We’ve reached a tipping point in Western political leaders’ reaction to Israel’s genocidal assault on Palestinians in Gaza. It’s maddening for two reasons: how long it took to get an official response from Western capitals; and how decidedly ineffectual their responses are.
The nightmare in Gaza has been unfolding for 22 months—and Israel’s savage use of violence and punishment of innocent Palestinians has been unrelenting the entire time. Early on, Israel’s genocidal intent became clear as they demolished hospitals, universities, and entire neighbourhoods using 2000-pound bombs; forced hundreds of thousands to flee their neighborhoods and homes; cut off electricity and water and blockedthe entry of food and medical supplies.
All this was known in 2023, and yet no action was taken. Back then, when we called for a ceasefire, the US Secretary of State told me a ceasefire would be deplorable and the US wouldn’t support it. In mid-2024, only the US opposed two ceasefire resolutions in the United Nations Security Council. A third attempt at a ceasefire resolution introduced by the US passed but was never acted upon. President Biden disingenuously said Israel had agreed to this resolution, knowing they had not. The entire effort was simply a public relations stunt.
The bottom line is that the world has long known that this war on Gaza’s people had to end, and yet, other than dead-end UN resolutions, they did nothing. Worse still, they continued to do business with and sell weapons to Israel. So what has changed now?
The pictures of devastation and eyewitness testimonies, long ubiquitous on social media, are now featured in mainstream media. As a result, it’s become more difficult for manufacturers of Israeli hasbara to convince the public that the devastation is exaggerated and the stories of human suffering are fabricated. In most European countries, support for Israel’s actions in Gaza has fallen to less than one-third. Despite Israeli propagandists’ efforts, this sharp decline isn’t due to the large number of Muslim immigrants in Western Europe, nor to antisemitism. European and American publics now know and are horrified by what Israel is doing in Gaza. They’re rejecting their leaders’ lame excuses, who’d hoped that an occasional UN vote of disapproval, expressions of concern, or toothless condemnations of isolated Israeli acts would be a sufficient response.
As the pressure has grown—with pictures of starving Palestinian children and aerial photos of mass devastation now dominating media coverage—Western leaders are struggling to react. Disturbingly, their motivation appears to be a need to be seen as acting rather than actually effectuating change.
For example, the British threat to recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire is, at best, a hollow gesture. The German threat to review cultural and trade ties amounts to the same, as do continuing lame calls for “renewed negotiations leading to a two-state solution” (when all know that Israel has no interest in nor feels any pressure to submit to such an outcome). These gestures are more performative than effective. Even if the entire United Nations (except, of course, the US) were to recognise a Palestinian State, little would change on the ground, except possibly enraging Israelis to take more drastic measures in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
At this point, to end the genocide, save lives, and restore respect for international law and some sanity to the region, Western nations must take concrete steps to punish Israel, demanding changes in policy—an end to the assault on Gaza, a ceasefire and withdrawal of Israel forces, and allowing the entry of international peacekeepers, aid, and reconstruction efforts.
While these steps align with the Arab peace plan, 30 nations meeting in Colombia have gone further, endorsing a proposal designed to end the “the era of impunity…and enforce international law.” Thirteen participants agree to prohibiting the transfer of arms and other forms of support to Israel that enable Israel’s assault on Gaza and violations of law in the West Bank. Calling themselves The Hague Group, they pledge concrete actions “to ensure justice for victims of crimes committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
They’ll bring their compact to the UN in September, urging other nations to join them. Instead of hollow declarations of recognition or calls for renewed negotiations for a two-state solution, this is the reaction needed to end Israel’s crimes.
Dr. James J. Zogby
The writer is the President of Arab American Institute.