Gaza and the New
World Order
Géostratégie Magazine
February 2025
Written by
Roula Merhej
The superpowers that shaped twentieth-century geopolitics, notably through the Yalta Agreements of 1945, are today confronted with a complex reality on the ground. The weakening of the West and of international institutions reflects a loss of bearings, further exacerbated by the arrival of the new Trump administration. The White House's emancipation, openly defying the soft policies of Joe Biden, challenges both the United States' historical allies and its enemies alike. A new global balance is emerging with the reaffirmation of American power and an alliance with Israel that is more unshakeable than ever.
The era of the East–West blocs is well and truly over. We are no longer living in a confrontation between the camp of good, capitalism, and the camp of evil, communism. In light of global uprisings, the new reality is marked by an unprecedented assertion of cultural and identity-based claims. In this changing world, where rejection of Western domination is increasingly pronounced, former colonized countries and emerging powers alike are refusing foreign interference, displaying a genuine desire for political autonomy and a quest for economic independence. The creation of the BRICS in 2006 is a perfect illustration of this trend, particularly with the integration in 2023 of countries such as Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia. This ambition to weigh on the global economy and diplomacy by seeking to build a multipolar world, however, remains of very limited influence in the Middle East conflict and almost insignificant in the face of American power.
Unlike many other wars, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict carries a biblical resonance that fuels passions. The promise of the Land of Israel made to Abraham, Genesis 13:14–15, "Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward, eastward and westward; for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever," is a central pillar of Judaism. Contrary to Jewish belief, in the Muslim faith this holy land is not an unconditional gift; it belongs to God, and only the righteous and the faithful are meant to inherit it. Finally, for Christians, the importance of this land lies more in being the place where Jesus lived and was crucified than in any territorial claim.
Holy Land for some, Promised Land for others, it has been the theater of confrontation for decades, the one conflict that divides and fuels hatred to such an extent. It is the only conflict that mobilizes a country's internal security abroad during demonstrations in support of Palestinians. A true media tidal wave, "All Eyes on Gaza" is proof of its significant international impact.
In the West, demonstrators are no longer French, American, British, Belgian, or Italian; they are Palestinian, sometimes even challenging the authority of their country of adoption. LGBTQ communities, feminist movements, environmental activists, and the so-called champagne left ride this trend and exploit it for electoral purposes. After "Je suis Charlie," they have all become Palestinian. Hamas will appreciate that. Students around the world are rising up, videos and images are flooding social media, and Israel has lost the war of images, obscuring the very reason it went to war in the first place, the pogrom of October 7, 2023. Just as there was a before and an after September 11, October 7 marks a clear rupture in global public opinion and Western policy in the Middle East. Israel presents itself as the standard-bearer in the fight against obscurantism and is fighting for its survival. "We will dance again" is a promise of life's triumph over death.
The ceasefire agreement concluded on January 15, 2025, after more than fifteen months of conflict that claimed 64,260 lives in the Gaza Strip, according to a study conducted by The Lancet, has generated vast commentary and rightly sparked indignation. How could it not, in the face of so many victims and tragedies? But has there ever been a war in history without tears or injustice? Which wars have been "clean"? Arab countries are coming to realize that their stability and economic prosperity depend on the unavoidable peace with Israel, their long-standing enemy. Placed in an awkward position and unwilling to create internal unrest, they feel compelled to express their dissatisfaction over the injustice suffered by Palestinian civilians. They condemn, yet refuse to take them in. Borders remain closed, public opinion suppressed. Saudi Arabia will not finalize an agreement with Israel as long as the two-state solution is not achieved. Egypt will not accept Palestinians for fear of the political instability this could generate. Jordan, itself in a fragile balance, will tolerate none. Is this a reminiscence of Black September under King Hussein of Jordan? History will once again show that the dice were cast behind the scenes of power, that lofty speeches on human rights and the Palestinian cause will remain façades, and that the much-vaunted Arab League is, once again, a resounding failure.
The loss of Iranian influence is giving way to a Saudi resurgence, the entrenchment of Turkish military power for the sake of regional balance, and above all to peace agreements with Israel and the last remaining reluctant states. The annexation of the Golan "for eternity," as declared by Netanyahu, the appropriation and recolonization of land in the West Bank, or the Shebaa Farms in Lebanon, still under Israeli control, are all developments that sketch the outlines of new borders. It must be acknowledged that very few countries are able to counterbalance the sacrosanct American-Israeli alliance, even more so since the arrival of the Trump administration, as Washington has announced a seven-billion-dollar arms sale to Israel. This new political strategy, pursued at breakneck speed, will benefit many countries freed from the Iranian yoke. Beyond the prospect of a new Middle East, let us not be afraid to dare to dream, not of a Riviera in Gaza, but of peace. So that all Israeli, Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian victims will not have died in vain, for as Albert Camus said, "Peace is the only battle worth fighting."