As Western governments wilfully ignore events in Palestine, they have lost the trust of their own people - and crucially, the Global South

It does not take a genius to spot the obvious contradictions in geopolitical narratives of Western governments and media evident over the past few decades. The US' post-9/11 botched "war on terror", that created a generation of instability in the Middle East, has served as the driver for European countries to lament the subsequent influx of migrants and legitimise the xenophobic desires of far-right parties. More recently, the same states have rightfully isolated Russia for their invasion of Ukraine - despite the similarity to their atrocities after 2001.

Yet in the past three months, they have managed to brazenly exhibit their hypocrisy to an extent that I, and evidently many others, find astounding. And any long-time readers will know I've been more than happy to highlight duplicity of Western countries on this blog, so that should tell you something about how bizarre recent events feel.

Source: UNRWA, via The Wire

In response to the militant group Hamas' terror attack on an Israeli music festival on 7th October, many of the same countries - led by the US - have both financed and supported the Israeli government's attempt at slaughtering what is left of the Palestinian state. At the time of writing, they have killed over 26,000 Palestinians, and by cutting water, electricity and aid supplies to the region, decimated the hope and livelihoods of those remaining in Gaza.

There is a painful irony when a state - created to provide a safe space for Jewish people, the group subject to the biggest genocide in history - is then led by a government that is now committing genocide itself. Much like the distinction between Western governments and people, the differentiation between Israelis and their dictatorial Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is critical. His government, and the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) carrying out the indiscriminate bombings on Palestine, will end up - and probably already are - on the wrong side of history.

As protest after protest has emerged around the world in response to the Israeli government's genocidal actions in Palestine, Western governments still choose to bury their heads in the sand. Despite countless evidence of international law and conventions being brushed aside by Israel, the ailing Joe Biden administration, with support from the hapless Tory party here in the UK and albeit dwindling commitment from other European states, continues to fund and arm Israel.

I suppose when you are above international law yourselves, you can support it, eh? The US' response to 9/11 not only involved messing up the Middle East, but housing and torturing prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, Bagram, and Abu Gharib amongst others. You can bet your life other countries were involved too, but well, the UK government won't ever properly investigate theirs. Convenient. 

How incredible mental gymnastics were on show last year then, when those Western states suddenly believed in the importance of international law for stopping Putin ruthlessly invade Ukraine. How even more astounding then in the last three months, because the law and civilian life doesn't matter any more. It doesn't take a genius to figure out reasons for the stance, for Israel has long been crucial for American foreign policy objectives in the Middle East. But it feels like they're making a severe miscalculation.  

Because this feels a bit different. The war in Iraq was vociferously condemned, but the US at the very least could point to national security justifications. Meddling in and stirring conflicts in the Middle East has caused nothing but problems, but much like the allegations of underground torture, there's always been a plausible cover story to hide behind. The heinous Syrian government were Russian-backed, you see, so arming and supporting rebels made sense. Nothing to do with the oil reserves, promise. To quote a once-viral news clip, "what, whatttt... nahhh, I never knew that!"

While the world witnessed the abhorrent attacks on October 7th, they have also watched on while "revenge", as it was explicitly put by Netanyahu, has been exacted on what Israel deems to be Hamas. The Israeli government clearly believes Hamas are residing in the schools and hospitals within the unrecognised Palestinian state. When their explanations don't make sense, there is always at least one Hamas operative killed, as if that justifies mass murder of innocent civilians. Add in the increasing number of Freudian slips from Ambassadors and supporters and the attempted façade wears off quickly. Besides, after years of illegal Palestinian occupation, revenge was already served before 7th October. It did not need a genocide.

It is no surprise then, that polling of Western Europeans shows ever-decreasing support for Israel's actions in Palestine. In all countries surveyed, well over 50% of the general public believe Israel should call for a ceasefire. Yet their politicians wish to continue this bloodbath, hence why they are shamefully avoiding the term like it's the plague. It was surprisingly refreshing to see Foreign Secretary David Cameron - back in frontline politics seven years after he triggered the chain in motion to create a catastrophic Brexit -  suggest that the UK might recognise a Palestinian state, before this was quickly dismissed by Downing Street.

