It’s safe to conclude that the Palestinian cause has never had a larger profile worldwide. During a high-level meeting of heads of state on a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that his country had joined the growing number of Western nations that now recognize a Palestinian state. The fact that Palestine is so high on the list of priorities for world leaders is a win in and of itself. Tuesday also marked the beginning of the General Debate of the 80th session, which is perhaps the UN’s most important event where world leaders give remarks before the UNGA. Following last Sunday’s recognition of Palestine by the UK, Australia, and Canada, France has now done the same. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory explicitly declared that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza one week prior to its recognition.
Last year, Slovenia, Norway, Ireland, and Spain had already made the similar move. One observes that the United States’ stance of refusing and even punishing Israel’s recognition has made it a minority position even inside its own alliance system. The Israeli strike on Qatar earlier this month drew a rare US condemnation, but nothing more. In some ways the US has become even more stubbornly pro-Zionist, with President Donald Trump slamming the recognitions by his allies as ‘rewarding Hamas’ and reportedly mulling sanctioning the entire International Criminal Court. This is in addition to his administration’s constant vetoing of every ceasefire resolution. The United States only issued a rare rebuke for the Israeli strike on Qatar earlier this month. With President Donald Trump denouncing the recognitions by his partners as “rewarding Hamas” and apparently considering punishing the entire International Criminal Court, the US has in some respects become even more obstinately pro-Zionist. Additionally, his administration often vetoes ceasefire resolutions. Trump is scheduled to meet with Muslim leaders, including the prime minister of Pakistan, to deliver a new peace proposal for Gaza, but considering his prior remarks and deeds, one cannot hold high expectations. Furthermore, the alleged “peace plan” seems more like a colonization strategy. Protests and demonstrations have much more to give the Palestinians than vacuous acknowledgements and condemnations supported by scant action, especially because the most powerful military in the world is not on board and even those who are are not always constant in their support.
Scenes like the ones that occurred in Italy on Monday, where dockworkers blocked Italian ports to help stop arms exports to Israel and demonstrators brought nearly the entire country to a halt, are far more impactful. In addition to hitting the Zionists where they hurt—in the economy and business—these measures will win over more hearts and minds than any prime minister could. Importantly, they also connect the Palestinian struggle to significant local movements like workers’ rights and trade unions, elevating Israel’s genocide beyond a “foreign issue” and integrating it into progressive local politics. People who are accustomed to opposing oppression in their own nations have demonstrated a greater propensity to denounce persecution overseas and pressure their governments to follow suit. That could be the Zionists’ weak point in a world that is becoming more interconnected by the day.
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