Israeli writer Gideon Levy stated that international recognition of Palestine serves as a reward for Israel, as it represents a misleading alternative to imposing sanctions on Tel Aviv, which has been committing genocide in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. He explained that European recognition of the State of Palestine is used as a means to calm angry populations without taking practical measures to stop the massacres.

Levy pointed out that 15 Western countries, including France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Portugal, issued a collective call for recognition of the State of Palestine and a ceasefire, following a conference held in New York chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, attended by Palestinian delegations and absent the American delegation. He emphasized that these statements do not change the fact that Israel ignores those calls, with support from the United States.

The writer addressed London's announcement of its intention to recognize the State of Palestine, where British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that he might withdraw his recognition if Israel does not take steps to end the tragic situation in Gaza, reflecting the pressure of fear from the Trump administration on Europe. He explained that Starmer's move has prompted other countries to follow the same approach, although it does not stop the ongoing massacres.

Levy noted that the recognitions by European countries, despite their symbolic stance, do not contribute to ending the massacres but rather provide Israel with a justification to ignore sanctions, and are used as a means to raise the need for a permanent solution to the conflict. He affirmed that practical punitive measures are necessary to force Israel to end the war, especially since the international community has the means to do so.

In a related context, French President Emmanuel Macron announced last July that France would recognize the State of Palestine during the United Nations General Assembly in September, followed by Spain, Norway, and Ireland in May 2024, bringing the number of recognizing countries to 149 out of 193 in the United Nations. This comes amid escalating international movements in light of Israel's ongoing war against Gaza, which has left more than 210,000 Palestinians dead or injured, with hundreds of thousands displaced and widespread famine.