Dr. Mustafa ÖZTOP
Middle East and International Relations Specialist
The day the world is able to put an end to the Israeli occupation, it will move towards a more just international system, income distribution and a democratic understanding in which societies have a stronger voice. Of course, the emergence of this picture seems quite difficult in today’s conditions. However, it should not be forgotten that the League of Nations was established after the First World War and the United Nations after the Second World War.
In Israel’s occupation of Palestine, which has been going on for nearly 100 years, the massacres that took place after October 7 are still continuing. Although Israel is trying to cover up its military defeat and security weaknesses by killing more civilians, it cannot hide its heavy defeat. From within Israel itself, the failures in this process are currently being strongly criticized, and it seems that the criticism will continue to intensify in the future. On the other hand, the current international system has once again failed to solve what happened in Gaza. It is likely that the world is entering a new phase in its search for peace and stability because of the increase in crises and conflicts. The change, which became evident with the pandemic, has reached a new stage with the liberation of Karabakh and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and has entered a new phase against the Israeli occupation in Palestine, where all countries and people of the world cannot remain independent.
RISING VOICES
The Israeli problem in Palestine is essentially a problem created and perpetuated by the current international system. Therefore, all the voices raised against the Israeli occupation in Palestine are, in a way, a search for reform in the current international system. The search for a ceasefire and solution, especially in the United Nations (UN), does not find a response due to the current structure of the UN and cannot go beyond creating public opinion and perception. However, whatever happens, initiatives should continue under this roof and the search for change should continue. However, here, attention will mostly be drawn to the voices raised against Israel through different organizations or initiatives outside the UN. This is because overcoming the internal blockage depends on convincing the actors causing the blockage. This is quite difficult. However, actors outside the actors causing the blockage can open a new door by organizing more independently.
In this sense, the first development that comes to mind is South Africa’s filing a genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice, and thus Israel has started to be put on trial. Of course, this trial has its limits and is not sufficient to solve the issue on its own. However, this process is a process that can reach a final solution when the parts come together to form a whole. On the other hand, Turkey’s assessment of Hamas as a group of mujahideen defending their homeland and territory has been a very important support. In addition, Qatar’s position in terms of prisoner exchange and diplomacy is valuable.
BOYCOTT-BASED RESISTANCE
In addition, demonstrations around the world are one of the important indicators of the stance and reaction against Israel. Of course, another reaction indicator that comes to mind is boycott. Again, since the most fundamental element of the current international system is material means, boycott is one of the most effective methods of standing against Israel. Israel is fed by the material means of this system. For these reasons, one of the most deterrent reactions against Israel in this process is a strong and continuous boycott of the companies belonging to Israel and its supporters. It is evident that Israel, which has very limited means of self-sufficiency and therefore shows an artificial state form, is sustained by the financial support of the actors who are influential in the management of the current international system and especially the economically powerful companies that are widespread around the world. As a state, Malaysia has taken a critical lead in the economic measures that states can take by banning Israeli-flagged ships from entering Malaysian ports.
REACTIONS SHOULD CONTINUE TO DIVERSIFY
The policies of the US, the main founding actor of the current international system, are built on Israel’s security. In fact, it can be said that Israeli administrations have captured the US administrations in many respects. Here, we should not forget the reaction of countries that diplomatically recalled their ambassadors as a reaction against Israel. Moreover, the sensitivities of countries such as Spain, which set an example for the structures they are in, are important factors that gave momentum to this process. It should also be noted that Algeria is one of the actors that strongly supports Palestine. In this sense, all these reactions have political, diplomatic, legal, and commercial dimensions. The more these dimensions diversify and strengthen, the weaker Israel’s actions and presence will be, and the greater the capacity of the international system to find solutions. In this respect, reactions against Israel should be more organized, continuous, and collective. Everyone has a role to play here.
THE OLD SITUATION IMPOSSIBLE
The day the world can put an end to the Israeli occupation, it will move towards a more just international system, income distribution, and a democratic understanding in which societies have a stronger voice. Of course, the emergence of this picture seems quite difficult in today’s conditions. However, it should not be forgotten that the League of Nations was established after the First World War and the United Nations after the Second World War. Today, the world is experiencing a third world war in Palestine. It is only a matter of time before the atmosphere in Gaza reflects on the region and the rising tension in the region reflects on the world. For these reasons, every actor should do its part in reacting against Israel and contribute to the future of the world out of this environment of instability and insecurity. In order to overcome the deadlocks of the current international system, more states should work to support the efforts of actors such as South Africa, Malaysia, Qatar, Turkey and Algeria against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. As a suggestion in this sense, an initiative such as the “Declaration of States with Concrete Action Plans against Israel” could be launched. This would make the process more organized and collective.