As young people's faith in institutions like the government has begun to crack - at least here in the UK, where criminalisation of protest and high-profile criminal police behaviour have alienated significant groups of the population - supporting indiscriminate civilian bombing is certainly not endearing. You can't persuade us it's justified, when we can see the impacts of bloodshed happening.

On the global stage too, the stance of the US and much of Western Europe has significant peacekeeping and geopolitical implications. The former is shown through the increasing powerlessness of institutions like the UN, and the latter through the Global South's opinion on the conflict.

In the last week, the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees) has been tainted by Israel's allegations that seven aid workers in the organisation had an involvement with 7th October attacks. The result has been widespread international cut in government funding for the agency, leaving Palestinian aid support, already in a dire situation, in tatters. 

Not content with sponsoring indiscriminate bombing of Palestine, Western governments are now actively destroying the international aid systems that are there to support people affected. I'm sure that will make Netanyahu happy, after all, the Israeli Defence Force have blocked food, water and any medical supplies to many areas in Gaza to support his genocidal ambitions. I'm running out of words to criticise.

It poses wider questions about the UN though, whose Security Council (UNSC) were called to a vote on calling for a ceasefire - that He Who Must Not Be Named-type word - in December after its General Assembly had voted through a nonbinding resolution. If the UNSC were to vote it through, international law and pressure on Israel to stop the bombing would have increased immeasurably. But, (yeah, you guessed it there's a but) the US used their veto power to block the resolution. And the UK abstained, spinelessly.

The veto power in the UNSC is limited to its permanent five members (US, UK, France, China and Russia), with the other members rotating regularly. Russia vetoed a similar resolution about their invasion of Ukraine last year, unsurprisingly. So what hope does it have? These mechanisms exist to give the global sphere a democratic, lawful order, when in reality its only function is enforcing the superiority these countries and their close allies have over the rest of the world. Coloniality is rooted within systems like this, and we are definitely powerless to changing them.

While that is the case, we can't ever really have peace in the way that activists and campaigners envisage it. The tragic by-product of that are civilian casualties, most of which are enabled by this skewed international peacekeeping system.

In the absence of binding international support structures, a country with its own historical scars, South Africa, have taken Israel to the International Court of Justice, arguing that Israel is breaching the UN Convention on genocide with their behaviour in Palestine. The ruling did not call for a ceasefire, but instead ordered Israel to do whatever possible to not commit genocidal acts, and will review this in late Feburary.

Scant difference that may make, but South Africa's stance is an indication of how the rest of the world perceives Israel's actions. 153 countries called for a ceasefire in the General Assembly, and among them are African and Asian states whose geopolitical alliances may shape the rest of the 21st century. 

Amidst US foreign involvement in the past two decades, China have provided a growing economic threat to the US' status as the world power, and that is most likely a threat that they will not be able to fight. Key battles have always centred around been controlling trade routes in the South Pacific, where the US are keen to keep a measure on China, despite their geographical distance. Now, Africa is becoming key.

Xi Jinping's government have augmented their involvement with Africa over the last decade to the extent that they are now Africa's largest two-way trading partner. With instability rife in many African governments and political systems, this poses problems for the US. While the threat of Chinese influence remains, they will be forced to compete with an economic power they no longer have the strength over. 

Many African countries though, don't currently see trade opportunities as an either-or choice between China and the US. Unless something dramatic on the world stage happens. Let me think...

Blind support for Israel committing genocide against Palestine is likely to shift that balance towards China. African histories are already tied to legacies of Western colonialism, when European countries brutally exerted economic and political control that still has remnants today. So when a modern-day repeat is happening, might many reconsider political alliances?

It is by no means certain that China can become the world's superpower, despite their economic strength. But with Africa and other parts of the Global South becoming increasingly significant in geopolitical futures, they may thrive on the opportunity for political gain.

All of which makes Western support of Israel baffling. They are swimming against public opinion, hoping for the tide of support for Palestine to weaken, but in doing so are alienating many. Similarly, continuing support for Israel has enormous ramifications on the international sphere, perhaps irreversibly weakening Western power on the world. 

Undoubtedly most saddening though, is the colossal, life-changing impact on Palestinians, whose already difficult lives under occupation in Gaza have been wrecked by bloodthirstiness of Israeli and Western governments. That is an indelible failure of those governments and the international systems that fail to protect them.