Israeli state terrorism is not an abstract concept. It manifests in concrete, repeated actions: targeted assassinations, indiscriminate bombardments of civilian areas, destruction of essential infrastructure, and the systematic use of siege and blockades to collectively punish entire populations. Whether it is the bombardment of Gaza, the targeted killing of Iranian scientists and military officials, or the repeated violations of Lebanese sovereignty, Israel has demonstrated a consistent pattern of behavior in defiance of international law. What is equally telling — and deeply alarming — is the uneven and often hypocritical response from the international community.
Western Responses
The governments of the so-called Western democracies have, for decades, been complicit — directly or indirectly — in enabling Israeli aggression. This complicity takes many forms: diplomatic cover at the United Nations, the blocking of resolutions that seek to hold Israel accountable, and the continued supply of weapons and military technology despite overwhelming evidence of war crimes. The United States, Israel’s most steadfast ally, has repeatedly used its veto power at the UN Security Council to shield Tel Aviv from any binding international sanctions or investigations. This political protection is matched by billions of dollars in annual military aid, effectively subsidizing the very acts of aggression that Washington claims to condemn in other contexts.
European powers, too, have largely failed to break with this policy of indulgence. While some European governments have at times issued strong verbal condemnations — particularly during episodes of mass civilian casualties in Gaza — these have rarely been followed by concrete measures. Arms exports continue, trade relations remain unaffected, and in some cases, security cooperation has even intensified after Israeli offensives.
A particularly telling aspect of this double standard has been the late and cautious recognition of the State of Palestine by certain Western governments. While countries such as Sweden recognized Palestine in 2014, others — including Ireland, Spain, and Norway — only made this move many years later, and often under immense public pressure, in the wake of particularly severe Israeli assaults on Gaza. Even then, these recognitions have frequently been symbolic, unaccompanied by substantive policy changes, sanctions, or the suspension of military cooperation with Israel. This reluctance to act decisively, and the fact that recognition has come decades after Palestine’s 1988 declaration of independence and UN General Assembly acknowledgment, speaks volumes about the West’s unwillingness to confront the structural roots of the conflict.
The contrast is stark when one considers how quickly the same Western capitals have recognized new states elsewhere in the world when it suited their geopolitical interests. The delay in recognizing Palestine — even on a purely diplomatic level — is emblematic of a broader Western approach that privileges Israel’s political and military dominance over the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
Responses to Aggression Against Iran
Western positions on Israeli aggression against Iran follow a similarly one-sided pattern. Israel’s repeated acts of sabotage, targeted killings, and cyberattacks against Iranian infrastructure have been met not with condemnation, but often with tacit approval or thinly veiled praise. These acts are justified under the pretext of “self-defense” or “non-proliferation,” despite being carried out on the territory of a sovereign state and in blatant violation of international norms.
The Western narrative consistently frames Iran as the primary regional threat, while ignoring or minimizing Israel’s role in escalating tensions. The United States and several European allies have even integrated Israeli intelligence into joint operations targeting Iran. This selective outrage is not lost on the global South, which increasingly views Western talk of a “rules-based international order” as deeply hypocritical.
Responses to Aggression Against Gaza
In the case of Gaza, Western responses have been even more revealing. The Gaza Strip — one of the most densely populated areas on Earth — has been subjected to a blockade for over 15 years, resulting in what the United Nations has described as a humanitarian catastrophe. Periodic Israeli military assaults, such as those in 2008–09, 2014, and in subsequent escalations, have killed thousands of Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, including large numbers of children.
Despite this, Western governments typically respond to Israeli bombardments with statements that “recognize Israel’s right to self-defense,” while offering only mild and carefully balanced language urging “restraint” or “de-escalation.” Rarely do these governments acknowledge the context: that Gaza is under illegal siege, that its population is overwhelmingly made up of refugees, and that the violence is overwhelmingly asymmetrical.
It is only in moments of extreme public outrage, when images of massacres or destroyed hospitals become impossible to ignore, that some Western leaders issue stronger criticisms. Yet these criticisms are almost never followed by sanctions, arms embargoes, or support for international legal action against Israeli officials. Instead, the West continues to supply Israel with the means to carry out further aggression.
Responses to Aggression Against Lebanon
The Western approach to Israeli aggression in Lebanon is similarly permissive. Israel’s repeated violations of Lebanese airspace, including the use of Lebanese territory to launch attacks on Syria, have become so routine that they barely register in Western media. During the 2006 war, when Israeli bombardments killed over a thousand Lebanese civilians and destroyed critical infrastructure, Western powers blocked calls for an immediate ceasefire, giving Israel more time to pursue its military objectives.
Today, any cross-border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah are framed almost exclusively as the result of “Iranian proxies,” erasing the fact that Israel continues to violate UN resolutions regarding its withdrawal from Lebanese territory and maintains a posture of constant military threat against its northern neighbor.
Arab Governments
Arab governments, for their part, have shown a divided and often inconsistent response to Israeli state terrorism. On paper, the Arab League has repeatedly condemned Israeli actions and expressed solidarity with Palestine, Iran, and Lebanon. In practice, however, the responses have varied widely, ranging from genuine diplomatic and economic support for the victims of aggression to tacit or open normalization of relations with Israel.
Some states, such as Algeria, have maintained a consistent policy of non-recognition and strong political opposition to Israeli policies, supporting international legal action and refusing normalization. Others, however, have entered into agreements under the so-called “Abraham Accords” or similar arrangements, effectively prioritizing strategic and economic interests over solidarity with Palestine or opposition to Israeli aggression.
This normalization trend has weakened collective Arab leverage, fragmented the regional front against Israeli actions, and emboldened Tel Aviv to pursue its aggressive policies with even greater impunity. The muted responses of certain Arab capitals to Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon have not gone unnoticed by their own populations, many of whom continue to express overwhelming support for the Palestinian cause.
International Organizations
International organizations, particularly the United Nations, have produced an extensive record documenting Israeli violation of international law. UN bodies, human rights rapporteurs, and independent commissions of inquiry have repeatedly found evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israeli military operations. However, the ability of these organizations to act decisively is hampered by the political power dynamics within them — especially the dominance of Western states in key decision-making bodies.
Resolutions passed by the UN General Assembly carry moral weight but lack enforcement mechanisms. Security Council measures are frequently vetoed by the United States and, occasionally, other Western powers. This has created a culture of impunity, where Israel can disregard international law with little fear of tangible consequences.
Non-governmental organizations, both local and international, have played a crucial role in documenting Israeli abuses and advocating for accountability. Yet even these NGOs face intense political pressure, smear campaigns, and restrictions when their findings challenge the dominant pro-Israel narratives in Western capitals.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the regional and international responses to Israeli state terrorism against Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon reveal a deep crisis in the international system. Western governments provide diplomatic cover and military support; certain Arab governments engage in normalization that undermines regional solidarity; and international organizations remain constrained by political pressures.
If we are to see genuine accountability, there must be a fundamental shift in this dynamic — one that prioritizes the rights of victims over the geopolitical interests of powerful states. Recognition of Palestine, while necessary, must be accompanied by concrete measures: sanctions, arms embargoes, and the pursuit of legal action against perpetrators of war crimes.
Only then can we begin to dismantle the culture of impunity that sustains Israeli state terrorism, and only then can we lay the foundations for a just and lasting peace in the region.
By Giulio Chinappi, Italian geopolitical analyst
This article was presented at the conference on “Israeli State Terrorism” held on the occasion of Iran’s National Day of Fight against Terrorism, and organized by the Habilian Association.