SAEDNEWS: American author and analyst Daniel Lazare doubts the intentions of European countries to recognize an independent Palestinian state this September, echoing the view that their plan is a “game and deception.”
American author and analyst Daniel Lazare has expressed skepticism about the motivations of some European countries’ plan to recognize a Palestinian state, arguing that Europe will virtually support decisions made by the United States and Israel.
According to Saednews, Lazare made the comments in an exclusive interview with IRNA, published on Tuesday, saying that the plan will have no benefit because the Palestinians are on the brink of annihilation.
The full interview is as follows:
Question: Following the International Palestine Conference at the UN, some European countries have announced their intention to recognize the State of Palestine in September. To what extent do you believe this action by European countries is independent and genuine?
Answer: I am extremely skeptical of European motives. I think the drive to recognize Palestinian statehood is grotesque for two reasons: (1) it's not going to do any good because Palestinians are at the point of being annihilated, and (2), whatever the outcome, virtually all Europeans will go along with whatever the US and Israel decide to do.
Question: Considering the comprehensive support of the United States for Israel, how can Europe’s decision to recognize Palestine be interpreted within the framework of US and European international policies? Do you think Washington will support Europe in this path, or will this initiative remain merely symbolic and without tangible outcomes?
Answer: My feelings about "the framework of US and European international policies" are the same. The purpose of the framework is to reduce Palestinian statehood to the vanishing point -- assuming, that is, Palestinians aren't expelled en masse.
Question: Some experts and analysts view this plan as a “game and deception” benefiting Israel rather than the Palestinian people. What is your perspective on this?
Answer: I entirely agree that it is a “game and deception” benefiting Israel rather than the Palestinian people. But the goal is not merely to fool the Palestinians. It's to fool everyone in the world seeking a fair and just solution to this conflict.
Question: Can the recognition of an independent State of Palestine by certain European countries contribute to stopping the war and killings in Gaza? Given that some countries, including the UK, have conditioned recognition on certain terms and stated it is intended to pressure Israel towards a ceasefire, what is your opinion? Please elaborate.
Answer: I think it will do nothing to stop the war. Israel's goal is to eliminate Hamas as a military force at all costs. I don't think it had any intention of imposing ethnic cleansing on Gaza prior to October 7. But after some 22 months of war, it is now preparing either to expel Palestinians from all of Gaza or merely concentrate them in the extreme south so it can wage untrammeled warfare against Hamas elsewhere in the strip. This will mean subjecting more than two million people to concentration camp-like conditions. It will require the support of the US, which I'm sure will be forthcoming.
Question: What is your analysis of the impact of Arab countries’ positions and regional developments on the process of recognizing the State of Palestine?
Answer: The Arab countries have done nothing and will do nothing in response. Lebanon is bankrupt, and Syria is ruled by an Al-Qaeda offshoot that is desperate to make peace with the US and avoid a confrontation with Israel. Egypt is the same -- it just wishes that the Houthis would stop interfering with Red Sea transport so that Suez Canal revenues will increase. Iraq is a US satrap, and the oil monarchies are too busy making business deals with the Trump family to give a damn.
Question: In your opinion, what actions should the international community take to reach a sustainable and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as soon as possible?
Answer: There is no action that the international community can take because the very concept is a contradiction in terms.
