American author Daniel Lazare: “Palestinian recognition? A sleight of hand. Europe will ultimately follow the US and Israel”.
“A charade. A political illusion destined to produce no real change.” With these words, American author and political analyst Daniel Lazare described the recent push by some European countries to recognize the State of Palestine. He made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Iranian news agency IRNA.
According to Lazare, the European plan lacks genuine autonomy and, in practice, serves the strategic interests of the United States and Israel. “Regardless of the formal outcome,” he stated, “Europe will fall in line with decisions made by Washington and Tel Aviv”.
During the interview, Lazare voiced a strongly critical stance: “The European attempt to recognize Palestinian statehood is grotesque for two reasons: first, it will yield no tangible benefit because the Palestinians are already on the brink of annihilation; second, it is clearly a superficial move, designed to remain within the bounds set by the US and Israel”.
To those who believe such a gesture might help bring about a ceasefire in Gaza, Lazare responded firmly: “It won’t stop the war. Israel is determined to eliminate Hamas as a military force at any cost. I don’t think it initially planned ethnic cleansing in Gaza before October 7, but after nearly two years of conflict, it’s now preparing either to expel the Palestinians from the Strip or concentrate them in the far south, subjecting them to conditions resembling a prison camp”.
On the diplomatic front, Lazare aligned himself with the harshest critics of the European initiative: “Yes, it’s a game. A deliberate strategy of deception. But the goal isn’t just to mislead the Palestinians—it’s to deceive the entire world, especially those still hoping for a fair and lasting solution to this conflict”.
Lazare dismissed the argument that some European capitals are seeking to “pressure Israel” as mere rhetorical cover: “All of these diplomatic maneuvers will do nothing to halt the war. On the contrary, they will indirectly support it”.
When asked about the role of Arab nations, Lazare offered little hope: “They’ll do nothing. Lebanon is bankrupt, Syria is controlled by a group affiliated with al-Qaeda that’s desperate to avoid confrontation with Israel, and Egypt just wants the Houthis to stop interfering with Red Sea traffic so it can increase Suez Canal revenues. Iraq is essentially a US vassal, and the Gulf monarchies are too busy doing business with the Trump family to care about the Palestinian cause”.
Finally, asked what role the international community could play in reaching a lasting solution, Lazare was blunt: “There is no action the international community can take, because the concept itself is, in my view, a contradiction”.
photo Army Spc. Trevares Johnson
