Hamas Laughs as West Pushes Fake Palestinian State—Ignores Hostages
Western nations’ plans to recognize a Palestinian state are criticized as empty gestures that ignore Hamas’s control of Gaza and the Palestinian Authority’s dysfunction, offering no practical solutions. The moves, which overlook the ongoing hostage crisis and Jewish suffering post-October 7, are seen by Hamas as validation, perpetuating conflict without addressing root causes.
France, Britain, and Canada have announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September 2025, citing humanitarian concerns and a two-state solution, but a new analysis by Lawrence J. Haas, Senior Fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, argues these gestures expose “a fundamental dishonesty in Western diplomacy.” Published in The National Interest, Haas critiques the “control fantasy” underpinning these plans, which assume the Palestinian Authority (PA) can wrest Gaza from Hamas, despite its violent 2007 ouster of the PA. French President Emmanuel Macron called for “the demilitarization of Hamas,” yet, as Haas notes, “Will Paris send troops to dislodge Hamas from Gaza? Will London or Ottawa?” No leader has addressed this, reflecting a refusal to confront practical challenges.
Hamas, controlling Gaza’s 2.3 million residents and 1,500-kilometer tunnel network, sees these moves as validation. Official Ghazi Hamad told Al Jazeera, “The overall outcome of October 7 forced the world to open its eyes to the Palestinian cause, and to act forcefully in this respect.” He added, “Our weapons equal our cause. Through October 7 we proved that defeating Israel is not as difficult as people had thought.” The October 7, 2023, attack killed 1,189, abducted 251, and left 50 hostages still captive, yet Western leaders sidestep this suffering and Hamas’s rejection of five ceasefire proposals since 2024.
The PA, led by Mahmoud Abbas in his 21st year of a four-year term, having refused elections since winning in 2005, is described as a “corrupt autocracy” that took 20 months to condemn October 7. Abbas’s call for “Arab and international forces” to stabilize Gaza is dubious, as Haas questions, “Whether any nation would sacrifice its soldiers for a cause outside its borders and oust a barbaric group that vows to mount more October 7-like attacks from Gaza remains very much an open question.” With UNRWA’s documented Hamas ties, including 450 operatives, these recognitions risk rewarding terror. Haas concludes, leaders “will take pride in their delusional platitudes,” while Hamas laughs and the cycle of violence persists. Social media on X decries the hypocrisy, with one user stating, “Recognizing Palestine while ignoring hostages is a slap in Israel’s face.”