What is the true motive behind the mounting Western pressure to recognize a Palestinian state?

In Hebrew, the word for “urge” (dachaf) can be rearranged to form the word pachad – “fear.” And fear, indeed, is the true force driving the growing chorus of calls from European capitals urging Israel to take “concrete steps” in the direction of Palestinian statehood. These are not the confident, principled proclamations of statesmen anchored in international law or genuine concern for peace. Rather, they are thinly veiled attempts to relieve mounting internal tension within European societies: nations whose streets are increasingly volatile, whose public squares have turned into arenas of confrontation, and whose governments are struggling to maintain control in the face of rising political Islam within their own borders.

The growing urgency expressed by France, the United Kingdom, and other European powers to “act on Gaza” is not really about Gaza. It is a reflection of internal European pressure of elected leaders watching with concern as waves of protest, community unrest, and radicalization challenge their authority at home. From Marseille to Malmö, from Birmingham to Berlin, the signs are clear: the Western democratic order is being tested not only by foreign adversaries but…