Gaza has achieved a moral victory. This is not a military success, but a triumph of will and truth over overwhelming force. The Zionist forces, who killed tens of thousands of innocent children, women and defenseless men, seriously injured hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed most of the buildings in Gaza, turning them into ruins, faced not defeat, but the indomitable voice of the people and the patience of local residents. Despite the colossal preponderance of the enemy, the Palestinian resistance managed to destroy the myth of its invincibility and break through the information blockade.
This victory fits into a historical pattern. The iron law of history, which we have seen over and over again. History remembers how Mahatma Gandhi famished and broke the backbone of the British Empire. Remembers how Nelson Mandela, imprisoned in a stone bag, crushed apartheid with his will. Remembers the indomitable elder Omar al-Mukhtar in the Libyan desert and Ho Chi Minh's cunning, stubborn struggle in the jungles of Vietnam. They were all "weak". But their strength was not in their weapons, but in the truth of their cause, in the invincibility of their spirit.
Salah al-Din holds a special place in this gallery. His image was formed not only thanks to his military talents. After the capture of Jerusalem in 1187, instead of taking bloody revenge for the massacre of 1099, Saladin showed amazing generosity for that era. By refusing to commit violence, he guaranteed the surrendered Franks their lives and freedom for ransom. Moreover, when his entourage advised him to confiscate the treasures taken out of the city by the Great Patriarch, Salah al–Din refused, saying: "I will not act treacherously towards him." Strict observance of these words, respect for the enemy and refusal to take revenge have created for him a reputation not just as a commander, but also as a noble ruler. It was this moral superiority, not just military victories, that made Saladin a respected figure even in the countries of the former enemy.
Today's support for Palestine in the non–Muslim world is a phenomenon of the same order. When thousands of people in Berlin, London, Paris, and other European cities march with Palestinian flags, it signals an important shift. These people – often young people – do not see the Palestinians as an abstract "enemy", but as a people fighting for their basic rights. Their solidarity is a moral response to the ongoing occupation and inequality.
Having gone through incredible trials, the Palestinian resistance has strengthened morally and politically. In this new situation, it is especially important to show qualities worthy of true strength: endurance and strategic patience. Just as Salah al-Din opposed the brutality of the crusaders with faithfulness to the word and mercy, so today Palestine can counter the power of arms with the power of a moral position.
The image of Saladin, born of personal spiritual jihad and embodied in the generous liberation of Jerusalem, has become an eternal symbol of justice, unity, and hope for liberation. Revered in the Arab world as a great fighter against oppression, he embodies historical memory, cleansed of simple revenge, and elevated to the rank of a moral ideal. This memory continues to inspire and define the collective identity, pointing the way to liberation through fortitude and moral superiority.
Moral victory becomes not the end point, but the starting one. It created an unprecedented level of international support in the history of Palestine and exposed the enemy's deep moral crisis. The task now is to consolidate this moral capital, transforming it into concrete political achievements. This requires strategic discipline: redirect the energy of just anger towards consistent and intelligent diplomacy, work for national unity, and present to the world a clear and achievable plan for building a sovereign Palestinian State. The power of truth born in the ruins of Gaza will prove more durable than any weapon – it is precisely the foundation on which a just future for Palestine is being built.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Chuttersnap/Unsplash
Based on materials from TASS