Gaza Exposes the Bankruptcy of Western Liberalism
In defending and arming Israel over the last two years, Western governments have shown the hollowness of international law. The genocide will be remembered as a decisive moment in the collapse of liberalism.
President Donald Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at the White House on April 7, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong / Getty Images)
In his book Gaza Catastrophe: The Genocide in World-Historical Perspective, Gilbert Achcar analyzes the background, dynamics, and global consequences of Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
In this interview with Jacobin, Achcar discusses the political radicalization of Israeli society, the strategic miscalculations of Hamas, and the open complicity of Western governments in the genocide unfolding in Gaza. He argues that the war has unmasked the so-called liberal international order — and further accelerated the global rise of neofascist forces.
Elias Feroz
In your book, you don’t just condemn the Hamas attack of October 7, but place it in a broader historical context, and critique attempts to rationalize or justify the massacre. How do you assess the long-term consequences of that event for Gaza and the future of Israel–Palestine?
Gilbert Achcar
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