Harsh words from Britain are not enough – only Trump can rein in Israel

Condemnation has come fast and furious regarding Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza.

The second half of 2024 saw criticism – often severe – from both the EU and the Biden administration around Israel’s unnecessary destruction of the enclave, uninhibited use of munitions against non-combatants, starving the population, preventing humanitarian aid, refusal to engage in a post-war political framework for Gaza, reluctance even to end the war, and accusations of committing acts of genocide.

But this week, the ante has been upped and the decibel level raised.

Where to start? A joint British-Canadian-French statement on Israel. Britain’s suspension of trade expansion talks. An EU decision to review agreements. A rare but excoriating rebuke from the British foreign secretary in the House of Commons. A resurfacing of EU countries' intentions of unilaterally recognising a Palestinian state.

And, perhaps most deathly of all in Israel’s eyes, leaks from the White House reflecting president Donald Trump’s fatigue and displeasure with Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions.

The prevailing lamentation in the Israeli government is that the EU, Britain and Canada have all condemned Israel not only because they are – naturally! – spineless hypocrites, but also because Donald Trump sidelined Israel during his tour of the Middle East by instead preferring to visit Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. And so, these anti-Israeli Europeans saw an opportunity.

Nothing is further from the truth. Yes, Trump marginalised Israel and put into question its value as an ally. He did so when engaging Iran in direct talks over a nuclear deal, when he suspended military activities against the Houthis in Yemen without mentioning Israel, when he travelled to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar in an economic transactional tour, conspicuously skipping Israel. But he did not demote Israel. Netanyahu did this himself, through years of defiance, arrogance and reckless policies.

Monday’s joint British-Canadian-French statement against Israel’s actions came with a thinly veiled threat: “We will not stand by while the Netanyahu government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.” Britain, Canada and the EU are not anti-Israel, but anti-Netanyahu and his government. They did not get their cue from Washington.

“The British mandate ended 77 years ago,” the Israeli foreign ministry exclaimed melodramatically. Utter nonsense, other than getting the date right: Israel has had no better friend in Europe than Britain since the catastrophe of 7 October and the ensuing war in Gaza.

Keir Starmer and David Lammy, both longtime allies of Israel, didn’t mince their words in reply. “The level of suffering in Gaza is utterly intolerable,” said Starmer. Lammy was harsher, evoking his bona fides in supporting Israel since the war began in 2023, before saying: “We must call [ethnic cleansing] this what it is. It is extremism. It is repellent. It is monstrous.” Britain then proceeded to suspend trade talks with Israel and imposed some – very benign, to be fair – sanctions on individual settlers and a few extremist settlers’ organisations in the West Bank.

Through a Dutch initiative, the EU announced that it will “review” the economic association agreement with Israel, in existence since 1995. Lest the kakistocrats adorning the Israeli government have forgotten, the EU is Israel’s largest trade partner, accounting for 34 per cent of Israeli imports and just under 30 per cent of exports.

The EU argued that Israel may not be adhering in good faith to Article 2 of the agreement, which stipulates that “Relations between the parties, as well as all the provisions of the agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principle … and constitutes an essential element of this agreement.”

So is this the diplomatic tsunami that many have warned about for years and that further isolates and ostracises Israel – even more so since Netanyahu launched his constitutional coup in early 2023?

The US remains the key to this answer. As The Independent’s editorial stressed, pressure from the US is the only reason Israel has allowed even the smallest amount of aid to enter Gaza. Yet, too, Israel’s new territorial aggression begs questions over what Netanyahu has discussed with Trump – and what Trump has said he will do, or not do, in response.

Trump, implored by Saudi Arabia to end the war, could exert real pressure on Israel. He would face little pushback in Washington if so. Alternatively, he could remain aloof and say: “Call me when you’re serious, I’m out.” Either option will generate further European criticism and perhaps even concrete action against Israel.

When you have ignored, derided and defied allies’ ideas and policy suggestions since 1967, instead nurturing a false sense of victimhood and a “The world is against us” mentality for political expediency, there may indeed come a day of reckoning. To avoid that, Israel needs to rid itself of this government.

Alon Pinkas is a former Israeli consul-general in the US and was political adviser to two former prime ministers, Shimon Peres and Ehud Barak