Buckling west

It is western liberalism that has sustained liberation movements and unfortunately among which is terrorism under the guise of ‘free Palestine’. This has again become evident after United Kingdom’s recent decision to recognize Palestine as an independent nation which has come as a blow to embattled Israel and its hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At a time when he seeks moral support from the West, the move has only deepened his sense of isolation. Already feeling abandoned by France, Australia, Belgium, and Canada—nations that have extended recognition-Netanyahu now finds Britain joining the ranks, further complicating Israel’s war calculus.Yet the issue is larger than diplomatic recognition. The grim humanitarian crisis in Gaza dominates the world’s conscience. The Israeli Defence Force’s daily bombardment has resulted in the deaths of scores of civilians-women, children, and the infirm-leaving images of devastation that even the staunchest allies of Israel cannot ignore. The United States has repeatedly urged Netanyahu to scale down the offensive, but Israel insists its conditions remain unchanged, that – Hamas must first release all remaining hostages seized on October 7, 2023. On that day, Hamas stunned the world when its fighters stormed into Israel, killing nearly 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, and taking 251 hostages. Their stated goal was to force Israel to free Palestinian prisoners. While some captives have been released, around 30 remain. For Netanyahu, conceding to Hamas’s terms would embolden the militant group and allow it to regroup. Destroying Hamas, he argues, is not merely about hostages but about dismantling an organization propped up by Iran, Iraq, Qatar, and Yemen-actors waging a proxy war against Israel. Netanyahu’s predicament is a classic Catch-22 situation. The world condemns the civilian deaths in Gaza, but Israel points to evidence that Hamas routinely uses innocent Palestinians as human shields, embedding fighters and weapons in schools, hospitals, and residential areas. This grim tactic leaves Israel with the choice of either allowing Hamas to operate freely or striking at the cost of terrible collateral damage. For decades, Western nations have backed Israel in the belief that its security was tied to regional stability. But their sudden shift-recognizing Palestine in the middle of a war-amounts to little more than half-measures that neither restrain Hamas nor resolve the conflict. By stepping away now, these governments risk hardening Israel’s resolve and pushing Washington to double down on its support for Netanyahu’s vow to “finish the job.” A crucial distinction must be made that Palestinians are not synonymous with Hamas. Gaza’s civilian population has become the greatest victim-trapped between Hamas, the militant organization that exploits them and an Israeli campaign determined to destroy its enemy. The world, in its rush to signal support for Palestinian statehood, must not ignore this reality. Peace will not come from symbolic recognitions or condemnations. It begins with the unconditional release of all hostages, followed by an enforceable ceasefire brokered by the United Nations or neutral powers. Anything less is to reward terrorism and invite its spread beyond the Middle East. If the world fails to draw a clear line between legitimate aspirations for statehood and the actions of terrorist organizations, it risks nurturing a threat that could one day endanger global peace itself.