As I write this, Alan Johnston has been held captive for 57 days somewhere in Gaza. Quite rightly his kidnap has caused international outrage and people across the community in Gaza are campaigning for his release. Journalists who work in Gaza do a dangerous job and keep the world in touch with some of the horrors which have been inflicted upon Palestine by the US/Israeli alliance. Just to draw a comparison: most of us have a much grainier picture of the Darfur crisis than of the Palestinian crisis, because Darfur, for reasons of accessibility, is poorly reported on by western media.

Generally speaking, the Palestinian crisis has been widely (if not accurately) reported and this has helped corral activists across the globe to seek justice and an end to the occupation. For that reason, hindering journalists and threatening their security has long been the preserve of Israel, who has most to lose from detailed knowledge of the occupation reaching the outside world.

The kidnap of Alan Johnston has only hindered those on the outside to get information from Gaza, and this has played directly into the hands of the Israeli propaganda machine. Whoever is holding him is no friend of Palestine.

Problem. There are many other kidnap victims in Palestine whose plight is going unnoticed. They are Palestinians kidnapped by Israeli forces and incarcerated without trial, legal representation or adherence to international law. They are victims, and just like Alan Johnston they are innocent. Aerial Sharon admitted that they are not being held on suspicion of any violent activity. It is just a form of collective punishment (illegal under international law).

I am glad that many people are trying to help Alan Johnston. It is great that the EU unanimously backed a resolution calling for his release on the 26th of April, it is great that The United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, called for his release on the 7th of May, and it is great that London Mayor Ken Livingstone and a host of religious leaders from many faiths have also called for his release. The only problem is that this shows the ridiculous double standards of the entire Palestinian crisis. All of this for one (white) man while thousands of Palestinians suffering the same plight are largely ignored.

When it comes to the Middle East, we are not free until we are all free.