The US student Intifada: Palestine’s new soft power leverage
▻https://thecradle.co/articles-id/24649
Decades of Tel Aviv’s “nation branding” or soft power initiatives in the west, geared at deeply entrenching the notion of Israel as “the only democracy” in West Asia that shared the occident’s “Judeo-Christian values,” aimed to justify Washington’s unconditional support for the occupation state.
It took a show of Palestinian hard power, however, to unlock that narrative stranglehold in the west. Within weeks of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, western populations began for the first time to see the real face of Zionism – unleashed in an overwhelming military assault on Gaza’s hospitals, universities, infrastructure, and civilian populations.
Had Tel Aviv not reacted with unhinged “hard power,” western sentiment may have remained firmly with Israel. Instead, today, western populations have interacted profoundly with these horrifying scenes and with actual Palestinians on the ground in Gaza, galvanizing “soft power” support for the Palestinian cause across the globe.
West Asian wars could not achieve what footage out of Gaza has done: Not only are the two-state solution and the Palestinian cause back at the top of the international agenda, but the very viability of Israel’s colonial project is being discussed widely, and in incautious language, for the first time in the state’s short history.
Recognizing Palestine as a state
In the realm of soft power, the Palestinian resistance put Palestine back on the map. Today, Spain, Ireland, Malta, Slovenia, and Norway have shown a willingness to recognize the State of Palestine, a pivotal shift influenced by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the strategic failure of the once-vaunted Israeli military machine.
None of these diplomatic developments would have unfolded without Operation Al-Aqsa Flood triggering subsequent events.
Citing two US officials, Axios reports that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has asked the State Department to “conduct a review and present policy options on possible US and international recognition of a Palestinian state” after the war in Gaza.
Although no significant changes are expected anytime soon, the outlet notes that this signifies a possible shift in US foreign policy.
Even Britain, responsible for establishing the mandate that led to the creation of Israel, has expressed its readiness to recognize a Palestinian state soon after a ceasefire in Gaza without awaiting the conclusion of prolonged peace talks.
The impact of the Gaza war is further highlighted by the contrast in the UN Security Council’s votes: from a draft resolution in 2014 that received minimal support to a strong majority favoring Palestine’s full membership in April 2024 - with the US as the sole dissenting vote.