Gaza Shows Us Why Independence Matters

Written by Boban Batrićević

On May 21st, the day Montenegro restored its independence in 2006, one place in the world stands as a stark reminder of what that freedom truly means: Gaza. Unlike Montenegro, Palestine is still struggling for full independence and paying an unbearable price for it.

In the latest war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, over 50,000 people have been killed, with more than 80% of the casualties being Palestinian civilians, according to reputable international media.

The United Nations warns that during Israel’s planned new offensive – already condemned by the UK, France, and Canada – and with the ongoing blockade of humanitarian aid, another 17,000 lives could be lost in the coming weeks, including infants, children, and mothers.

Gaza has become one of humanity’s most painful and deadly wounds. The failure of major Western powers to condemn the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – widely accused of leading a genocidal campaign – has severely undermined the values the West claims to uphold. The European Union’s delayed and inadequate responses, and even the relatively stronger rhetoric from French President Macron, have done little to halt Israel’s assault or affect Netanyahu’s position on the world stage.

No one knows how long this will continue. And no one can say what will happen to the two million civilians trapped in Gaza, or what a post-war recovery might look like. The international community offers no guarantees that Palestinians will be allowed to remain on their land. Some peace activists still hold hope in the conscience of Israeli society, remembering how, four decades ago, 400,000 people filled the streets of Tel Aviv to protest the war in Lebanon. But today, no such critical mass seems ready to act – and the political climate, especially after Netanyahu dismantled the opposition, has changed dramatically.

From a Montenegrin perspective, the suffering of Palestinian civilians evokes memories of the terror Montenegro endured under Serbian occupation and in the years following the 1918 annexation. That’s why, on this national holiday, Montenegro expresses deep solidarity with the victims in Palestine. The principle of self-determination, endorsed by the European Union, allowed Montenegro to reclaim its sovereignty without war or destruction.

Let’s hope that this same right will soon help free the Palestinian people from occupation. Because, truly, the only viable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict lies in the creation of two states, with full recognition of Palestinian sovereignty – including the right to freedom of movement, control over borders, a police force, an army, airports, seaports, and a secure corridor connecting Gaza and the West Bank. Until Palestinians are granted these rights, there can be no peace in the historic territory of Palestine.

Supporting the Palestinians' right to their state does not mean denying Israel’s right to exist, nor does it mean supporting Hamas’s terrorism. Hamas is a direct consequence of Israel’s occupation policies, as many Israeli peace activists have pointed out – though that’s not the most urgent issue today. What matters now is making one thing clear: there must be no support for Hamas’s actions. On the contrary, we must work with Palestinians to dismantle this terrorist organization completely, to prevent future hostage-takings and suicide bombings.

I refuse to believe that there is no one left in Palestine to negotiate with, as there once was with Yasser Arafat. I don’t want to believe that history is doomed to repeat itself – that Israel’s operations in Lebanon led to Hezbollah, and its war with the PLO gave rise to Hamas. Because if Israel continues down this path, what comes after Hamas? A super-terrorist organization with nuclear ambitions? Or perhaps a new opportunity, one more realistic than the Oslo Accords, backed by stronger international security guarantees?

It is the duty of our generation, the one that sees May 21st as the most important date in modern Montenegrin history, to honor the civilians killed in Gaza and support the Palestinian struggle for independence. At the same time, we can hope that the healthier part of Israeli society – the part that is tired of living under the constant pressure of a surveillance-state mindset – will prevail.

This is the Israel that does not see itself reflected in the figure of Benjamin Netanyahu. And we have every right to express this hope, as citizens of a country that maintains strong ties with Israel, a country that, uniquely in Europe, had more Jews living within its borders after the Holocaust than before the Second World War.