For July 2024, I waka enta one kain meeting wit one European Union leader to yarn about di matter wey dey happen for Gaza. But as di man open him mouth talk, di first thing wey comot na, “We [di EU] no get any relevance at all.”

Wetin di man talk dat day shock me well-well because e dey open mouth talk wetin no match wetin European leaders dey talk for public.

As e dey pass him tablet round di table show satellite pictures wey dem don gather of di Gaza areas wey dem don destroy, e talk say: “Israel dey clear di place one by one so Gaza no go fit dey livable again. So as di war finish, di people no go get choice but to comot.”

E still yab di EU for di way dem dey do. “We go give Gaza people food and bandage for morning, then for night we go give Israel bomb. So if people die, dem no go die for empty belle, and if dem survive, dem fit use plaster for dia wound.”

Wetin comot from di talk na di bitter truth: most European governments dey give Israel free hand to continue di war, even if some dey make fake noise say dem wan ceasefire. At most, some EU leaders dey beg Israel make dem “kill less people,” like say make di death no pass 100, so Gaza no go dey for headline.

But e take more than one year after dat meeting before Western leaders begin dey accept di basic truth about di genocide, even if na sugarcoat dem dey use talk am.

But why di vexation start now, when dem don sabi wetin Israel dey plan since?

From di beginning, Israel don make am clear say dem get plan to finish Gaza people and di strategy dem go use – mass killing, starvation, destruction, and ethnic cleansing. Wetin Israel dey do now no be new thing; na di continuation of wetin dem don dey do since.

Where di world dey for di past 19 years of heavy blockade and di plenty military attack wey Gaza don face?

Dis Western way of doing no start for October 7, 2023.

Even before di genocide wey dey happen now, Gaza and Palestine don dey pushed aside and ignored for years. Di UN don talk since 2018 say di blockade wey Israel put don make Gaza no fit dey livable again.

But wetin dem dey talk for di big oga meeting na di Abraham Accords wey no even put Palestinians for mind, or even throw dem under bus.

For long, di only time Gaza go enter headline na when Hamas fire rocket. Di wahala wey Israel dey cause for Palestinians – whether for Gaza or di occupied West Bank – no even dey enter Western media.

For months after October 7, Western leaders dey wave off Israel’s clear genocidal plan as “emotional” or “exaggeration.” Dem go talk say “Israeli society dey trauma and shock,” but Palestinians dey ask, “wetin of our own trauma?”

Even before October 7, over 90 percent of Gaza pikin dem don get PTSD, and majority of di people dey suffer depression. Most Palestinians don survive three wars, ten military attacks, and two ground invasions, but you no go see dem dey make genocidal statements.

Even before October 7, di years 2022 and 2023 na di bloodiest for di occupied West Bank, but for di eyes of di “international community,” Palestinians no get right to fight back, find revenge, or even vex for Israel.

Another excuse wey di West dey use na say if dem criticise Israel for public, e go spoil di ceasefire and prisoner swap talk because Hamas go “harden dia position” and no go gree.

No matter how many Israeli reports show say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu na di one wey dey spoil ceasefire efforts for months, and how Hamas dey flexible, dis same excuse still dey today.

Why di sudden change?

For May ending, Palestinians for Gaza begin get hope as European leaders start dey talk strong against Israel starvation policy. Even Germany – one of Tel Aviv strong ally – break silence talk say Israel war “no fit dey justified again.”

But as Israel attack Iran, di world focus shift go di missile and drone fight between di two countries. European leaders rush praise Tel Aviv attack on Tehran, call am step to stop Iran from getting nuclear bomb.

Underneath all di praise for Israel war on Iran, di aim na to distract di world from di genocide for Gaza. As Israel dey drop bomb for Iran, di genocide matter comot from agenda. My inbox full with cancellation notice for anything wey concern Palestine – meetings, workshops, seminars, etc.

For July ending, di strong talk against Israel return. Germany even stop some military supply to Tel Aviv.

But for all di concern wey Europe show for Gaza, no be sudden moral change or realisation of wetin Israel dey do. Di shift na because of three things.

First, Western leaders dey expect say di talk about Gaza go fade. But Israel overdo and di atrocities dey shift public opinion for di world.

Protests for countries like Netherlands, Australia, and UK dey gather more people. Di word genocide don enter mainstream media despite di effort to cover am up.

Second, Israeli leaders dey talk anyhow because dem feel say dem no fit dey touched. Western leaders dey wave off di talk like “human animals” or “Amalek” as just vex talk after October 7.

But after 22 months of di same talk and di incitement dey clear – like blocking aid or “destroy everything for Gaza” – e hard to ignore di war crimes.

Third, di photos of children wey dey starve to death no fit blame Hamas again, especially as Israel dey proud say dem dey starve Gaza people.

Even di UN and plenty organisations don conclude say di forced famine dey push people to sure death.

Meaningless PR moves

Even when di crimes against humanity dey clear, most Western leaders prefer to use passive voice like “Gazans dey starve/die” instead of “Israel dey starve/kill Gazans.”

Dis na deliberate choice because to call Israel di culprit go mean dem go get legal responsibility to sanction, stop arms sales, and pressure Israel to stop.

Di actions wey dem dey take dey limited and no get real impact. For May, di EU announce review of di human rights clause for dia agreement with Israel, but e no mean anything. Na di third review for 12 months, and di first two don already show say Israel dey guilty.

Germany talk say dem go stop some arms to Israel, but e no hold water. Canada do di same thing for 2024, but by July, weapons still dey flow from Ottawa to Tel Aviv.

Di pattern be say Western governments dey use talk and PR stunts to save face, but dem no dey do anything serious to stop di genocide. Dem dey treat Palestinian suffering as one crisis to manage, no be moral emergency to end.