Western powers can't avoid liability for genocide in Palestine

It is impossible to ignore the complicity of Western powers, particularly the United States and the European Union, whose diplomatic shielding, military aid, and veto power have enabled the siege on Gaza to persist with impunity. The same leaders who preach about human rights in Ukraine turn mute when it comes to Gaza.

This double standard undermines the credibility of the entire liberal democratic order. When laws are selectively applied, they cease to be laws and become tools of hegemony. The global South sees this hypocrisy, and it fuels resentment, polarization, and the erosion of international norms. Human rights are not a menu to be selectively enforced. Either we defend the dignity of all people, or we admit the project of global justice is a fiction.

It is not too late—but time is measured in heartbeats, especially for Gaza’s children. Immediate actions must include:

Unfettered humanitarian access: Aid agencies must be allowed to operate freely. Border crossings, especially Rafah and Kerem Shalom, must be opened permanently for humanitarian convoys.

Unconditional ceasefire and protection of civilians: An immediate, unconditional ceasefire must be enforced with international guarantees to protect civilians and facilitate the rebuilding of civilian infrastructure.

Accountability for war crimes: Independent investigations must be allowed. The International Criminal Court (ICC) must proceed without political interference. No state should shield its allies from justice.

End the blockade: The 17-year blockade of Gaza is collective punishment under international law. It must end permanently to allow for long-term recovery and dignity for the Palestinian people.

A political solution rooted in justice: There can be no peace without addressing the root causes—occupation, displacement, and the denial of Palestinian self-determination. A just political resolution must be pursued—one that treats Palestinians not as problems, but as people.

In the age of social media and satellite imagery, no one can claim ignorance. We know what is happening. We see the dying children. We read the UN warnings. The question is not whether we are informed—the question is whether we are willing to act. We must reject the false equivalence that treats genocide as a partisan issue. We must resist the fatigue that normalizes suffering. And we must confront the cowardice that allows world leaders to look away.

The measure of our civilization is in how we protect the most vulnerable when no one is watching—or when watching is not enough. There is only a choice: to speak or to be silent, to act or to excuse, to resist or to comply. The death of 22,000 children will not just be a Palestinian tragedy.