Just as they promised, they “flattened” Gaza – yet the media parrots haven’t changed their mantra: “Israel’s right to exist.”
Even as bombs rain down on Gaza, children are pulled from the rubble, homes are demolished in the West Bank, people are driven into exile, and hundreds of thousands are tested by hunger, this phrase is repeated mechanically – with every incident, every atrocity, as if to absolve a sin, as if it were a sacred shield.
But no one asks: What about Palestine’s right to exist? Why is there no mention of a “right to exist” that defends its history, its people, its land, its suffering?
Israel is not a fragile, newly established state. On the contrary, it is one of the world’s leading nuclear powers – intertwined with tech giants, tightly linked through diplomatic networks to Western capitals, and commanding one of the Middle East’s most organized and lethal armies. It is not fighting for survival; it is fighting for dominance. Yet this phrase still clings to its image like a mask of victimhood. And behind that mask, systematic crimes are hidden: home demolitions, forced evictions, indefinite detentions without trial, child imprisonment, torture and targeted killings. These crimes are veiled with the phrase: “But Israel has the right to exist.”
Fortunately, support for recognizing Palestine as a state is growing in the international community. As of 2024, more than 140 countries have recognized Palestine as a sovereign state. In the past three years, Western countries such as Norway, Spain and Ireland have officially announced their recognition of Palestine. These steps have especially gained momentum as a reaction to Israel’s severe attacks on Gaza. Recognizing Palestinian statehood has become not only a symbolic gesture but also a legal and moral imperative. These countries have become beacons of hope, piercing through the silence of the West.
Yet powerful actors still block Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations. Every year, when this proposal comes before the U.N. Security Council, countries like the U.S. use their veto power to systematically prevent Palestine’s recognition as a state. These vetoes are not just legal stalling tactics; they also hold the fate of the Palestinian people hostage to political calculations.
Amid this context, another important development has emerged. France, Canada, and the U.K. – where the roots of this conflict lie – issued a joint statement blaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and declared their commitment to recognizing the Palestinian state at the High-Level Two-State Solution Conference to be held at the United Nations in June.
As the U.S. continues to isolate itself over the Israel issue, the footsteps of Palestine will be heard more powerfully on the world stage.
