A new disincentive for peace in the Middle East

Numerous news outlets around the world reported on a landmark declaration signed on July 29 at the United Nations and supported by the 22-nation Arab League. Among other things, the declaration included a direct condemnation of Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 attack against Israel and called for the terror organization to cease its rule of the Gaza strip, handing over control to the West Bank’s Palestinian Authority. Such a condemnation is a notable first for the Arab League, whose virulent anti-Israel stance extends back to the very beginning of the organization at the conclusion of World War II.

The declaration was produced as part of a conference co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia on the Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution. In the days leading up to the conference, France made headlines around the world by announcing suddenly that it plans to give official recognition to the state of Palestine next month. Although the majority of nation states in the United Nations already recognize the state of Palestine, Western nations, including the EU, Australia, Canada, and the United States, have until now withheld recognition. UN recognition of Palestine has been repeated blocked by the United States, which is a permanent member of the security council.

Questions naturally arise about the reasons for this declaration. Why, all of a sudden, has the Arab League consented to condemn Hamas—a full 22 months after its horrifying attack on Israel? Looking at the broader situation, it appears that France’s unilateral decision to recognize a Palestinian state secured the Arab League’s tepid condemnation of Hamas and its call for new political leadership in the Gaza Strip.

While the imminent recognition of Palestine by France appears to be unilateral and not subject to alteration, its actions have triggered responses from at least two other Western nations, Canada and the United Kingdom. However, unlike France, these nations have imposed conditions for their recognition of Palestine. Put simply, Canada and the United Kingdom are threatening to recognize Palestine as a state unless Israel decides to impose an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This looks to be a move designed to punish Israel for what both nations view as an intolerable scenario—the continuation of the Gaza war in view of its unfolding humanitarian crisis.

These diplomatic moves, whether unilateral (on the part of France), or conditional (Canada and the United Kingdom) introduce dangerous new perverse incentives for Hamas, the brutal terrorist organization ostensibly recognized as such by Western governments. Since the Oct. 7 massacre in which 1,195 Israelis were slaughtered and 251 hostages were violently abducted, the brutality of Hamas has been steadily fading in the West’s conscience.

Israel has repeatedly stated that it would even support the exile of Hamas’ leadership if only they would return all remaining hostages, but the terrorist organization has so far refused, continuing to hold the surviving captives in underground tunnels, in emaciated condition, on the verge of death. Video recently emerged of one hostage, Evyatar David, in a skeleton-like condition, being forced by Hamas to apparently dig his own grave and pleading to the world for help.

The hostages are the only remaining tool of Hamas, itself a spent military force. And what a powerful tool it has proven to be. With it, the murderous organization has brought about Israel’s longest war by far in its entire history, leading to untold suffering for both Gazans and Israelis. By means of the hostages, Hamas has cleverly steered world opinion against Israel and forced the only democracy in the Middle East to make endless painful decisions navigating through its own military strategy, the humanitarian concerns of innocent Gazans, the anguish of Israeli relatives and friends of the hostages, and the fickle support of Western governments.

The great aim of Western leaders, namely, to relieve the evident suffering of the Gazan people, is likely to be further delayed now thanks to their latest diplomatic moves. It is instructive to read the official press announcement from the government of France about its intentions to recognize Palestinian statehood, confidently stating: “Recognizing a State of Palestine today means standing with the Palestinians who have chosen non-violence, who have renounced terrorism, and are prepared to recognize Israel. It means creating the possibility of an alternative for the Palestinians. It means categorically rejecting and permanently isolating Hamas.”

This is entirely backwards. Recognizing a state of Palestine sends a powerful message to Hamas (and also its rivals in the West Bank) that terror, combined with hostage-taking, can be a winning strategy. France and its imitators have apparently forgotten (or refuse to consider) that no sovereign nation will long survive if it simply gives up on its kidnapped citizens who continue to be held in dungeons by a terrorist organization.

Thus, Israel has been forced to continue its campaign in Gaza in order to accomplish its most urgent tasks. It must retrieve its hostages at all costs (those still alive and also the bodies of the deceased). It must also ensure that the terror group that promises to “repeat Oct. 7 many times” does not continue to hold sway over a territory that borders the Jewish state. The United States must continue to stand with Israel and defend its cause.