Marcos seen hedging amid growing support for Palestinians — analysts

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINE government on Wednesday backed the Palestinian people amid Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza but fell short of calling their situation a genocide, which analysts deemed as a move to maintain diplomatic ties.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said the Philippines is “gravely concerned” with the “catastrophic humanitarian situation” in Gaza and the increasing tensions in the Middle East.

“We stand united with the Palestinian people — men, women, and children — in their collective aspiration for enduring peace and prosperity,” he said in a statement.

Tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate following Israel’s bombardment of Gaza in response to missile attacks by the militant group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

Latest estimates from Palestinian health authorities showed the death toll in Gaza had hit 44,000 with women and children accounting for half of the fatalities.

The Gaza Strip is one of the two territories occupied by Palestinians — the other being the West Bank — that the Israeli government has been trying to invade in recent years.

The two areas, along with East Jerusalem, came under Israeli occupation after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Since the war, Israel has responded to Palestinians’ demand for a homeland through military force.

“We condemn all attacks against civilians and civilian structures which have resulted in an alarming number of casualties, particularly women and children, and restricted access to food, water, medicine, and other basic needs,” Mr. Marcos said, calling for unimpeded humanitarian access to those all in need.

Still, the Philippine leader did not call the situation in Gaza a genocide, which has been largely used by the international community including experts from the United Nations to describe Israel’s war.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) last week issued arrest warrants for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ex-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from Oct. 8 until at least May 20, over two months after the Israeli government challenged the court’s jurisdiction over the situation in Palestine.

‘BALANCING’
Mr. Marcos’ latest statement is “actually a viable move in acknowledgment of the fact that we maintain formal ties with the countries involved,” Josue Raphael J. Cortez, a lecturer at the School of Diplomacy and Governance at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“It was a move of balancing — calling out the atrocities while at the same time being sensitive enough to deter potential negative effects on our diplomatic ties — hence the avoidance of using ‘genocide’ to depict what is going on,” he added.

The President urged all parties to work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict, citing the need for a two-state solution, a proposal that is also pushed by Asian and western nations.

His country in October reaffirmed its support for the creation of a Palestinian state, as it backed an international coalition calling for the implementation of a two-state solution.

The Global Alliance for the Implementation of a Palestinian State and a two-state solution was launched by Saudi Arabia, Norway, and the European Union (EU) in September.

The Philippines in October 2023 abstained from voting in a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution that called for a humanitarian pause in Gaza.

But in November, the Southeast Asian nation joined over 140 UN members in passing a resolution that condemned Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Israeli settlement activities involved the transfer of its nationals “into the occupied territories, the confiscation of land, the forced transfer of Palestinian civilians, including Bedouin families,” according to the November resolution.

The settlements also involved “the exploitation of natural resources, the fragmentation of territory and other actions against the Palestinian civilian population,” among other issues.

Mr. Cortez said the Philippine government’s show of support for Palestinians — after months of reiterating Israel’s right to self-defense — may be caused by the growing public opinion in the Philippines in favor of the Palestinian cause.

It may also be a “move to show that the Philippines value its ties with both nations,” he added.

“It is also possible that the Marcos administration is hedging vis-a-vis civil society and the opposition — many of whom have ties to Palestinian solidarity movements worldwide,” said Hansley A. Juliano, who teaches political science at the Ateneo de Manila University.

“With his very public spat with the Dutertes, even Marcos Jr. would rather not have enemies on multiple fronts, especially in issues like this where he can score easy goodwill points,” he added, referring to the growing conflict between the administration and the family of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

Mr. Duterte is also being investigated by the ICC due to his administration’s drug war that had killed thousands.

Mr. Juliano said the Philippine government may have also taken into account the sentiments of its Southeast Asian neighbors and the greater Asian continent, which has the world’s largest Muslim population.

The move would also dispel sentiments that the Philippines is an outlier in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) due to its growing ties with the United States.

The US has been a major backer of Israel, rejecting the ICC’s warrant of arrests against Mr. Netanyahu.

“At the end of the day, member states’ national interests remain the most integral factor being considered in issuing statements on concerning and timely global issues,” Mr. Cortez said.

“Diplomacy remains the cornerstone of achieving lasting peace in the Middle East,” Mr. Marcos, fresh from his one-day working visit to the United Arab Emirates, said.

“We recognize that the conflict can only be resolved through diplomatic engagement, dialogue, and comprehensive negotiations rooted in international law.”