Israel should read the European signal well

The recognition of Palestinian statehood by Norway, Spain and Ireland is an important development. The three join a large community of over 140 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe that already recognise Palestine.

But so far, led by the United States, most of Western Europe, Australia and North America had refused to do so on the ground that Israel must be on board first.

The decision by the three European countries is a signal to both Israel and its primary and most important benefactor, the United States, that it cannot be business as usual and that the wait for Israeli agreement on the issue of Palestinian self-determination cannot be endless. It may also represent how most of Europe now views things.

In April, the US used its veto against a UN Security Council resolution for the recognition of Palestine. Twelve of the 15 permanent and non-permanent members, including France, Japan and South Korea voted in favour, while the United Kingdom and Switzerland abstained. China and Russia already recognise Palestine.

The message from Europe is that its patience is wearing thin. Israel's no-holds-barred war on Gaza in retaliation against Hamas over the last seven months has pushed the idea of a negotiated settlement even farther than it was before last October.

The Israeli Defence Forces have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians through actions that the International Court of Justice pronounced as genocidal.

In a year of elections in several countries, publics in Europe and in the United States have been in protest mode against their own governments for supporting the Israeli leadership. 

At this point, recognising Palestinian statehood may appear to have little value on the ground, with both the Palestinian people and its leadership under siege.

Even in the West Bank, where a weak President Mahmoud Abbas, his credibility undermined both by Hamas and the Israeli establishment, presides over a powerless Palestinian Authority, Palestinians are questioning the viability of the two-state solution.

But for all its symbolic value, any acknowledgement of Palestinian self-determination is important, if only for showing up the increasing diplomatic isolation of Israel.

Indeed, one more turn of the screw on Israel came with the request to the International Criminal Court from its prosecutor for arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as against three leaders of Hamas, for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The court is considering the request which, if granted, would turn Netanyahu into the Vladimir Putin of West Asia, a fugitive from international law. But even without such a dire turn, it must be clear to Israel that Netanyahu's exit from the office of Prime Minister is essential to finding a way out of being so humiliatingly equated and lumped with Hamas.