Danila Krylov, a researcher at the Department of the Middle and Post-Soviet East of the INION RAS and Candidate of Political Sciences, has stated that Western countries’ repeated condemnations of Israeli policies have been little more than political theater.
“In recent years,” Krylov explained, “Western nations have repeatedly condemned Israel’s actions and the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration in relation to Palestine and Iran. But it didn’t go beyond the statements. More serious actions were either not taken or quickly canceled — in fact, some formality was observed. The West needed this to build up political points for domestic policy and to formally consolidate countries among themselves, rather than to actually pressure Israel or support Palestine.”
Krylov added that Palestine has always been a bargaining chip and will remain so. “Israel is not ready to abandon the policy of creating settlements — that is, the actual occupation of territories,” he stated. Third countries, including major powers, are unwilling to conflict with the United States over this issue.
The analyst noted that while it might theoretically be possible for other nations to exert serious sanctions pressure on Israel if it were deprived of U.S. military, political, and economic support, in practice such measures have never materialized and are unlikely to do so in the future.
In light of recent developments regarding Israel’s plans to expel British representatives from the International Support Center for the Gaza Strip, Krylov observed that West Jerusalem authorities simply responded to London’s criticism. “Israel defends its own interests without asking anyone anything,” he stated.
