Challenges ahead for the Muslim world.

THIS refers to the report 'Israel, UAE boost ties with free trade accord' (June 1). It is sad to see that the Arab states have turned a blind eye towards Israel's practice of blatant apartheid and to the plight of their Palestinian brethren in the face of brutality unleashed and sustained by the Jewish entity over the last several decades.

This is obviously a choice in their own vested interests as Israel is a vibrant economy and offers abundant opportunities. But does that mean the Arab states should bend their knees in front of an apartheid state that has remained involved in the persecution of Palestinians for decades and is a serious violator of human rights?

The United States, like always, played a pivotal role in the 2020 Abraham Accords to help Israel get recognised by several Arab states, like Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), though they, or at least some of them, had been for long against Israeli annexation of Palestinian territory and demanding its withdrawal from the occupied lands.

It is an extension of this 'normalisation' process that we today see this free trade agreement between Israel and the UAE. This must have hurt the feelings of the Arab people who have stood by the Palestinian cause and for a just and amicable settlement of the dispute.

Since the paradigm shift in the dynamics of global politics has laid a disproportionate emphasis on economic interests, there is no such thing as ethical consumerism, unfortunately.

Individual place in international law dates back to the Grotian times when he propounded the natural theory that focussed on individuals as subjects, but it became obscure with the appearance of the positivist school of thought.

While the rights of victims living in occupied Palestine are not given the requisite sanctity, it is a harbinger of frailties and...