Istanbul panel spotlights barriers to peace, cease-fire in Gaza

ISTANBUL

A panel discussion on Saturday before a special screening of the TRT World documentary Holy Redemption examined barriers to peace and a cease-fire in Gaza.

The panel titled "How Israel’s Occupation Triggers a Global Moral Crisis: Obstacles to Peace and Ceasefire," held at Atlas Cinema in Istanbul, featured speakers including Palestinian activist Issa Amro, Australian activist and historian Robert Martin, Palestinian scholar Sami al-Arian, and Jewish-British historian Ilan Pappe, who joined online.

Arian criticized Israel's refusal to pursue a two-state solution, citing the increase in settler numbers as evidence of its unwillingness to cede land.

He accused Israel of trying to make life unbearable for Palestinians through ongoing violence and displacement, aiming to ethnically cleanse Palestinians to maintain a Jewish majority.

He described Zionism as a project based on oppression and displacement, with no regard for justice.

Amro criticized Israel’s portrayal as "Westernized" or "democratic" in the Middle East and condemned its systematic oppression and violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

He highlighted the lack of serious international pressure on Israel and denounced tactics to buy time rather than achieve peace.

"For us, existence is resistance. Our struggle is to stay on our land and keep our identity alive," he said.

'Occupation persists with impunity'

Martin shared his experience of the occupation's brutality in the West Bank city of Hebron, including an incident where he said a settler deliberately ran over a Palestinian child without facing consequences.

He criticized Western media portrayals of Israel and highlighted the stark reality that challenges Israel's sanitized narrative, asserting that Palestinians have every right to resist.

Significant shift in global rhetoric

Pappe emphasized that global solidarity with Palestine is now more inclusive, with a growing number of people recognizing Israel’s policies as apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and genocide.

He noted the importance of recent decisions by the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court but said these rulings often fall short in affecting the real situation on the ground.

“The challenge is to bridge the gap between growing public awareness and the grim reality on the ground,” Pappe said, adding that change is happening, but slowly.