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Zhao Ziwen

Common ground on the Israel-Gaza war could give China a chance to improve ties with Europe, an observer said, after various European countries and Beijing backed a UN call for an Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territories.
In the non-binding vote at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, at least 10 European countries, including France and Spain, urged Israel to “end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” within 12 months and to “cease immediately all new settlement activity”.
They also called for the return of land seized since 1967 and the repatriation of displaced Palestinians.
Only two European nations – the Czech Republic and Hungary – voted with the United States and Israel against the resolution. Others, including Germany and Italy, abstained.
China was among the 124 countries that voted in favour.
On Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said China “welcomes and appreciates” the adoption, and hoped that “it will be fully implemented”.
“Ending the occupation is not an option, but an obligation; ending the fighting is not just the appeal of one country, but international consensus,” Lin said.
“Implementing the two-state solution is the only viable way to resolve the question of Palestine.”
Observers said the vote reflected a growing political shift between much of Europe and the US on Palestinian issues.


Zhang Chuchu, an associate professor at Shanghai’s Fudan University, said more European nations were concerned about the US’ unwavering support for Israel.
Europe’s growing Muslim population was also influencing its political landscape, Zhang said, suggesting that this demographic shift was reshaping public sentiment and policy.
“European countries will gradually become more cautious and shift away from their previous alignment with the US [on Palestinian issues],” she said.
She added that Europe was also worried that Washington’s focus on the Gaza war could take more global attention away from the Ukraine war, which is in its third year.
Several European nations have already taken big steps in this direction, with Spain, Ireland, and Norway declaring their recognition of Palestinian statehood.
China has long called for the “two-state” solution and has not condemned the Hamas attack on October 7 that marked the start of the renewed conflict.
“More and more European countries will likely be willing to engage with China on Gaza issues. China’s role in the Middle East is gaining traction,” Zhang said.
She pointed to Beijing’s two major diplomatic achievements in the region: the China-brokered peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran last year, and an agreement in Beijing among 14 Palestinian factions for a peaceful post-war Palestinian government.
These deals had attracted attention in Europe, she said.




Josef Gregory Mahoney, a politics and international relations professor at East China Normal University, said there was a shift in some parts of Europe on the war in Gaza but observers should be cautious about seeing it as a definitive split within the West.
Some countries were responding to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, while many others continued to grapple with the complexities of the situation without a clear stance, he said.
“While some European countries, including Spain and Ireland, have long been in the vanguard of opposing Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, many others have hemmed and hawed over the tragedy and effectively accommodated it,” Mahoney said.
“The spectre, if not reality, of genocide and an escalating war, certainly runs contrary to progressive European liberalism, and this is prompting some European countries to shift their voting patterns in the [UN General Assembly]. However, it’s premature to conclude this marks a split among Western nations,” Mahoney said.
“These countries know they can still freeride on US veto power on the Security Council, so they can register a public disgust with what’s transpiring but without actually taking substantive measures against it.
“If we see them doing more than joining non-binding votes, for example, joining South Africa’s suit, imposing sanctions and curtailing diplomatic relations, then a split will be more evident.”


Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa, a former Asia global fellow specialising in European studies at the University of Hong Kong, said a division was opening up in Europe, particularly in the European Union, as both the pro-Palestine and pro-Israel agendas grew.
“The war in Ukraine has been the one issue where the EU has largely operated with near-unanimity in decision-making. Inversely, the Israel-Hamas conflict has revealed deep divisions, with each European state acting independently. This disunity undermines the EU’s geopolitical influence,” Trillo-Figueroa said.
“Ideally, the bloc should present a unified front, but ongoing internal divisions continue to weaken its diplomatic relevance.”
He said China was taking a similar approach to the Gaza war as it was to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“China’s approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict mirrors its stance on Ukraine, aiming primarily to contain US influence rather than taking explicit sides. Despite this neutrality, China managed to broker talks between Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas in Beijing, signalling a potential national reconciliation,” he said.


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News

China

Diplomacy

At least 10 European countries, including France and Spain, sided with Beijing’s position on the Israel-Gaza war at the United Nations this week


At least 10 European countries, including France and Spain, sided with Beijing’s position on the Israel-Gaza war at the United Nations this week.


United Nations

European Union

China-EU relations