Even after genocide and ethnic cleansing, Israel will get its way
By The Taurean
There’s an overwhelming global support for Palestinian statehood, yet Israel is likely to get away with genocide and ethnic cleansing
THE WORLDVIEW
September 13, 2025
THE Palestinian question remains one of the most enduring and heartrending challenges confronting the modern world — a saga rooted in aspirations for justice, sovereignty, and fundamental human dignity. In 2025, a stark truth is clearer than ever: the overwhelming majority of nations support Palestine’s right to statehood and recognition.
Yet, a small minority of powerful countries continues to shield Israel from accountability, even as its actions in Gaza and the West Bank raise grave concerns of ethnic cleansing and potential genocide.
As of this year, 147 out of the 193 United Nations member states have formally recognised Palestine as a sovereign state. This overwhelming tally represents nearly three-quarters of the global community and reflects decades of determined struggle by the Palestinian people to realise their inalienable right to self-determination.
The movement for recognition is not only growing — it is accelerating. Prominent Western nations such as France, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Malta, and the United Kingdom are among those either considering or moving toward formal recognition. When these expected recognitions are accounted for, the number of countries acknowledging Palestine as a state will likely exceed 150, further solidifying the global viewpoint.
What is striking is that only around 50 of these countries are Muslim-majority states. Thus, this is not a question of religious solidarity. The vast majority of Palestine’s supporters come from every region of the world — across Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America — demonstrating that this is, fundamentally, a matter of universal human rights, not sectarian allegiance.
Tiny support for Israel
In stark contrast to this wide-ranging support for Palestine, only a small number of countries — fewer than a dozen — have consistently backed Israel's position at the United Nations. Chief among them is the United States, which, along with a few close allies, continues to oppose recognition of Palestinian statehood and block resolutions aimed at securing justice and accountability.
A doctor feeding a severely malnourished child in Gaza Strip
This imbalance reveals a troubling truth: while Israel commands strong backing from a handful of influential states, it enjoys diplomatic support from only a tiny fraction of the international community. And yet, this minority bloc holds enormous sway over global decision-making, allowing Israel to evade meaningful consequences for actions that, according to leading human rights organisations and legal experts, may constitute crimes under international law.
The toll of conflict
Since October 2023, the situation in Gaza and the West Bank has deteriorated into a humanitarian catastrophe. According to local health authorities, over 64,650 Palestinians have been killed, including thousands of women and children. Tens of thousands more have been wounded, and vast swathes of infrastructure — homes, schools, hospitals — lie in ruins.
Famine looms in Gaza, with its healthcare system on the verge of total collapse. The blockade continues to deny residents access to basic necessities, exacerbating an already dire situation.
On the Israeli side, approximately 2,000 people have lost their lives, and the hostage situation persists. These losses, while significant, must be viewed within the wider context of a conflict where civilian suffering in the occupied territories has reached catastrophic proportions.
Silence and threat of annexation
What is perhaps most alarming is the global silence — or worse, complicity — in the face of such devastation. The United Nations, an institution founded to prevent the horrors of war and mass displacement, finds itself paralysed, caught between noble ideals and the realities of geopolitical alliances.
There is a growing fear that Israel, emboldened by unwavering US support, may accelerate policies that amount to the de facto annexation of Palestinian territories. Legal experts, human rights groups, and UN rapporteurs have repeatedly warned that Israel's actions may constitute crimes against humanity, including ethnic cleansing and genocide, yet meaningful action remains elusive.
At its heart, this is not just a political question — it is a moral one. The fact that over 150 nations, most of them non-Muslim-majority, have recognised Palestine underscores the universal resonance of its struggle. This is not a regional dispute, nor a religious conflict; it is a fundamental issue of justice, rights, and the basic dignity owed to all people.
If the international community fails to act — if it allows power to triumph over principle — then the consequences will reverberate far beyond Palestine. The credibility of international law, the legitimacy of global institutions, and the moral compass of the world itself will all be called into question.
The time for neutrality has long gone. The time for carefully-worded statements and cautious diplomacy is over. The global community must demand a permanent ceasefire, an end to the occupation, and a path toward justice and sovereignty for the Palestinian people.
History will judge this moment. And it will ask whether the world stood by as a people were dispossessed, displaced, and destroyed — or whether it finally chose the side of justice.