Over 156 nations now recognise the State of Palestine. Many of the countries included in that number announced their recognition during the still ongoing brutal and deplorable genocide committed by Israel on the Gaza strip and the West Bank. Propaganda produced by Israel and its allies will tell you that their ‘military operations’ in Gaza are necessary to prevent a repeat of the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7th, 2023. In reality, there is no conceivable justification for 85% of the 70,000+ deaths and 200,000+ injured in Gaza being civilian (according to the IDF’s own statistics).
Many of the formal recognitions of Palestine by other nations has come about as a result of, and in reaction to the genocide. International awareness of the Palestinian cause has become mainstream as a direct consequence of the multilateral condemnation of Israel’s actions. There is, however, a tendency for modern discourse of the situation in Palestine to assume a new history; one that begins with the October 7th attacks. Too often, people less familiar with the situation believe that Palestinians and Israelis lived harmoniously, or at least without much issue, until the attack. Of course, this is a deeply incorrect retelling of history. Israel’s crimes long precede the attack on October 7th. As far back as 1948, Arabs have been expelled or forced to flee due to ongoing violence perpetrated by the newly formed ‘State of Israel’, in their pursuit to secure the land they believed themselves to be entitled to, on the basis of Jewish religious affiliation with the ‘Holy land’ of Jerusalem and surrounding areas. These expulsions are well documented, and known to feature massacres of Arab civilians, kidnappings and detentions without due process, and an installation of a surveillance state to monitor the activities of Palestinians, to ensure ‘compliance’ with a horrific regime militarily instilled upon a largely defenceless populous. It cannot be stressed clearly enough, this not a conflict that began on October the 7th. Why, then, had there been so little in defence of Palestine before the recent genocide?
Because it wasn’t politically convenient to support Palestine. As a politician leading a nation, support of Palestine would garner little in the way of advantage. There is nothing the Palestinian people could offer in return. No money, protection, exports or trade. You would also endure a constant onslaught of ‘antisemitism’ accusations by Israel and its allies, on the basis of your refusal to support the actions of the Jewish state.
To support Israel, on the other hand, was a fruitful endeavour. An ally in the Middle East, a great exporter and importer of food and other products, generous donations to finance your next political campaign, and virtually no risk of the aforementioned allegations of antisemitism, which could quite easily tank your political career.
Since the genocide has been laid bare for the world to see, a new set of circumstances is emerging for the world’s premier politicians. Now, supporting Israel comes with distinct difficulties. Pro-Israeli governments face protests with numbers in the hundreds of thousands, demanding they act for Palestine and secure a ceasefire or send aid. Attempts to criminalise and quell this, such as the UK’s proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, have gone largely without success. They face an exodus of supporters for their political campaigns and the withholding of votes by large swathes of the electorate, who refuse to affiliate with a government assisting the genocide. Boycotts of Israeli brands and goods are making trade with Israel increasingly less beneficial. Pressure from human rights groups, large thinktanks and NGOs who all point them in the same direction; Supporting Israel unconditionally and outright is becoming decreasingly tenable.
So, what shall our politicians do to save themselves?
Symbolically recognise the State of Palestine. The perfectly superficial way to do nothing of real value, while virtue signalling sufficiently enough to console the cries of protestors. While this is perhaps a slightly cynical view, and it is true that recognition can be the first step to real, meaningful change, there is very little forthcoming in the way of actual pledges to aid the Palestinian situation. In the face of this new wave of recognitions, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing to ‘finish the job’ and annex Gaza if the newly announced ‘Peace Plan’, proposed by Trump (and begrudgedly Netanyahu as well) doesn’t go through. This is an impossible situation for Palestinians. Accept a peace plan they weren’t consulted on or included in or risk the further realisation of Israel’s threats.
Those of us concerned for Palestine must demand more from our politicians, and not be satisfied by just an official recognition. There must be a real, meaningful ceasefire and following two state solution. Israel’s leaders must be meaningfully held accountable for their crimes. The recognitions are a sign that the pressure is working. If fragrant crimes against humanity perpetrated against people is not enough for you to demand change, consider Aimé Césaire’s ‘Imperial Boomerang’ theory. Governments that develop repressive techniques to control overseas territories will eventually deploy the same tactics domestically against their own populous. For the sake of Palestine, all the other peoples under imperial control, and if nothing else our own sake, we must not allow them to get away with it.
