For Israel, a growing discontent among its allies
For decades, Western powers have justified Israel's military actions by invoking its right to self-defence. Since the establishment of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948, and its recognition by US President Harry Truman, it has consistently received diplomatic and military largesse from the US and leading European nations including Germany, the UK and France. The motivations behind this alignment have been both strategic — viewing Israel as a key ally in West Asia — and moral, rooted in the tragic legacy of the Holocaust and the need for a Jewish homeland. Now, more than 19 months into the ongoing war in Gaza, triggered by Hamas's October 7 attack, the foundations of that international support are beginning to crack.
In a joint statement last week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney criticised Israel's military actions in Gaza as 'wholly disproportionate'. The UK has suspended trade talks and imposed sanctions targeting West Bank settlers, while the EU announced that it would review its political and economic relations with Israel. European and Arab nations gathered in Madrid on Sunday in an effort to halt what Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares described as Israel's 'inhumane' and 'senseless' war. In the coming weeks, France and Saudi Arabia are expected to convene a conference in New York to promote the two-state solution. These developments underscore Israel's growing isolation within the international community over its Gaza offensive, despite the widespread sympathy that followed the tragic shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, DC on May 21. Even President Donald Trump, during a recent tour of West Asia in which he notably skipped Israel, has acknowledged Gaza's hunger crisis. The deaths of over 53,000 people (according to the latest estimate by Gaza's health ministry) and the large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure by Israel are increasingly seen as components of a strategy aimed at collective punishment.
Mounting pressure from Israel's international allies, though belated, is welcome. The marked shift in their tone is necessary. By continuing to block humanitarian aid and escalating its military campaign, Israel is inflicting immeasurable suffering on Gaza's civilian population. This strategy will not defeat Hamas — which, according to US intelligence, has already recruited between 10,000 and 15,000 members since the conflict began — and will only fuel further violence and instability. World powers, including the US, need to work together to restrain Israel.
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