As Israel’s devastating war on the Gaza Strip enters its twenty-second consecutive month, the world’s stance toward the occupation has never looked more divided. While some Arab governments rush to sign multi-billion-dollar economic deals with Tel Aviv, several European and Western countries are taking unprecedented steps—recognising the State of Palestine, restricting arms exports to the Israeli regime, and responding to mounting popular and labour-union pressure.
Egypt: The Largest Gas Deal Amid Genocide
In what was described as “the largest gas deal in the history of Egyptian–Israeli relations”, Israel’s NewMed Energy—the main partner in the Eastern Mediterranean’s Leviathan gas field—announced a new export agreement to Egypt worth $35 billion.
The deal will double Cairo’s imports of Palestinian gas stolen by the occupation—from 850 million cubic feet per day to 1.7 billion cubic feet—and raise the supply price from $5.50 to $7.67 per million British thermal units, an increase of over 30%.
The contract runs until 2040, or until 130 billion cubic metres of gas from Leviathan are delivered. The field’s reserves are estimated at 600 billion cubic metres.
Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum confirmed that, although procedurally separate, this deal is an extension of the 2019 agreement that first allowed Israeli gas into the Egyptian market, later amended multiple times to increase supply volumes.
The timing is striking: it comes just months after repeated cuts to Egypt’s domestic gas supply caused vital factories to shut down and disrupted power stations during last summer’s peak demand—amid declining local production and soaring industrial and household consumption.
The agreement underscores the deepening economic alliance between Cairo and Tel Aviv, despite widespread public rejection of economic normalisation while the massacres in Gaza continue.
Italian Dockworkers Stop Saudi Ship
In sharp contrast, European ports have taken direct action to disrupt the occupation’s war supply chains. In Genoa, Italy, the USB port workers’ union declared a “major victory” after successfully blocking the unloading of containers carrying military equipment bound for the Israeli army, forcing the shipment to return to its origin.
This was part of a growing wave of trade-union solidarity actions across Europe, with dockworkers in Marseille, Piraeus, Hamburg, and Tangier also declaring support for the Palestinian cause—affirming that “halting war logistics is possible, lawful, and necessary.”
In another incident, Genoa dockworkers intercepted a Saudi vessel, the Bahri Yanbu, loaded with weapons from the United States for Israel. Around 40 workers boarded the ship, documented the cargo, and resisted attempts by the crew to stop them.
Italian unions stress that national law allows strikes to protect collective security and stop acts of war—a right they say is essential in confronting the genocide in Gaza.
Eight European States: Gaza Is Part of Palestine
On the political front, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain issued a joint statement rejecting Israel’s plans to occupy Gaza or impose any demographic or territorial changes in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The ministers stressed that Gaza must be an integral part of the State of Palestine—alongside the West Bank and East Jerusalem—and warned that a full military occupation would worsen the humanitarian catastrophe and endanger the lives of remaining captives.
The statement coincided with a warning from EU Commissioner for Equality and Crisis Management, Helga Schmid, that Israel’s military expansion in Gaza will only “deepen the catastrophic situation” on the ground.
Norway Divests from Israeli Companies
In a move with both economic and political weight, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund—the largest in the world at $2 trillion—announced it is selling its stakes in 11 Israeli companies and cutting ties with asset managers investing in Israel, citing the “exceptional circumstances” of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
Reports revealed the fund’s investments included companies providing military services to Israel, such as fighter jet maintenance for the occupation forces. While Norway’s parliament refused in June to fully divest from Israel, the fund’s management pledged a comprehensive review that could lead to further action.
Germany: Majority Supports Recognising Palestine
This European shift is not limited to political elites—it extends to public opinion. A Forsa Institute poll found that 54% of Germans support their country recognising the State of Palestine, compared to 31% opposed. Support is strongest among youth (60%) and residents of eastern Germany (59%).
The survey comes amid growing criticism of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s pro-Israel stance and refusal to join the wave of European recognitions of Palestine.
Australia Joins the Recognition Front
Beyond Europe, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that his country will formally recognise the State of Palestine at the 80th UN General Assembly in September.
Albanese described the two-state solution as “humanity’s best hope” for ending the Middle East’s cycle of violence, stressing that the solution must be political, not military. He said the decision follows Israel’s defiance of international calls to comply with international law, its settlement expansion, and its threats to annex Palestinian land.
The Stark Global Contrast
The contrast is striking: while some Arab states—foremost Egypt—are expanding strategic economic cooperation with Israel in areas such as energy supply, many European and Western countries are reducing economic and military dealings with Tel Aviv, and openly supporting the recognition of Palestine as an independent state.
These European policy shifts, driven by unprecedented grassroots and trade-union pressure, signal a gradual erosion of the West’s once-unquestioned support for Israel—replacing it with a growing conviction that the occupation endangers global peace and fuels humanitarian crises and genocide in Gaza.
