End war

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All eyes are on Washington and United States President-elect Barack Obama to remedy the situation in Gaza and contain Israeli aggression. The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is unprecedented in its ferocity. The world watches to see how Obama would handle this Palestinian tragedy.

Obama's pledge to make a major speech in a Muslim country early on his presidency is widely regarded in the Arab and Muslim worlds as refreshingly different from his predecessor US President George W Bush. Bush is widely seen as an enemy of Arabs and Muslims and virtually a war criminal.

It is in this context that the intense diplomatic efforts by Egypt and President Hosni Mubarak to resolve the current crisis are of tremendous importance. French President Nicholas Sarkozy was especially sympathetic to the Egyptian initiative to end the conflict in Gaza. The reaction by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was exceptionally encouraging and it is hoped that Obama would follow suit.

Israel must adopt a more humanistic policy as far as the Palestinians are concerned. The savage war to annihilate the people of Gaza is tantamount to genocide. Israel must not be allowed to get away with this. And, the world needs Washington to acknowledge the rights of the Palestinian people and stop denying them their humanity.

The US would regain its moral standing in the international community if its president-elect would embrace true ethical values. The Palestinian people are entitled to democracy. It is their inalienable right to elect their leaders and it is not fair for them to suffer collective punishment simply because they voted for Hamas. It is for this reason that Egypt has invited the representatives of Hamas and Israeli government officials to sit down and make peace.

The Palestinian people have suffered enough. They have heroically stood against the pounding of the Israelis and have sustained numerous casualties. The death toll among Palestinians is horrendously high. The Israeli aggression against Gaza, and especially the high civilian casualties, has enraged the Arab and Muslim worlds. The Israelis have to make amends or else the peoples of the entire Arab and Muslim worlds would not be able to contain their anger and frustration at the indifference of the powers that be.

And, it is not only Arabs and Muslims who are incensed by the Israeli aggression. Even countries as far afield as Venezuela are making a stand. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez cut off diplomatic ties with the Israelis and asked the Israeli ambassador in Caracas to leave the country. This is an unprecedented show of solidarity and the demonstrations of peace-loving peoples all over the world are ample evidence that the Israeli aggression must stop.