Genocide in Palestine and government’s slowly changing stances

Since Israel began attacking the Gaza Strip in Palestine on October 7, 2023, more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed and another 131,848 injured

For some time after Israel commenced attacking Palestine in October 2023, our government, though of socialist bent, had been following a somewhat ambiguous policy on events taking place there. Despite thousands of civilians being consciously killed, including children being targeted by snipers, according to doctors from Médecins Sans Frontières, our government remained silent on the issue.

This, even though the UN itself was condemning Israel’s attacks on civilians, buildings and the wilful killing of women and children. UN Secretary General António Guterres went so far as to say Gaza had become a killing field for children. To many, it appeared the government was remaining quiet as several Lankan workers were labouring in Israel, and the government was promoting migrant workers going to Israel.

Since Israel began attacking the Gaza Strip in Palestine on October 7, 2023, more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed and another 131,848 injured. As of June 2024, according to the WHO, Israel had attacked 464 health care facilities, killed 727 health care workers, injured another 933 health care workers, and damaged or destroyed 113 ambulances. 

Despite these being possible war crimes, our government maintained a surprising silence. Now, however government’s stance seems to be changing. A few days ago, the Socialist Youth Union (STU)—the youth wing of the JVP—organised a motorcycle parade protesting the Israeli genocide in Palestine. In fact, a present minister in the NPP government was earlier the head of the SYU. 

Yes, the government’s stand on current world events is slowly but surely changing. To quote Greek philosopher Sextus Empiricus, “The mills of the Gods grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.”

Though unable to keep many of its pre-election promises, the government has gone after many a person who robbed this country of millions of dollars, and it appears none will be spared. So far, one past minister has been jailed. Three of our past presidents are under investigation. The wife and children of one among them are also under investigation. Additionally, a number of other past ministers, their families and hangers-on are also under investigation.

While all this is good, today the poor of this country are probably suffering the pangs of hunger more than they did when they elected the NPP regime into power. While real incomes have dropped, the prices of all food items have risen dramatically. The cost of the simple coconut varies between Rs. 180/- to Rs. 200/- in the open market.

Yet salaries have not kept pace with the cost of living, though government has made miserly increases to the salaries of government servants.

Those working in the private sector have not been so fortunate. Salaries reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic still remain at the same level in a number of private firms. To make life more miserable, the price of electricity has now been increased by a stupendous 15 per cent. Last night, the price of fuel was increased.

All of this is taking a toll on the lives of the country’s children. According to Trading Economics, a study carried out by the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS), in the estate sector, following the COVID-19 outbreak and the ongoing economic crisis, school dropouts have increased in estate regions. 

The study adds that around 13% of all school dropouts in the estate sector are from primary grades, suggesting that a considerable proportion of dropouts in the region may not even have completed their primary level of education.   According to police data, minor crimes increased in absolute terms from 1,676 recorded offences in January 2022 to 29,908 by the end of November 2023. With the rise in the cost of living amid stagnant wages, the rise in minor crime is to be expected.  Given the constraints of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal the country is tied to, it is difficult for the government to change things around in the here and now. But that is the price for having made impossible promises during the run-up to the presidential and general elections.   We feel certain that the government will, in the future, help unburden the poor. But hope, it will happen faster than it took to change its outlook on Israel’s genocide in Palestine.