Throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Scandinavian countries, Spain, and much of the Global South, public sentiment has decisively turned against the genocidal war in Gaza and its perpetrators, namely the Netanyahu-led Zionist regime. In the United States, mass protests on campuses and in major cities have demanded an end to military aid to Israel and accountability for actions increasingly recognised as war crimes. Activists, students, and faith-based communities have joined forces to expose the silence and complicity of political, commercial, and governmental elites.
Moreover, in the United Kingdom, public demonstrations and political pressure have intensified. Growing numbers within the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, and civic organisations are challenging the government’s unwavering support for Israel. Spain has seen massive protests in cities such as Madrid, with cabinet members marching for Palestinian rights. In Norway and Sweden, civil society and political groups are pressing for an end to military cooperation with Israel and a move towards formal recognition of Palestine.
Importantly, in the Global South, the gap between governments and their people has become increasingly apparent on the question of statehood for the Palestinians. While many governments remain diplomatically cautious in this part of the world, popular opinion overwhelmingly supports Palestine. South Africa has been especially vocal, drawing comparisons between Israel’s actions in Gaza and apartheid, which it faced at the hands of the racist white minority that ruled from 1948 until the end of the segregationist regime in the early 1990s. As far as the Muslim world is concerned ─ from Indonesia to Pakistan to Tunisia ─ local populations have mobilised against the genocidal war, even as their governments have issued carefully calibrated statements shaped more by geopolitical considerations than popular will.
While recognition alone will not end the conflict, it will reinvigorate the push for a settlement based on mutual recognition, equal rights, and dignity
Noticeably, several European countries have taken tangible steps towards recognising Palestine since 7 October. For example, Norway, Ireland, Spain, and Slovenia extended formal recognition in early 2024, thus contributing to a larger and long-overdue shift in their foreign policy. In theory, 147 of the 193 UN member states already recognise Palestine, spanning Latin America, Asia, and Africa. France and the United Kingdom have more recently signalled that they may follow suit, particularly if Israel fails to halt its military operations and allow unimpeded humanitarian relief. Both countries could make a formal announcement at the upcoming UN General Assembly in September ─ marking a significant diplomatic shift among Europe’s most influential powers.
In the United Kingdom, Labour’s landslide victory brought Keir Starmer to office in July 2024. Initially cautious, he now faces mounting internal pressure to change course. While the party leadership remains close to Washington and aligned with the Trump administration’s pro-Israel stance, a growing faction, particularly those linked to former leader Jeremy Corbyn, demands justice and statehood for the Palestinians. The rise of a new socialist party formed recently by Corbyn and his allies threatens to draw away pro-Palestine voters. Constrained by domestic politics, Starmer has vowed to recognise Palestinian statehood at the UN, but his position appears as much a political calculation as a moral stand. Without clear signals from the White House, 10 Downing Street is unlikely to act unilaterally.
For its part, France under Emmanuel Macron faces a similar political balancing act. His centrist alliance has been weakened, forcing him to rely on coalition partners. The far left, buoyed by youthful, anti-war, pro-justice constituencies, has grown stronger. Macron barely survived the recent parliamentary elections and recognises the need to recalibrate. His announcement to recognise Palestine is both a diplomatic statement and a strategic assertion of European autonomy in the face of growing tensions with Washington over NATO obligations and trade disputes. France thus appears more likely than the United Kingdom to follow through, motivated by domestic survival and an ambition to redefine Europe’s global role.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels. Over the past months, more than a thousand people have been killed and thousands injured while trying to access food. Many of these deaths occurred near aid distribution points or along convoy routes, where desperate civilians have been met with gunfire. Malnutrition and starvation have claimed hundreds of additional lives, including children, as humanitarian corridors remain restricted. The scale of suffering has led to renewed calls for immediate and unhindered access to aid, but relief efforts remain sporadic and perilously unsafe.
Last but not least, recognition of Palestine by France and the United Kingdom, should it occur, would affirm the Palestinian right to self-determination and mark a profound shift in global consciousness. It would challenge the long-standing monopoly of certain powers over Middle East diplomacy and could pressure Washington to reconsider its one-sided approach. While recognition alone will not end the conflict, it will reinvigorate the push for a settlement based on mutual recognition, equal rights, and dignity. At this moment in history, such recognition is more than diplomacy. Indeed, it is a declaration of justice, humanity, and the shared conscience of the international community.
Finally, Donald Trump successfully mediated a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia just recently. Yet, he remains unwilling to broker a permanent truce between Israel and the beleaguered Palestinians ─ a reluctance that continues to cast doubt on Washington’s commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.