Deplorable justice
UN officials may indeed tolerate more derision than before, the EU directorate may still find trouble fighting its insomnia, and President George W. Bush’s administration may not care about exposing America to the rest of the world; but at least the above are not the only actors making up the international community. The atrocities taking place on Palestinian territory have sparked a fierce reaction in Europe and the US as well as among Jews abroad. Some 555 Jews from 24 countries have demanded a cessation of the carnage, while 128 American intellectuals, Amnesty International, the Human Rights Observatory, and the International Lawyers Union have all demanded an end to the incursion, expressing their disapproval of the Bush administration. Many Western countries have seen large demonstrations against the ongoing violence, rejecting any notion that it can be legitimated on the grounds that a «war on terrorism is a just war.» These reactions have helped restore some order: Western democracies have made efforts to prevent Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s abhorrent tactics from causing a global upsurge of anti-semitism. At the same time, they have protested against the US attempt to exploit the dramatic events of September 11 in order to advance its global interests. The tragic victims of the terrorist assault cannot be used as a tool for justifying mass killings in other parts of the world, on the basis of a new model of global justice promoted by a Washington-based elite. Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres expressed concerns about how the world regards the ongoing situation in the region. Human rights organizations have reported serious violations against Palestinians. Sharon may take pleasure in the relentless bombing of settlements and the mounting death toll, but his place in history’s list of infamous butchers has already been confirmed – what is more, with the vote of his fellow countrymen. At the same time, Bush is hearing moderate Arab leaders, Washington’s old allies and friends such as senior Saudi Arabian officials, telling US Secretary of State Colin Powell that «American prestige and credibility are collapsing very quickly, and it is incumbent on the US to act as quickly and strongly as possible.» What a severe defeat for a defender of a just war.
