TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - With almost 2,000 lives lost in less than a month, the Gaza War must be stopped. A ceasefire is no longer the final solution. All a ceasefire means is that the two sides hold back for a moment, before releasing, once again, their lethal weapons. The diplomatic route to peace is the best solution, despite the long history of enmity between Israel and Palestine.
This war is like a reflection of a similar conflict in 2008, but with far more causalities. The Israeli military aggression has killed 1,886 Palestinians-as of the end of last week. On the Israeli side, 'only' 66 have lost their lives. Material losses on both sides are approaching Rp100 trillion, and on top of this are the uncountable calamities: the trauma and bereavement of a generation.
The United Nations Security Council continues to discuss and debate resolutions and sanctions against Israel. These sanctions are always halted by a veto from the United States, yet the world only hears and sees reports of one side violating international law, and that is bombing civilian areas, from schools, offices and hospitals to houses of worship and people's homes.
The claim by UN Senior Human Rights Commissioner Navy Pillay that the military aggression in Gaza is a crime of war should be followed by the establishment of a fact-finding team. The investigation by a team comprising the two sides must be carried out independently. It could start with the kidnapping of the three Israeli teenagers, who were later found dead. Israel accused an armed Palestinian group of carrying out the murders-and proceeded to launch a large-scale military operation in retaliation.
An investigation of this type was carried out after the three-week Israeli military aggression in 2008-2009 led to the deaths of around 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis. If evidence of war crimes is uncovered, the fact-finding team could take matters further by reporting the findings to the War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, Holland. Any nation would find it difficult to avoid feelings of shame if it were brought before the War Crimes Tribunal.
It takes two to tango. Hamas and the armed Palestinian groups are Israel's 'tango partner on the Gaza stage'. As the nation with the world's largest Muslim population, Indonesia holds a strategic position, and could play a significant role. Together with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), our government needs to be more active in the endeavor to find peace and to supply humanitarian assistance, especially for the civilian casualties.
Another proposal that Indonesia can support is for the establishment of a joint Hamas and Fatah administration-which should have started on July 1-to immediately begin. The UN Security Council has recognized this joint government, so serious peace efforts can get underway.
In an increasingly borderless world, the Gaza tragedy is no longer just an Israeli-Palestinian problem. It is is a reflection of the ineffective-if not outright failure-of regional and global diplomacy in stopping repeated conflicts in Gaza. Indonesian support for Palestine can be realized through this important move: help to end the war. (*)