Recognition of Palestine: The hypocrisy of the West

The question of which nations are granted recognition as sovereign states is a form of hypocrisy. There are no strict, universally applied standards, just guidelines that are interpreted flexibly.
Recognising a state depends less on fulfilling precise criteria and more on geopolitical interests, diplomatic convenience and internal politics. Borders, population, governance and diplomatic capacity are cited as benchmarks. Yet in practice, these are fluid concepts. Palestine meets these standards more convincingly than Israel did when it was first recognised in 1948. Palestine has a long-standing permanent indigenous population of Muslims, Christians and Jews going back centuries. They have valid claims to the land of Palestine and it is still bravely defended by its people.
Conversely, Israel gained recognition despite its borders being undefined and governance unresolved. Its recognition came largely thanks to the post-war climate when European guilt over the Holocaust was at its greatest. The Zionists used this guilt in 1948 and continue to use it today. It is easy to forget that Arabs played no part in the Holocaust but are being made to pay a heavy price for it.
Recognition of Palestine in the West is less about legality or morality and more about political posturing. Recently, countries like France, the UK and Canada announced intentions to recognise Palestine as a state. At first glance, this seems a moral stand, a move towards justice and self-determination for Palestinians . But beneath the surface, it’s nothing more than a political gesture designed for domestic consumption. Such declarations are unlikely to produce any tangible change on the ground. For all their talk of sovereignty, these governments have done little to nothing to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians, especially those in Gaza living under Zionist blockade, poverty and genocide.
The gap between hollow pronouncements and actual aid is vast. In this context recognition simply masks the West’s continuing indifference. There’s hypocrisy in this: recognising Palestine without offering concrete support, without addressing the urgent needs of the Palestinians languishing in hunger and hardship. Words become hollow when they aren’t coupled with action. Recognition becomes a political tool, a mirage that gives the illusion of progress while the suffering persists. We should be sceptical. Recognition that ignores real help only deepens the illusion that acknowledgement alone will lead to change. History teaches us that words, no matter how noble, seldom translate into real action. Actual progress demands serious diplomacy, economic aid and military pressure. The reality is that these recent declarations are more about propaganda than effect. They serve domestic political ends for those governments making them, not the plight of the Palestinians. Words without deeds are empty and the suffering of Gaza’s inhabitants endures as a testament to this truth. Recognition, without substance, is merely a reflection of political interests. An act that fosters false hope. It does nothing to feed the hungry, bind wounds or secure peace. Until genuine political will and tangible action are undertaken, the cycle of words and promises will continue, leaving the Palestinians in their suffering. The path to justice is long and treacherous. Palestinians are right to regard recognition of their state as yet another Western illusion, a distraction peddled by governments more concerned with domestic approval than with ending their suffering. In the final analysis, words and recognitions are shadows of real action. Simply one more deceit to allow the Zionists to continue their criminal ethnic cleansing.

The writer is a former Cambridge School Principal and Author