Over the past months, the situation in Gaza has reached its final stages. The genocidal Israeli regime, under Benjamin Netanyahu, has openly proclaimed its intention to seize Gaza and the West Bank. While differing claims about the division of Gazan territory are being tossed around, the intent to either kill or displace the Palestinians from their land has been made clear. The plan-of-action, which Netanyahu has referred to as the “Trump plan”, is already under way and will result in untold human suffering. At the same time, with international sentiment shifting, Netanyahu’s gambit may have dire implications for the future of Israel. His actions since October 7th 2023 have been motivated by the sole desire to cling onto power and avoid criminal prosecution for the corruption charges he faces. His decision to publicly align himself with Trump, however, is the final nail in the coffin for his political career. This may provide Muslim countries with a window of opportunity to form a united diplomatic front and dictate the terms which may finally bring an end to the violence.
The United States’ stance on Israel, since its creation, has been one of unconditional support. Through economic interdependence and military cooperation, Washington had created for itself the perfect ally in the Middle East. One which, by its very nature, could never assimilate into the region and turn against American interests. Israel’s parasitic relationship with the United States has allowed the country to survive and thrive in a regional environment that would have broken most other states. The Jewish lobby’s presence in Washington and corporate America is one of the main tools Israel has used to accomplish this and exert its influence on American policymaking to ensure its interests are protected.
While Israel has benefitted greatly from having the global hegemon serve as its security guarantor for the last 70 years, the relationship cannot be considered one-sided. Indeed, American interests in the Middle East are tied heavily to Israeli posturing. The United States has been careful to not involve Israel directly in its military operations throughout the War on Terror so as to maintain its relations with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. The presence of an economically and culturally familiar ally, and a counterbalance to the Muslim countries, allows the United States to exert a level of soft power in the region that it otherwise would not be able to. If, however, its importance to America’s geostrategic interests has caused Israeli leaders to believe the country is indispensable to the United States, this would be a grave mistake. America does not recognize allies or enemies, only interests. Henry Kissinger himself once said, “It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal.”
Trump’s Second Term
Within the first few months of his second term, Donald Trump has brought about a fundamental shift in the way America conducts her foreign policy. Growing more authoritarian by the day, Trump’s newfound capacity to leverage the United States’ military and economic might for his own financial gain is a “mask off moment” for America wherein the transactional nature of her geopolitical dealings has been laid bare for the world to see. Within the span of a few months, Trump has managed to sour relations with both its neighbors to the north and south, as well as its historic allies in Europe. Such is the extent of Trump’s diplomatic blunders that he has even managed to bring about an improvement of relations between China, Japan, and South Korea.
In the aftermath of the Second World War, the United States, through initiatives such as the Marshall Plan, the Bretton-Woods Agreement, and the creation of the Petrodollar system, carefully crafted a new geopolitical hierarchy with itself at the top. Compared to the Empires of the past, the United States understood the importance of keeping its imperialist ambitions under the table and did not opt for a system of rule-by-force. Instead, it chose to create a more stable system of incentives and aligned interests which would automatically influence states within its sphere to follow America’s lead in matters of foreign policy. This system worked during the Cold War, when America and her allies had a common enemy to deter. However, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, cracks have begun to emerge. The German and French hesitance to follow the United States into Iraq was, in hindsight, the first hint of instability within this system. This is what the headlines have been referring to over the past several months when they claim that Trump’s second term has brought about “a fundamental shift in the geopolitical order”.
The biggest impact of Trump’s trade war is that it has shown America’s allies that, despite all the liberal rhetoric about a mutually beneficial economic system built on cooperation, it is more than willing to prioritize its own interests over the health of the geopolitical system it has built. With its allies alienated, Washington has lost much of the soft power that Israel needed to continue pursuing its genocidal ambitions unimpeded. Moreover, by publicly aligning himself with Trump while unnecessarily antagonizing the rest of the Western bloc through inflammatory statements and attacks on their diplomats, Netanyahu has only exacerbated the issue.
Shifting Public Sentiments
Since October 7th and the start of the Israeli offensive into Gaza, public opinion across Muslim countries has been exerting pressure on their governments to act. The BDS Movement, for example, has done wonders in forming an international consensus on the best way average people can exert pressure on Israel through economic means. While governments have been unwilling to act, they have not been able to ignore the political costs of doing so. In Europe, in particular, due to a relatively more left-leaning population and a large Muslim diaspora, public opinion is strongly against Israel. European governments, however, valued their relationship with Washington more than the domestic political capital they would gain through a condemnation of Israel. With Trump’s posturing since he entered the White House, however, this seems to have changed.
The United Kingdom, France, and Canada have issued statements condemning Israel’s latest offensive and the implementation of the “Trump Plan”, which fits all the internationally recognized definitions of a genocide, and have even threatened to impose sanctions on Israel. Even Germany, which has been a significant advocate of Israel in the past, seems to be changing its tone. The message from Europe to Washington is clear; America’s lack of support for Ukraine will translate to Europe cutting off its support for Israel. This is the biggest schism in the Western bloc since Germany and France’s refusal to follow the United States into Iraq and it presents an opportunity for Muslim countries to form a united front and exert pressure on Israel.
Opportunity for Muslim Countries
All the attempts to exert pressure and force Israel to change its course since October 7th have, in my opinion, been misguided. While the boycott of Israeli goods and protests against their actions have been beneficial in some ways, they have not had the backing from governments needed to bring about an effective change in Israel’s stance. The actions of the Trump Administration, however, have brought about a very significant shift in public sentiment on this issue. Where previously the European countries had to strike a balance between managing the sentiments of their public and supporting Washington’s interests, Trump’s actions have disincentivized them from following America’s lead. Now, with little to gain by supporting the American stance, European leaders are incentivized to maximize their domestic political gains by condemning Israel.
If ever there was a time for the Muslim world to unite behind the Palestinian cause, it is now. By exerting diplomatic and economic pressure on Israel, both independently and through international initiatives, the complete slaughter of the population of Gaza may still be averted. Right now, all eyes are on Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to lead this initiative due to their relatively strong relationship with the Trump Administration. Unfortunately, Netanyahu has shown that he is unwilling to change his stance and has established the implementation of the “Trump Plan” as the baseline for a diplomatic solution. This, for obvious reasons, is unacceptable to anyone who believes the people of Gaza deserve their basic human rights. As a result, Muslim countries must capitalize on Europe’s shifting sentiments and translate that into economic and political pressure designed to force Israel to negotiate. Failure to do so will not only result in the wholesale slaughter of Gaza but may bring about the complete disintegration of the idea of a united Muslim Umaah.
- Netanyahu’s Blunder: Souring Relations with Europe - 31/05/2025
