Palestine and the politics of low effort

The United Kingdom, France, Canada, Australia, and Portugal all officially announced that they would begin to recognize a Palestinian state. This new arrangement has been criticized as shallow and will have little impact on the ground in Gaza, as the United States still firmly remains committed to backing Israel. 

The announcements will likely cause vivid reactions in the region however, as Israel could escalate tensions in the West Bank in response, expanding the crisis and worsening global opinion against itself further. Increasing public anger was a major cause behind Western government’s decision to recognise Palestine, and with this same anger growing in the U.S., American policy after Trump could take a dramatic turn. 

The UN says genocide 

The war in Gaza has dragged on for two years, leaving about 65,000 Palestinians dead and much of the territory in ruins. Israel launched the invasion after Hamas’ deadly incursion, which killed some 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 251 hostages. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had framed the war as essential to defeating Hamas and freeing the captives, yet most hostages were released through diplomacy, not military action.

While Hamas has been severely weakened, it has not been eliminated, and civilians in Gaza continue to endure bombardment, hunger, and devastation. Alongside South Africa’s ongoing genocide case against Israel at the International Criminal Court, a separate UN commission has now concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.