Navigating Western responses to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict: The need for a new approach

The extent of the solidarity with Palestine took key Western policymakers by surprise as the humanitarian consequences of the war on Gaza became increasingly horrifying

AFP

A protestor holds a sign depicting a Palestinian flag and reading "Spain in solidarity with Palestine" during a demonstration called for the Human Rights to Peace, in Madrid, on December 10, 2023.

Navigating Western responses to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict: The need for a new approach

Bader Mousa Al-Saif

last update on 12 Dec 2023

The war on Gaza exposes a broadening rift between the Arab public, their governments, and the West. It also brings to the fore a sticky inconsistency in Western discourse on the conflict — especially on display during the first days.

In the United States and European Union, government officials initially threw their weight entirely behind Israel’s bombardment of Gaza before shifting gears several days later to express tepid accommodation of Palestinian grievances.

This brief U-turn would last several days before discourse shifted once again to its default mode, doubling down on its usual unequivocal support for Israel.

This curious yet short-lived adjustment is a missed opportunity that nonetheless indicates a better strategy in the West is possible: one that safeguards lives, promotes equal rights, and ensures a pathway to sustainable peace.

Israel’s disproportionate assault on Gaza in response to attacks from Hamas has reinforced Arab, Islamic – and increasingly – rising global commitment to ending Palestinian suffering.

Grassroots mobilisation erupting across the Middle East — and spreading beyond — clearly signals this trend.

Popular protests are taking place in Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Doha, Kuwait, Manama, Muscat, and Rabat, among other Arab cities, demanding an end to Israel’s atrocities and – more broadly – its ongoing occupation of Palestinian lands.

AFP — Moroccans protest in Rabat on December 10, 2023 in solidarity with the Palestinians amid Israel's relentless bombardment of Gaza.

The scale of the Arab public outcry is reminiscent of two momentous events: the Arab Spring and the Second Intifada, when long-simmering grievances led to contestations and change.

The bombardment of a hospital in Gaza, followed by the ground invasion, proved a turning point: most Arab governments began escalating their rhetoric and policies to match the voices of the masses by issuing a series of condemnations.

They also sponsored a UNGA resolution that called for a humanitarian truce and the unhindered provision of aid into Gaza, withdrew ambassadors or implied such a move, toured world capitals to advance a united Arab-Islamic position on ending hostilities, brokered a truce through Qatari-Egyptian mediation; and most recently, the UAE submitted a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Israel's disproportionate assault on Gaza in response to attacks from Hamas has reinforced Arab, Islamic – and increasingly – rising global commitment to ending Palestinian suffering.

Tone shift in Western rhetoric

In the direct aftermath of the 7 October escalation, Western officials laid the blame squarely on Hamas and promised to stand by Israel. On 9 October, the United States and several European states issued a joint statement, vowing to remain united to ensure "Israel can defend itself."

AFP — The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, holds a flyer displaying the portrait of a person held captive by Hamas outside the European Council headquarters in Brussels on December 10, 2023.

On 11 October, as the death toll in Gaza rose to 950, US President Joe Biden doubled down on the rhetoric, noting: "There is no justification for terrorism. Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people's equal right to dignity and self-determination," while making no mention of the loss of Palestinian lives.

A year-old post by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, resurfaced, where she noted: "Russia's attacks against civilian infrastructure (in Ukraine)…cutting off…electricity…are acts of pure terror…and war crimes."

Russia's attacks against civilian infrastructure, especially electricity, are war crimes.

Cutting off men, women, children of water, electricity and heating with winter coming - these are acts of pure terror.

And we have to call it as such. https://t.co/3WY743k1iH
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) October 19, 2022

This message went viral across the Arab world: scathing reposts on X (formerly Twitter) blamed the EU's failure to apply the same standard on Israel given its similar behaviour in Gaza.

Between October 7-14, von der Leyen issued 15 pro-Israel posts on a single social media platform. Humanitarian aid to Gaza made an appearance on her feed on 14 October, seven days after the onset of the escalation, without direct acknowledgement of the Palestinian death toll.

The extent of the global solidarity with Palestine took Western policymakers by surprise. As the humanitarian consequences of Israel's bombardment became increasingly horrifying, Western officials began to temper their message.

Reuters — People hold Palestinian flags during a pro-Palestinian rally in central Copenhagen, Denmark December 10, 2023.

Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs, played damage control, insinuating the moral equivalence of the Ukrainian and Palestinian peoples with the need to keep civilians and basic services of both at bay.

Palestine finally entered the President of the European Commission's lexicon on 15 October, with a statement promising to triple aid to Palestinians, yet still without recognising the thousands of Palestinians killed by Israel, although she did acknowledge other victims (in Israel and Belgium) during the same time.

The same day, Biden reached out to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, reaffirming the "Palestinian people's right to dignity and self-determination," and stressed the need for humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza but fell short of condemning the loss of Palestinian lives.

Western support for Israel has always been rock solid, and expressing occasional sympathy with Palestinians without concrete actions does not change that.

Key Western policymakers have struggled to reconcile their steadfast support for Israel while also addressing Palestinian grievances. An even-handed policy is lacking, but it is undoubtedly the surest way to achieve peace and stability.

The extent of the global solidarity with Palestine took Western policymakers by surprise. As the humanitarian consequences of Israel's bombardment became increasingly horrifying, Western officials began to temper their message.

A more balanced policy is possible

A more balanced discourse and policy to the conflict is possible. Arab normalisation with Israel (outside-in approach) cannot offset the weighted benefits of an inside-out approach that has been the traditional backbone of the peace process.

Ending Israeli occupation while providing guarantees to Israel to bolster the two-state solution remains possible if all parties buy into it. That is a big "if", given Israeli resistance in words and deeds.

Whether the two-state solution lives on or another formula replaces it, a rights-based approach is necessary for the final settlement. And given that Israel is the more powerful party, the onus is on it to exercise responsible leadership and compromise to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution.

We are nowhere near that realisation, especially now with seemingly genocidal acts underway and Palestinians labelled as "human animals" by members of Israel's current ruling coalition.

Arab normalisation with Israel (outside-in approach) cannot offset the weighted benefits of an inside-out approach that has been the traditional backbone of the peace process.

AFP — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) and Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman speak with media members in the Treaty Room of the State Department in Washington, DC, on November 1, 2023.

New Arab party needed to reinvigorate peace process

The relaunch of the peace process is a national security imperative for the region and beyond. The increasing depletion of US goodwill in the region, the failure of the Quartet to advance an alternative, and the limited resources available to Egypt and Jordan — the Arab countries traditionally involved in managing the conflict — necessitates introducing a new party to reinvigorate the process.

Enter Saudi Arabia — the face of a pan-Arab resolution since 2002 when it launched the Arab Peace Initiative (API). The API remains the most realistic blueprint for moving the process forward, especially given Israel's pressing desire for regionwide acceptance.

Triangular discussions between the Saudis, Americans, and Israelis before 7 October are best served if they turn quadrangular by actively including Palestinians of all stripes.

Doing so will merge the inside-out and outside-in methods, shaking the stalemate long haunting the peace process. These steps must be matched with a concerted effort to balance out the rhetoric on the conflict, especially among Western circles.

The ongoing occupation, massacre, and dehumanisation of Palestinians have reached unprecedented levels. The status quo is unsustainable.

The region deserves peace and prosperity; it is within reach if all parties commit to such a vision. Realising – and acting on – the need for new discourse, policies, and actors will break the impasse and pave the path forward.

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