New Delhi, Sep 2: Dr Zafarul Islam Khan, former Chairman of Delhi Minority Commission, stated that the 7th October Hamas attack on Israel has entirely changed the global narrative and world’s perception of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, something that had never happened before. Speaking at a public meet on the present scenario and future of Palestine at JIH headquarters, Dr Khan traced the historical developments behind the settlement of Jews in Palestine and the Israel-Palestine conflict.
According to Dr Khan, it may appear that Hamas is losing ground, but he expressed confidence that while Hamas may be concerned about the damage and loss of life, militarily it remains as strong as ever. He emphasized that Hamas will not succumb to any pressure or surrender, with their arms, ammunition, and military strength still intact inside tunnels. He noted that Hamas has destroyed more than 1,000 Israeli tanks and continues to kill Israeli soldiers daily as they enter Gaza.
He added that Israel is doing everything possible to convince America to get directly involved in the conflict, but the U.S. has categorically stated that it will not engage directly unless Israel faces a direct attack. Dr Khan pointed out that historically, the Western world has done everything to make Israel the most powerful entity in the region while weakening Muslim countries to prevent any challenge to Israel. He remarked that the West never anticipated the rise of forces like Iran, Hamas, Houthis, and Hezbollah, which has left them surprised.
In response to a question about the two-state solution, Dr Khan dismissed it as a “flimsy slogan.” He reminded the audience of the Oslo Accord between Israel and PLO leader Yasir Arafat, noting that Israel and the U.S. never truly accepted it and didn’t allow it to materialize. He argued that whenever there is talk of a two-state solution, it is accompanied by the condition that Palestinians would have no real sovereignty or military force. Dr Khan asserted that when Israel faces difficulties, they speak of the two-state solution, but in reality, they do nothing to support it.
Addressing conspiracy theories about the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, Dr Khan completely ruled out any conspiracy or failure on Iran’s part. He explained that this is not the first time Israel has assassinated Palestinian leaders outside of Palestine and that it would be wrong to point fingers at Iran.
Looking to the future of Palestine, Dr Khan suggested that the Belford Declaration, through which Israel came into being, is now over, and something new is on the horizon. He mentioned that even within Israel, there is concern that no Jewish rule has lasted more than 80 years, and that only five to six years remain before Israel reaches this milestone.
Quoting Surah Al-Isra, Dr Khan affirmed that Israel will be defeated and wiped out one day, and what has been mentioned in the Quran will certainly happen, with a Palestinian state emerging and people entering Masjid Al-Aqsa as they did in the past.
