THAT the Israeli state marked the 70th anniversary of its creation and the US’s deliberately provocative decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem by massacring more than 50 unarmed Palestinian protesters is nothing short of an atrocity.

It is being described as a clash, but without a single casualty on the Israeli Defence Force, it is more like a one-sided attack.

Since March, thousands of Gazan residents, living under an illegal Israeli blockade, have been protesting for their right to return to their homeland. Israeli security forces have responded violently, killing more than a hundred unarmed Palestinian people, including journalists and children.

Yet, in the face of the bloodshed, too many in the West have been quick to minimise or even excuse the state-sanctioned murder of unarmed protesters.

The White House labelled the innocent lives lost at the hands of Israeli troops as “part of the problem,” as it celebrated its embassy move.

At the same time, the UK government and Labour Friends of Israel blamed the unarmed Palestinian people for daring to protest against their repression.

“In the EU too, the actions of the Isreali Defence Force go unchallenged, with the head of the External Action Service, Ms Francesco Mogherini’s ineffective statement being seen by many as limp, useless and insulting.

Accordingly, Greens in the European Parliament are pushing for an urgent debate and action on the atrocity.

Green MEP Keith Taylor is a member of the European Parliament’s Palestine Delegation.