Shereen Abu Aqleh, an American Palestinian journalist, did not know that she would become the news in a few seconds. But the one who killed her knew that the 51-year-old Al-Jazeera reporter covering Israeli atrocities in the Palestinian territory would no more be exposing the state of Israel through her liver coverage. He had the specific orders to target her. The Zionist government had already written the plot. It invaded her home immediately after her death and removed the Palestinian flag.
Furthermore, it falsely blamed a Palestinian for the killing. Later, it withdrew the statement and called the cause of murder undetermined. What else do you expect from a rogue state that has robbed the people of Palestine of their life, dignity, and property ever since it illegally occupied the land? The inhabitants of the Zionist entity base its claim on Palestine on a mythical, biblical notion that the God of Israel gave the so-called holy ground to his chosen one. When they regard God as their main backer, they can justify everything. The apartheid state has justified every act of brutality as an act of God.
Israel touts its legitimacy based on a U.N. resolution forcibly imposed by primarily Christian nations in 1947. Yet, in the last 75 years of its presence in Palestine, it has rejected every U.N. resolution that demanded restrictions on its continued expansion on the Palestinian land. Additionally, it has carried out target killings of prominent Palestinian freedom fighters in different parts of the world—hundreds of such victims, including 45 journalists, since 2000.
Israel is a brutal, ruthless killing force without regard for human life and dignity, and its majority regard Palestinians as cockroaches deserving annihilation. The state thrives on the backing of European Christian nations, the United States, and other white settlements like Canada and Australia. Lately, the apartheid state got a new friend, India, whose Hindu nationalist leadership has become a strong supporter of its racist practices.
Why would these nations support the brutality and clear violation of human rights? Why would the United Nations not take practical measures to sanction the apartheid state?
Occasional condemnation of Israeli practices has not brought any change in its policies towards the Palestinians. On the contrary, it has become more defiant.
Western writers give several reasons for their support of Israel. First, they call it an oasis of democracy in the desert of dictatorship. Second, they consider Israel a protector of Christian interests in the overwhelming Muslim majority Middle East. Third, the U.S. alone has given more than 150 billion dollars to the state of Israel since 1946.
The fear of a nuclear Israel has driven many Middle Eastern countries to rely on U.S. arms. Since 1950, they have purchased arms worth 350 billion dollars.
But the question remains unanswered why the governments of European and American states have continued to support the apartheid policies of Israel with rare condemnation.
The answer lies in the religious perceptions regarding Jews and Israel of Christian evangelicals in these countries. Of 238 billion Christians, 400 million are evangelicals—more than 200 Christian denominations in the U.S. and 45,000 globally.
Evangelicals and most Christians believe that at the end of time, Jesus would return to Haifa to lead the war against Jews who refused to accept his divinity. He would convert one-third of them to Christianity and destroy two-thirds, paving the way to establish the kingdom of God on earth. Israel and its existence are essential for the supremacy of Christians. The US Christian charities have donated billions to Israel to develop illegal settlements on the Palestinian land, hoping to create a Biblically mandated country for the return of Israel. The evangelicals believe that whoever curses Israel earns the curse of God.
It explains the silence of most Christian denominations, human rights groups, and governments led by evangelical groups. Their logic is simple: why should we annoy God by being critical of his chosen people?
For 70 years, the world has remained indifferent to Israel's brutalities and allowed the apartheid state to do away with every violation of human rights. There is no reason to believe that the death of Abu Aqleh would bring about any significant change. The U.S. state department condemned the killing of a Palestinian-American journalist, but before issuing the statement, it informed Israel of the approval of the language of condemnation. Even AIPAC knew about the stand before it became public.
But why would India's Hindu nationalists, who consider Hitler their hero, support the Zionist state? The answer is their hatred of Islam, and Muslim Indians, whom they intend to either marginalize or eliminate. They believe that Israel offers them a role model in eliminating its enemies.
In its present power structure, the world would not do much against Israel. Abu Aqleh's murder would not lead to any changes in Israel's policies. Its brutality would continue because it believes that its God is on its back and the world's leading superpower is under its spell for religious reasons.
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