By JAMES MARKIN
With the crisis in Gaza caused by the Israeli military’s genocidal onslaught becoming increasingly dire, Israel’s diplomatic standing globally has continued to disintegrate under the pressure from public pressure and social movements across the globe. Nowhere has this been more apparent than in Europe which was once one of the friendliest regions in the world for Israel.
After almost two years of genocidal war, the European public has become increasingly firm in demonstrating its displeasure with European governments’ closeness with Israel. This June, for example, tens of thousands marched against Israel in Europe. In Berlin alone, on June 23, 50,000 marched against the genocide. In August, huge demonstrations were carried out in other European cities like Amsterdam, Madrid, and Geneva.
These protests are significant because they show the outrage of the European working class despite increasingly aggressive repression by European governments in an attempt to destroy the Palestine solidarity movement. For example, at demonstrations in support of the banned group Palestine Action in London, this month, hundreds of protesters were arrested. Similar arrests and police violence against protesters in Germany has become a common occurrence over the last year, according to reporting in the independent outlet Unicorn Riot.
Now, amidst rising reports of starvation and killings at food distribution centers, many European governments have begun to take action to show the public their desire for a “diplomatic solution” in Gaza. Israeli announcements of plans to take over Gaza City and to build another 3400 housing units in the West Bank increased their concerns. In response to news of Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank, the Italian defense minister, Guido Crosetto, publicly mused about the possibility of sanctions. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever had already made similar threats in July along with a push for the EU to take action against Israel. Spain has made a similar push at the EU level. At the same time, the Irish Dáil (Parliament) is preparing to pass the long-awaited Occupied Territories Bill, which would make it illegal to import goods from Israeli settlements into Ireland. Most shockingly, German Chancellor Mertz, a close ally of Netanyahu, has announced that Germany will no longer be approving the sale of “offensive weapons” to Israel in the wake of the new plan. However, Mertz also said that Germany’s basic approach towards Israel has not changed, and it seems clear that Germany still plans to back Israel, although maybe not as much as before.
The most highly touted action taken by European states recently has been the move to formally recognize a Palestinian state. France, Malta, and Portugal, as well as non-European allies Australia and Canada, have announced that they plan to formally take this step at a UN meeting in September.
French plans to “recognize a Palestinian state” and push for a two-state “solution” are no better and are merely cover for a different imperialist plan for Palestine. The documents put forward by France and its allies clearly outline a plan, not for Palestinian sovereignty, but instead for a “demilitarized” Palestinian puppet state
This is clear in the French and Saudi joint statement on the recognition of a Palestinian state that was released on July 29. While the statement does condemn Israeli crimes that it says “long since ceased to have any military or political justification,” it also calls for Middle Eastern states to normalize relations with Israel and to recognize it. In a further statement at the United Nations on the same day, France made clear what political resolution they support in their “recognition” when they stated: “Governance, law enforcement and security across all Palestinian territory must lie solely with the Palestinian Authority, with appropriate international support. We welcomed the ‘One State, One Government, One Law, One Gun’ policy of the Palestinian Authority and pledged our support to its implementation including through the necessary DDR [Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration] process that should be completed within an agreed mechanism with international partners and a set timeframe.”
The most despicable moment in this charade occurred when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined the chorus, saying that he would recognize Palestine in September as well, although he made the recognition contingent on an ultimatum to Israel. Starmer stated that his recognition will occur “unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire, and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution.” Making the recognition of the independence of an oppressed nation contingent on the behavior of their genocidal oppressor is obviously abhorrent, although not shocking when coming from Starmer and the British government.
A plain reading of their statements show that France, Britain and the European imperialists don’t want to create a Palestinian state that truly represents the will of the Palestinian people but rather they want to empower a regime akin to that of the historic Norwegian prime minister, Vidkun Quisling. Quisling, who was the head of the officially independent Norwegian state, in reality was merely the face of the Nazi occupation of the country. Similarly, the Franco-Saudi push for “recognition” of a Palestinian state repeatedly calls for the disarmament and dissolution of all armed forces in Gaza to be replaced by the leadership of the Palestinian Authority, which receives its funding and marching orders from the State of Israel.
The reality is that there is no possibility of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state as long as the Israeli Defense Force remains a heavily armed proxy for U.S. imperialism. The truth of the two-state “solution” is that any “independent” Palestinian state, even if it is not disarmed and directly controlled by Israel, would be completely under its dominance. This is clear from the recent political histories of other neighboring counties, like Lebanon and Syria, which have been totally shaped by Israeli military interference.
The only solution that will allow sovereign Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian states is the destruction of the IDF and ultimately the State of Israel, from which it operates. In its place instead must be created a democratic Palestine with equal rights for those of all religious, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.
