Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest – serving prime minister, may not admit it, but he’s at his wit’s end on the Gaza situation. Fondly called Bibi, Netanyahu has seen it all in service of the Jewish State. His public career has spanned over 40 years, starting from 1984 when he became Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations. He has served as cabinet minister twice and is presently on his fifth coming as prime minister. In all, Netanyahu has chalked up 18 years as head of Israel’s government, largely marked by robust economy and foreign policy strides.
A slice of irony then, that at 76, on what is probably the last lap of his race, the stakes suddenly are turning against him and his country. The complexities of the Gaza war have created hitherto unimaginable resentment for Israel. Netanyahu’s response to the new opposition ranged up against Israel is itself problematic. It should be in Israel’s greater interest to ease out Netanyahu’s leadership now.
It cannot be overemphasised that the humanitarian situation in Gaza ought to change immediately. The scale and depth of human suffering is intolerable. Civilian death toll has been exceedingly high, even by conservative estimates. Infrastructure destruction is so pervasive that parts of the Gaza Strip now look like scenes from the middle ages. With hospitals and public services no longer functional in any meaningful sense, life is typically “short, brutish and nasty.” The weaponisation of hunger in Gaza is condemnable. This pattern of collective punishment appears to have spurred the widening anti-Israel coalition on the international scene.
It’s nothing short of a jolt to find an ever increasing number of European countries announcing punitive measures on Israel on account of the Gaza war. But of all the counteracting steps taken by the anti-war group, the one that has reverberated across the globe would appear to be the unilateral recognition of state of Palestine by these States. At the same time, this decision is fraught with controversy. And there are legitimate concerns whether this move and some of the other sanctions being canvassed against Israel are really solution to the conflict.
Addressing the tragic humanitarian condition in Gaza ought to come first before other measures. Brokering a ceasefire has always been complicated, daunting, long drawn. It took so much efforts and countless back and forth shuttling by mediators to cobble the temporary truce recorded twice in the two-year war. The sudden collapse of those pauses is a sober reminder of the fragility of ceasefire.
And so, while the processes of a stable ceasefire are being pursued, relief efforts to bring food and healthcare to the population should be first priority. But that is not the case. Arab and Islamic governments railing at Israel over the Gaza war is not surprising, given where they’re coming from. But it’s a different ballgame when European and Western countries are in the forefront of an angry campaign against a democracy – practising Israel. As many as eleven countries of note, namely, Spain, France, Ireland, Britain, Luxembourg, Malta, Canada, Portugal, Australia and Belgium recently declared recognition of Palestine as a consequence of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. “It falls on us to do everything in our power to preserve the possibility of a two – state solution,” French President, Emmanuel Macron said at a September 22, 2025 summit where he announced France’s acceptance of State of Palestine. Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, whose government is among the fierce opposers of Israel put it bluntly and dramatically: “The Palestinian people are being annihilated. We have to stop this slaughter.”
Jerusalem’s reaction to the string of recognitions was one of disappointment, feeling of betrayal and defiance. Except for a minority of Israel’s political class and population, much of the Jewish society shares the feeling of betrayal. Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s frustration at the development overflowed at the UNGA on September 26, 2025. In a blistering address, he described the pressures on Israel as a show of shame. “Your disgraceful decision will encourage terrorism against Jews and against innocent people everywhere.”
If anything, Jerusalem expected a pat on the shoulder for pushing back on the plot against Christian – western civilisation. Indignation, then, is the better word to express the disposition of Israel’s leadership. The sense of persecution and injustice can be traced to certain considerations. First is that Hamas’ responsibility for the war is being overlooked. It was Hamas’ terror crime of October 7, 2023 that ignited the war. The effect of making Israel a scapegoat of the cost of war is taking off from Hamas the repercussion of being an aggressor.
Perception is of significance in conflict management. The timing of the latest round of recognition is such that the success will, at least, be partly associated with Hamas and the smaller terror groups in Gaza. This diplomatic accident creates opportunity for terrorism laundering. At the same time, it inspires the continued growth of terrorist violence. Meanwhile, the flag – raising proclamations bring no protection, food, nor medicine to the victims of war. A downplayed factor in the push against Israel is geo – politics.
Signs of the West’s compromise on terrorism were not long in coming. As early as January 2024, just three months into the war provoked by Hamas’ massacre of 1200 defenceless Jews and abduction of hundreds of others, politics had begun to creep into interpretation of the conflict in Europe and the United States. Left – leaning governments and politicians were the first out in the streets.
They launched a subtle revisionism of the terror assault, calling Israel’s counter response “disproportionate.” The bug caught on quickly at university campuses, trade union circles, in cities and districts reshaped by demographics of diversity, and not least, among activists who see protest marches as the greatest virtue ever. When their chants of ‘End the War!’, ‘Free Palestine!’ didn’t seem to be getting the desired attention, they began a witch-hunt of Jews. Aided by a populist – seduced media that flinches from calling Hamas terrorists; that would not produce features and documentaries on the plight of hostages, the movement increasingly went rabid.
Jewish – linked worship places, schools, restaurants etc were attacked in delusions of righteous anger at suffering of Palestinians. The monologue of ‘Stop the Genocide!’ continued to rise even as Israel faced existential threats from Iran, the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon simultaneously as it battled Hamas.
The West’s susceptibility to a rival world order has also been long in the making. Geo – politics could not be more assertive than in the marriage of 57 Islamic majority States and 22-member Arab League. This is the ideological and economic bloc Israel contends with on the Palestinian cum Middle East question. It’s a power house with spread and influence in the international space. Aside the leverage of numbers, oil and gas resources constitute another bargaining chip of the Arab – Islamic solidarity. Another is geographical control of international shipping routes. No less significant is the continued erasure of Christian heritage. The West currently stands at the junction of neopaganism. And with it, has come loss of sense of fundamental values.
These are some of the factors making the West pander to the anti – Israel interests. Spain’s conduct is not informed by morality or any higher principles. Spain, which brutally suppresses Catalan’s independence agitation and clings to colonial outposts in Morocco’s territory, lecturing Israel on right of statehood is a mockery of decency! It’s similar absurdity in Britain’s activism against Israel while Britain occupies the Falklands next door to Argentina. Where is the conscience of the anti – Israel West as China intensifies moves to seize Taiwan? Why are the righteous demonstrators in Europe and America not protesting Russia’s unrelenting bombardment of poor Ukraine?
Israel, therefore, takes exception to the new direction and tone of the Gaza conflict by those who should know and do better. Yet, reality cannot be ignored. Human society is sometimes not fair in conduct and measures. The amalgam of forces mobilising against Israel is enormous. The state of Israel cannot live in isolation and should take steps to regain cordial relations and diplomatic goodwill. This requires some adjustments in leadership approach. Netanyahu has achieved so much for Israel, marking the latest phase with impactful blows on the nation’s adversaries on six fronts simultaneously. Israel will do well to usher in new leadership to navigate through the current challenges.
Afuba is a veteran journalist and public affairs analyst.
