Maat Reiterates its Calls to Stop Double Standards and Selective Policies in Dealing with the War on Gaza

Okeil: Human rights are indivisible and should not be selectively granted or denied based on group affiliations

Sherif Abdel Hamid: discriminatory policies implemented by these countries will exacerbate hate speech within Western societies

Maat for Peace, Development, and Human Rights has issued a new report titled "Double Standards and Selective Policies: Comparison between Western vision on the War on Gaza and Ukraine." The report highlights the policies adopted by the United States and certain European countries in relation to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. Specifically, it focuses on the selective policies and actions taken against demonstrators calling for a ceasefire and condemning the grave violations committed by the Israeli occupation forces.

The report draws a comparison between these policies and those pursued by countries following the outbreak of the Russian war in Ukraine in February 2022. It emphasizes that the prevailing Western narrative tends to grant Israel the right to self-defense while disregarding the severe consequences of the devastating airstrikes, which have resulted in the killing of thousands of Palestinians, with approximately 70% being civilians, including women and children. Additionally, nearly half of the civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip has been destroyed, making reconstruction efforts a lengthy process.

The report concludes that the United States and certain European countries have pursued a policy of double standards and unfair practices by welcoming demonstrations supporting Israel while calling for a ban on demonstrations in support of the Palestinian cause. These standards are flagrant violation of the rights outlined in international treaties and conventions, particularly the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of opinion and expression. The report also highlights the double standards policies employed by tech companies in handling Palestinian content compared to Israeli content following the war in Gaza. Giant platforms like Facebook and Instagram restricted access to pro-Palestine posts while promoting posts supporting Israel, even if they incited violence.

Commenting on this situation, Ayman Okeil, a human rights expert and Chairman of Maat, emphasized that human rights are indivisible and should not be selectively granted or denied based on group affiliations. Furthermore, Okeil criticized the arbitrary detention of participants in pro-Palestinian demonstrations calling for a ceasefire and an end to the brutal bombing of the Gaza Strip, and called for the unconditional release of these individuals.

Sherif Abdel Hamid, Deputy Chairman of Maat for Research and Studies, expresses concern that the discriminatory policies implemented by these countries will exacerbate hate speech within Western societies. Abdel Hamid advocates for equal opportunities for residents of Western societies to freely express their opinions and urged Western countries, topped by the United States, to immediately cease double standards in their approach to the war in the Gaza Strip. Lastly, Maat calls on tech companies to adopt fair and impartial policies when dealing with Palestinian content on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. It urges them to refrain from arbitrarily dismissing individuals sympathetic to Gaza and to reinstate them in their positions promptly.