Using the option will immediately ask for a reaction from the US, her European allies, and India. Israel has often said that it has plans to meet the nuclear threat.
The use of a nuclear option by Pakistan against Israel will sound the bugle for World War III, which could suck all nuclear powers first into the Middle East and then the sub-continent.
In such a situation, the world will be in the throes of destruction. The people in Pakistan know that their intention behind such an assembly and making some Islamist leaders make senseless utterances is only to highlight the importance of Pakistan in a divided Ummah.
- KN Pandita (Padma Shri) is the former director of the Center of Central Asian Studies at Kashmir University. Views Personal Of Author
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