European recognition of Palestinian state shows US still only power that counts – BBC News

10 comments

1. Submission Statement: the recent moves to recognize Palestine by european leaders have shown just how powerless europe is. Despite all of there moves to back Palestine and move against isreal there is no hope that this will actually succeed at stopping isreal. America is the only nation capable of influencing the region

2. Performative things are easy to do. Europe has gotten comfortable in taking toothless morally superior positions and pretended to be above it all for the longest of times under American protection.

   Europe is clearly put of its depth as a collective. It has managed to pay it’s way out so far but those days are done. You need to be ready to bleed if want real influence.

   And this is clearly evident from Germany, Poland, most countries bordering Russia, Japan, sk, Taiwan etc have all taken the American position. Those fat away can take a comfy position because they don’t have to pay for it. And those who do have to pay aren’t willing to.

3. I don’t find this a very insightful article. Yes, Israel is the US’s client state, not Europe’s. Yes, recognition of Palestine is a diplomatic action. It would be nice to hear the author’s idea of what he thinks would help, especially given that [a year ago, while writing for the BBC, he accused the US of superficial diplomacy in this matter](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cew1jkgd7n8o).

4. Because this move by the EU is purely symbolic. Nobody really cares until repercussions occur

5. Odd article. Symbolic recognition of an entity doesn’t change anything anyway, and it’s not like Europe is exerting any *actual* power to pressure Israel. Hell, Israel could recognize a Palestinian state and it still wouldn’t change the facts on the ground that said state is at best a vassal of Israel.

   The article also completely ignores *why* no one is doing anything. Because there’s no Palestinian government that actually has internal legitimacy that the outside powers (including Europe) would even accept.

   >
   Both Macron and Starmer brought up their countries’ colonial legacies in the Middle East.

   They recalled how, after Britain pulled out of historical Palestine in 1948, the international community recognised the state of Israel.

   >Now, they said, they were recognising the equal right of Palestinians to their own state.

   Odd history note. The UK wasn’t “colonizing” Palestine (technically that was the Zionists). Additionally, the UK (though few others) recognized Jordan annexing the West Bank. And that there wasn’t much demand from the Palestinians at that point for a separate state anyway.

6. This is not supposed to move the needle on hard power, only on soft power

   Soft power is a thing the US and Israel used to care for a lot, Israel still does, as evident by how invested they are in eurovision

   Losing soft power, even if the amount of hard power remains unchanged, is very important, sure Israel will be able to continue with no grater difficulty at all, but they will be more and more isolated diplomatically

   Commerce with Israel will decrease, and this action begets more disinvestnent, which absolutely could very easily be supplemented by Thr United States of course, but it makes you more and more dependent on one single power

   The beauty of soft power is that it gives you diplomatic depth, the same way hard power gives you military depth, you can afford on any given issue to pursue independent policy since you have a wealth of nations that agree with you, so you can afford to disagree with some at any given time

   By losing soft power, most particularly, two UNSC nations, Israel is making itself less independent than it used to be

   And Considerinh how erratic US foreign policy is from 4 to 4 years, it’s not something Israel would want

7. Hard disagree. It shows us eroding soft power. Previously this would never have happened if the us said no recognition. 

8. ‘Europe’ has been broke since 1917 when the US took over funding allied participation in the Great War.

   This turned the US into the “only power that counts,” and it’s why Wilson was able to show up at the end of the war and impose entirely new stipulations for peace. Stipulations that all-but-guaranteed another war.

   After WW2 the US cut Germany in half and compelled the remaining European nations to surrender their colonies, along with all the resources/power they provided.

   This left the US as the sole power.

   The only hope for the West now is for Europe to unite. In the meantime, France really needs to step up and lead NATO.

9. Yes, that is how world hegemony works.

   I think lay people really tend to not realize the unprecedented power of the United States. It is the sole superpower. The richest country the world has ever seen. The country with the most hard power and soft power by leagues (albeit Trump is doing a lot to dwindle that soft power).

   It has the world reserve currency, American consumerism drives the world economy, last I checked it is the greatest refiner of oil across the planet, with military bases in more countries than most people can name and battle experience in nearly every terrain, near all of Europe is dependent upon the US for it’s defense and much of the world is at the mercy of its military. If the US wants to bomb Iran, or Iranians in Afghanistan, or Venezuelans, or whomever else- who is gonna stop them? Really?

   If the world banded together to try and stop the US tomorrow, the US could murder-suicide the world economy by drawing an iron curtain. Not to mention most of the world is dependent upon the US for arms.

   China meanwhile may have a huge population, military, and economy, but it doesn’t have bases worldwide, the same client states, the technological and economic prowess yet, and it’s new-age military is not battle tested.

   The US has been the sole superpower since 1991. It has been a very very long time since international affairs has been organized as such. The power and influence the US wields is incredible. And all of its allies are just beginning to realize how terrifying that is and how helpless it makes them as Trump turns his ire on everybody but his autocratic buddies.

   The world may say Palestine is a state, but the US decides. Otherwise, everyone can try and force the US’ hand and see just how well that goes.

10. I think this move will ultimately be less about power and more about being on the right side of history. This formal recognition by major European powers is potentially on the last dying gasps of the Palestinian people and State. A history of the genocide of the Palestinian people is already being formed.

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