The Israeli war on Gaza sparked a large wave of protest in various parts of the world, but the presence of the voice of intellectuals and thinkers was limited, except for some Arab and Western voices in solidarity with the rights of the Palestinians and rejecting the aggression.
Among those voices is Dr. Wassini Al-Araj, the Algerian novelist and professor at the Sorbonne University in Paris, who considered the killing and destruction taking place in Gaza today as a “crime of genocide,” denouncing in his interview with Al Jazeera Net the official Arab position on what is happening in Gaza.
A new wild time
Al-Araj says that it is a new, brutal time, and that he is very affected, as are all those who have a shred of humanity in their hearts. “It is not a requirement that they be Arabs, Muslims, or Christians, but the minimum condition of humanity is what makes us different from the ferocious and predatory animals. What is happening in Gaza today is… Destruction of infrastructure and killing of humans is an unprecedented case of crime and insensitivity, meaning that human sense no longer exists.”
He added in his interview with Al Jazeera Net, “When I wrote in my comments about the Russian-Ukrainian war, I said that we are living in a new, brutal time. Instead of working to stop the war, there is encouragement to continue this war, killing, and selling weapons, and behind that, of course, are barons who benefit from armed conflicts.”
Partners in crime
The Algerian novelist believes that what happened in Gaza “is in fact the result of a series of practices that international powers were unable to stop,” and defends his position toward the practices of Israel and its supporters by saying, “I do not believe that there is a real voice that can rise above crime, because crime has agents. These agents have begun to officially and clearly declare – led by the United States, of course, and the rest of the European countries – their support for Israel in its war on Gaza, describing Israel’s war on Gaza as a “crime of genocide.”
Al-Araj says, “Even the Western media’s coverage of the events in Gaza does not show any pictures of the devastation of the brutal Israeli raids in Gaza. I am in Paris, and if I follow French channels, I will not see anything definitive about the massacres that are occurring in Gaza.”
Al-Araj likens the destruction and killing of civilians taking place in Gaza to the events of World War II, “where the victim simply became an executioner.”
Assassination of places of joy
Wasini al-Araj describes the destruction of Gaza through Israeli air strikes by saying, “When we see the pictures, it is as if we see a violent earthquake striking the city, perhaps measuring more than 9 degrees on the Richter scale. There are no buildings left standing, especially for vital areas and areas that a few days ago were places for walking and joy.” For the Palestinians.”
The Algerian novelist explained that Israel would find every way to justify its bombing of civilians and the Baptist Hospital in particular, adding, “What happened is something unbelievable.”
Al-Araj explains that “the awakening of the savage, animalistic depth in Israel has become absolutely free.”
He wondered, “How can Israel mock the global conscience? How can it make the global conscience a game? How can the global conscience accept all of this? Al-Araj called on international public opinion to support the Palestinians in their tragedy by virtue of daily human relations between humans themselves.”
The ongoing Nakba
Al-Araj says, “Israel has opened all the doors of tyranny, misery and murder towards the Palestinians, and this is the true image of Israel.”
He added, “In fact, Gaza today represents a small example of what could happen in the Arab world, because Israel is launching a double speech. First: destroying the remaining hotbeds of Palestinian struggle and resolving them once and for all, pushing the Palestinians towards the Sinai desert and thus this region becomes independent, and also pushing the residents of the West Bank.” West towards Jordan, and thus Israel becomes a complete state.” He went back to stressing, “But they are wrong because a people whose land was stolen from them and today they are being exterminated can never remain silent about these practices.”
Warning to the Arabs
Wasini Al-Araj says that what is happening in Gaza “is in fact an Israeli model, as if Israel is saying in its second speech: Beware, Arabs. Any move by any Arab country will cause it destruction, as happened in Gaza. Beware, look at the bombs, look at total destruction.” In Gaza, all your cities will become like this if you move against us.”
Regarding the official Arab position on what is happening in Gaza, Al-Araj points out that “the Arabs are responsible for what is happening today. They have entered into fighting among themselves and contributed to breaking the power of some Arab countries, and therefore this is only a result in the end.”
Wasini Al-Araj hopes that Arab citizens will take to the streets to say, “No to this crime, no to this tyranny, no to this method of killing people in a terrifying spectacle while the whole world is watching.”
He says, “We say: The whole world is watching Gaza, and we as Arabs are watching it as well.”
The Algerian novelist concluded his speech, “There is nothing left but at least a street uprising. The Arab street can put a little pressure on America, and put pressure on Europe to change its position and push it to break through this deafening silence practiced on the Palestinians.”
