Pro-Palestine activists could not put an end to Israel’s genocide, but managed to shift the public opinion on the conflict. By Majed al-Zeer ( The Chairman of European Palestinian Council for Political Relations (EUPAC) The suffering of the Palestinian people, which began with the Nakba and the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, reached brand new depths in the past 15 months. More than 46,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and more than 110,000 injured in Israel’s continuing genocide in Gaza. More than ten thousand others are missing, arbitrarily detained, or known to be buried under the rubble of their destroyed homes. Israel’s relentless attacks have not spared homes, schools, and even hospitals in the besieged Strip. Hundreds of thousands of survivors, pushed out of their homes and into makeshift tents in so-called “safe zones”, are facing indiscriminate air strikes, daily massacres, disease outbreaks, hunger and harsh winter conditions with no end in sight to their misery. Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are also under attack from Israeli forces and lack most basic rights and freedoms. Palestinians document the atrocities committed against their people by Israel one by one and share them with the world in real-time for everyone to see. South Africa has launched a genocide case against Israel at the World Court, backed by a large variety of countries including Mexico, Brazil and Turkiye. The ICC has also taken action against Israel, issuing arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The global public is also clear in its support for Palestinians, with tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protests, vigils and sit-ins held across the world, attracting support from millions of people from all walks of life, since the beginning of the genocide in October of 2023. Despite all this, however, Israel appears able to continue its crimes openly and with impunity. This is because its Western supporters and benefactors, especially the United States, turn a blind eye to all of Israel’s excesses, and refuse to acknowledge – let alone punish – its blatant violations of international law. Washington particularly, as the main supplier of arms, bombs and other military equipment to Israel, has not done anything to help end the genocide in the past 15 months. On the contrary, it has done everything in its power to shield Israel from accountability. For example, it has used its veto power four times, most recently on November 20, to prevent the UN Security Council from passing a resolution demanding a ceasefire. It also voted against the UN General Assembly resolution, supported by 154 member states, calling for an immediate end to Israel’s war on Gaza. It is also attempting to punish the ICC for issuing warrants against Israeli leaders, with the House of Representatives passing a bill to sanction the court. As such, it seems as long as the US military, political and financial support for Israel continues, there is nothing supporters of Palestine can do to bring the suffering of the Palestinian people to an end or ensure that their basic human rights are respected. Thankfully, however, the past 14 months were not marked only by losses and disappointment. Supporters of Palestine have also scored important political, legal and electoral victories in this time. Most importantly, despite the world’s inability to put an end to Israel’s genocide and lawless occupation, the Palestinian cause has more support in the global public square today than ever before. Israel is becoming a pariah. And this matters. Indeed, even in America, where politicians seem committed to protecting Israel at any cost, people have regularly taken to the streets to demand an end to the brutal war on Gaza’s population. American universities, from coast to coast, have been taken over by Gaza solidarity encampments. While most of these protests were crushed with force with many of their participants severely punished, they still managed to show the world that American people do not support genocide. They also made American people pay attention to what their country is funding in Gaza and helped shift the public opinion against the genocide. In Western Europe, another traditional support base of Israel, Palestine has also started receiving unprecedented support at both official and grassroots levels. Sure, the European dependence on the US and Israel’s historic ties to and extensive lobbying investment in most European nations, means official support for Israel’s war is still strong on the continent. The German government, for example, has been unwavering in its support for Israel since the very beginning of the genocide, and to this day supports and defends all actions of the Netanyahu government. But pro-Palestinian and anti-genocide voices gained significant prominence across Europe’s political, legal, media, entertainment and economic sectors, as well as in unions, academia and among students, gradually moving several European governments and leading institutions to stand for international law and Palestinian human rights.According to the data gathered by the European Palestinian Information Center (EPAL), there have been more than 26,000 demonstrations and other activities in support of Palestinian rights in 619 cities across 20 European countries during the first year of the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza. In response to this growing call for justice in Palestine coming from the European public, European governments are starting to slowly show support for the struggle. Belgium, Ireland and Spain officially sided with South Africa in the genocide case against Israel. Spain and Ireland also recognised the Palestinian state, bringing the number of EU nations to do so to 10. French President Emmanuel Macron has called for an arms export halt and the UK has suspended some licences. Ireland has been so vocal in its condemnation of the genocide that Israel has recently decided to close its embassy in the country. In electoral politics, despite the over all rise of the right and obvious successes of right-wing parties in various elections, supporters of Palestine have also made significant gains across several European countries in
