Annexation of the West Bank: A Project of Colonization and Extermination Under the Eyes of the World… Europe Breaks the Wall of Silence

At a pivotal moment in the course of the Palestinian cause, Israel, with direct American support, is hastening to annex vast parts of the West Bank. This step not only reflects a new settlement expansion but also represents an advanced stage of a comprehensive colonial project aimed at erasing the Palestinian presence politically, demographically, and culturally.

What is happening today is not merely a transient political development but a continuation of a long-term extermination war being executed with multiple tools: from open massacres in Gaza to forced displacement in the West Bank and systematic attacks led by settlers under the protection of the Israeli army, burning villages and farms, closing towns with iron gates, and imposing an economic siege that suffocates daily life and crushes even the simplest forms of resilience.

This escalation reflects a blatant intention to eliminate the Palestinian cause from its roots, as the official Palestinian institution is deliberately pushed towards collapse as part of a studied policy adopted by the U.S. administration, involving European and Arab parties. Financial pressure, freezing resources, and political marginalization are no longer mere pressure tools but systematic steps to empty the authority of its content and drive it towards self-disintegration to prepare the scene for regional settlements that do not represent the Palestinian will.

Amid this bleak scene, the announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron (July 24, 2025) broke the wall of silence, confirming France's commitment to recognize the State of Palestine next September, a long-awaited step that could represent a qualitative shift in the European position if accompanied by genuine political will.

With this, France joins other European countries that preceded it, such as Ireland, Norway, and Spain, in recognizing the Palestinian state. However, the question remains: how can we talk about a "two-state solution" while one of the two states is effectively being erased on the ground through settlement expansion and land confiscation?

Even the statements by the British Prime Minister supporting the Palestinians' right to establish a state are not sufficient unless they translate into binding legal and political steps. What is required today is not just a moral stance but a clear international path to isolate the occupation, stop its crimes, and hold those responsible accountable under international law.

On the other hand, Washington did not delay in expressing its biased stance; it hastened to reject Macron's announcement, with former U.S. President Donald Trump going so far as to mock the French position by stating:
"What the President of France announced regarding the recognition of a Palestinian state is unimportant and carries no weight."
This statement reveals the mindset that governs the rejection camp: a mentality that entrenches the logic of power and disregards the human and legal rights of the Palestinian people. The United States is no longer merely overlooking violations but has become a direct partner in the war against the Palestinians through unconditional military support, complete political cover, while Arabs grant it vast amounts of money!!!

The most important question remains: Where is the international community that has promoted the "two-state solution" for all these decades? Where are the states that sponsored the Oslo Agreement, which called on the Palestine Liberation Organization to renounce violence and pursue the path of peace in exchange for establishing an independent state?

Will the recognition of the Palestinian state come at its ruins? Or is there genuine international political will that will finally rise to save what remains of opportunities for a just solution?

In light of this sharp division between the justice camp and the occupation camp, Europe and the international community have a responsibility to transform symbolic recognitions into effective policy: ending settlements, lifting the siege on Gaza, holding war criminals accountable, and pressuring to end the occupation of Palestinian territories.

Despite this bleak reality, the resilience of the Palestinian people remains the only truth that no one can erase; this resilience embodies the deepest meanings of resistance and gives hope in the face of a colonial project targeting identity and existence.

However, hope alone is not enough; there is an urgent need for real international political action that restores respect for international law and breaks the logic of impunity.

Recognizing the State of Palestine is a legal and moral necessity that should not be subject to political calculations or double standards.