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• In Gaza, the bombs are still falling. But in Europe, a political awakening is taking shape. If sustained, it could signal the beginning of the end for Israeli exceptionalism

The author is a geostrategic analyst and freelance columnist on international affairs.

ISTANBUL

It’s taken a genocide and the stench of collective complicity for Europe to begin stirring from its torpor. But it has stirred – albeit reluctantly, haltingly, and with a hand still trembling on the lever of historical guilt. Nearly 20 months into Israel’s unrelenting assault on Gaza, Europe's once-unwavering consensus around “support for Israel’s right to defend itself” has begun to fray. What's unfolding is more than a geopolitical realignment; it's a moral awakening laced with belated introspection. European leaders, long smug in their self-perception as guardians of human rights, are now being haunted by the gory residue of their selective silence.

For decades, Europe acted as a passive patron to Israel’s colonial project, offering muted criticism even as Palestinian land steadily shrank under illegal settlements, checkpoints, and airstrikes. But the images out of Gaza – hospitals pulverized, infants buried beneath rubble, emaciated civilians clawing for crumbs – have punctured the armor of European detachment. The once-invincible justification of Oct. 7, 2023 now rings hollow in the face of more than 54,000 Palestinian deaths, the vast majority of them civilians.

European capitals are witnessing not only mass protests but also a profound fracture in the prevailing narrative. From Berlin to Dublin, Madrid to Paris, anti-Israel demonstrations have swelled, capturing the sentiments of ordinary citizens who refuse to accept that a civilian massacre can be waved off as "collateral damage."

This isn't a sudden surge of anti-Israel sentiment – it's the long-overdue reckoning with decades of deliberate amnesia. European states were never neutral players. Britain’s imperial legacy effectively granted Palestine to the Zionist movement. Other European nations stood idle, nursing post-Holocaust guilt but blind to the fresh catastrophe taking root. The Holocaust endures as a profound and haunting wound on Europe’s conscience. But invoking it to shield Israel from accountability is not only intellectually dishonest – it’s morally repugnant.

Now, some European countries are inching toward a new position. Spain, Ireland, and Norway (though not a formal EU member) have recognized Palestine as a state. The UK and France are hovering on the brink. Yet even this symbolic shift comes cloaked in timidity. Israel has responded with predictable bombast: threatening annexation of more West Bank territory should Britain or France dare to recognize Palestinian statehood. Israeli far-right Cabinet ministers openly boast of their expansionist ambitions. The line between rhetoric and reality disappeared long ago. What persists is Europe’s collective unwillingness to act.

A question of accountability

There is a smoldering irony in all this. The European Union – established as a monument to the principles of peace and cooperation – now finds itself unable to confront a member of its privileged trading club for waging war on a captive population. Yet slowly, cracks are appearing. The EU has begun reviewing its association agreement with Israel – a pact that has long granted Tel Aviv generous economic privileges, including tariff exemptions, access to funding, and partnerships in research and development initiatives.

Behind the veil of diplomatic language, this agreement has effectively bankrolled Israel’s occupation – granting trade privileges while ignoring war crimes. Article 2 of the agreement speaks solemnly of human rights. But Europe never enforced it. Now, with famine looming and international courts issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials, the logic of inaction is becoming indefensible.

The reality is simple: if Europe genuinely believes in a rules-based international order, it must impose tangible consequences. Three steps are imperative. First, recognize Palestinian statehood – not as a diplomatic flourish but as a political imperative. Second, enforce sanctions on Israel, including an arms embargo and targeted trade restrictions. And third, support international investigations into war crimes and genocide in Gaza.

Of course, these measures will provoke a furious backlash from Israel and its defenders. Accusations of antisemitism will fly thick and fast – as they always do. But these tired reflexes are losing potency. Jewish voices across the globe, including those in Israel, have condemned the Gaza campaign. The conflation of Israel’s actions with Jewish identity is increasingly rejected even by those it supposedly represents.

The truth is, Israel is no longer afraid of losing its moral standing. It has already forfeited that currency. The indiscriminate killing of journalists, medics, and aid workers – all with impunity – speaks volumes. Israel’s leaders understand the world sees them clearly now. They simply do not care. What they might care about, however, is economic pain. The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, accounting for nearly a third of its total trade. Israeli goods flood European markets under favorable conditions. European capital flows into Israeli firms, particularly in the tech and defense sectors. This is not an incidental relationship – it is a lifeline. Sever that lifeline, and the calculus in Tel Aviv begins to change.

Already, the economic tremors are being felt. Israeli small businesses are collapsing. Labor shortages, exacerbated by widespread military conscription, are crippling productivity. Boycotts are biting. Analysts warn of a looming financial "shock wave." A suspension or revocation of the EU-Israel agreement would not just bruise the Israeli economy – it could break it. Which is precisely why Europe must act. This is not about vengeance. It’s about leverage. The war in Gaza will not end because of high-minded speeches or carefully worded resolutions. It will end when average Israelis realize their economy, lifestyle, and global integration are at stake. Only then might a critical mass of citizens begin to question whether flattening Gaza is worth the price.

Moment of truth

None of this will be easy. The EU is a fractured entity. A unified policy toward Israel is difficult when fewer than half its member states even recognize Palestinian statehood. But history won’t remember how hard it was – only whether Europe finally mustered the courage to align its values with its actions. Decades ago, the Venice Declaration acknowledged Palestinian rights. Since then, the EU has outsourced the peace process to Washington, bankrolled the Palestinian Authority, and lamented Israeli excesses from the sidelines. That era must end. If the United States is retreating from international law, Europe must advance. If America offers Israel impunity, Europe must offer accountability. This is the moment for the EU to reclaim its role not as a mere economic bloc, but as a force for justice.

In Gaza, the bombs are still falling. But in Europe, a political awakening is taking shape. If sustained, it could signal the beginning of the end for Israeli exceptionalism – and the start of a new chapter in global solidarity with Palestine.

* Opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Anadolu's editorial policy.