What happened to the pro-PALs after the peace in Gaza?
What happened to the pro-PALs after the ceasefire in Gaza? Five days have passed since the agreement between Israel and Hamas, thousands of Palestinians are returning to the north of the Strip, where there is now only destruction, yet they are happy to return home. The images of a tormented population celebrating, evenings ago, after the announcement of peace, should be worth everything. And they are worth everything, but evidently not for those who have made the Palestinian issue their ideological flag.
If it took Landini less than 24 hours to organize a national strike after the (announced) blockade of the Flotilla, almost a week after the end of this humanitarian catastrophe – which, let’s remember, was the “focus” of the activists – all is silent. Or almost. The Italian squares remain empty after the last maxi procession in Rome, last October 4 – when Gaza was still under siege -, if it weren’t for a dozen demonstrators who yesterday, in Milan, protested in front of the town hall, trying to force the barriers to enter, after the Council decided not to interrupt the twinning with Tel Aviv. Out of focus, but in the front row. As well as those who oppose the Italy-Israel match, which will be played tonight in Udine for the qualifiers for the next World Cup, with marches ready to reach the Friuli stadium. No demonstration to finally celebrate the objective that was advertised as wanting to be achieved at all costs, and for which Western governments were accused of being “accomplices” of Netanyahu.
Fight against Israel, the new priority
The opposition leaders, however, from Schlein to Conte, overcame the impasse by showing up on Sunday at the more ‘Christian Democrat’ Perugia-Assisi Peace March, where the Palestinian and Israeli flags even flew intertwined. Also parading were the parliamentarians who were on the Flotilla, the secretary of the CGIL Maurizio Landini and the other great protagonist of these fiery weeks, the UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who in any case is not happy with this peace. Just as it does not sit well with many activists and journalists who for months have denounced the extermination of the Palestinians and now, faced with a historic peace, remain silent. Or rather, some remain silent, while others have gone straight to Israel’s trial. The new media priority.
A Serie B peace
Not to mention social media. Apart from the pages of the main national newspapers, the resonance of this peace is almost nothing compared to the uproar of Instagram stories and posts about the atrocious slaughter of Israel. Indeed, it is much easier to find accusations and sentences here too, against a pessimistic and demolishing background that only casts shadows on a ceasefire that has been invoked for two years.
This cold reaction, in some cases almost annoyed when faced with an agreement that saves the lives of many other innocent victims that we would continue to count, is proof that often more important than the story is who tells it. Marco Travaglio wrote well: “If the plan bore the signature of Biden or Harris or some other ‘good guy’, that would be a Nobel-worthy historical fact. Like Obama, Al Gore and even the EU. Instead the bad stinker signed it: so it’s fake, it doesn’t last, tomorrow we’ll start shooting again. So the good guys and the bad guys each go back to their assigned place.”
Everyone cheering from their own corner, when what counts, at least in the face of human tragedies, should only be the final result.
