'Europe now has three options for its approach to Israel’s annexation: uphold the two-state narrative, support the prospect of a bi-lateral one-state solution, or passively accept the apartheid regime as legitimate.'
As Israel’s looming annexation could result in greater humanitarian problems for Palestinians living under occupation, speculation has also grown over risks to Israel’s diplomatic standing. Yet Europe, succumbing to US and Israeli pressure, and its own divisions on the continent, may be left powerless in opposing Israel’s plans.
For two decades, Palestine was treated as merely a humanitarian issue, involving refugees. However, the 1967 war, and the later foundation of the Palestine Liberation Organization, challenged this. The United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 242 in 1967, which later became the basis for the two-state solution - it received European endorsement. The PLO, however, pushed for a unified state for all citizens in the Holy Land.
Firstly, Europe is geographically adjacent to the Middle East, and the region's dynamics impact its member states and thus, its policy. Its desire to contain Syrian refugees fleeing the country’s war demonstrates this perfectly.
The former Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is considered to have changed the debate on Israel and Palestine in Britain, after he pledged to recognise Palestine as a state in his manifesto before his defeat in the UK General Election last December. “The real question is what happens if Netanyahu pushes forward with a sizable annexation, backed inevitably by the Trump administration. Until February, British Ministers said such an annexation could not go unchallenged,” added Doyle.
“Israel has occupied Palestinian land for over 50 years and Europe has barely mustered more than a few terse statements in opposition,” Antony Loewenstein, an independent journalist and filmmaker based in Jerusalem, told TRT World.
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