Across Australia and around the globe, millions of people are outraged by Israel’s slaughter in Gaza and the West Bank. Their outrage is now compounded by despair that Israel has been given a blank cheque to ignore international law.

People are asking, “How does this happen?”, “Why is the UN impotent?”, “Why are so called civilised states frightened to act?”

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An answer to the last question includes an international relations history of perceiving Israel as exceptional, as being above the law.

But faced with the Israeli abominations in Gaza, a few world powers have, at last, ceased treating Israel as exceptional.

Canada, France and Britain have threatened concrete actions against Israel, including sanctions, unless it halts military offensives and lifts aid restrictions in Gaza. These countries have called on Israel to stop its “egregious” expansion of operations in the strip.

In a campaign for life and justice for the Palestinians, it would be wise to anticipate the Israeli accusations that criticising their policies serves to support their enemies.

Israel says its military policy only aims to destroy Hamas, never to harm civilians, hence the claim that countries who dare to oppose Israel are supporting terrorism.

To save Palestinian lives by intervening against the Israeli military, the........

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