Why the World Allows Double Standards: How Colonialism’s Legacy Explains the Vastly Different Treatment of Gaza and Ukraine

 The conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine have exposed deep contradictions in how the international community responds to war, human rights abuses, and violations of international law. Western governments have rushed to arm and defend Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, while Palestinians have faced decades of occupation, siege, and military violence with little meaningful intervention. The difference in response is not incidental — it reflects a carefully structured global order where strategic interests, geopolitical power, and political influence dictate outcomes far more than moral consistency or international law.

To understand why this double standard persists, we need to examine the deeper roots of these conflicts in colonialism and its enduring legacy. While formal colonialism may have ended with the collapse of European empires in the mid-20th century, the political, economic, and military structures it created have not disappeared. Colonialism has simply evolved into a more subtle and insidious form of control — one that allows oppression to persist under the guise of self-defence, security, and geopolitical strategy.

Colonial Foundations of Israel and Palestine

The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict lie directly in British colonial policy.

In 1917, during the First World War, Britain issued the Balfour Declaration, pledging support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine — despite the fact that Palestine was already home to an indigenous Arab population. After the war, the League of Nations granted Britain a mandate over Palestine, giving the British colonial authority to shape the political and demographic landscape. Jewish immigration increased under British protection, stoking tensions between Jewish and Arab communities.

When Britain withdrew in 1948, the United Nations proposed partitioning Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. Zionist militias, with British and Western backing, carried out the Nakba (“catastrophe”) — the mass expulsion of over 700,000 Palestinians and the destruction of more than 500 villages.

Israel’s creation was not the result of a natural political process — it was a colonial project. The British facilitated Jewish settlement and ignored Palestinian resistance. After 1948, the United States and Western Europe replaced Britain as Israel’s primary backers, supplying military aid, diplomatic protection, and political support. Israel became, effectively, a Western outpost in the Middle East — a strategic asset for controlling the region’s oil, trade routes, and political balance.

Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation is framed in Western media as terrorism. But it is, in reality, part of a long tradition of anti-colonial struggle. Palestinians are fighting against dispossession, forced displacement, and apartheid — all hallmarks of colonial rule.

Settler Colonialism and the Occupation of Palestine

Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land is not just a military conflict — it is a form of settler colonialism.

Settler colonialism differs from traditional colonialism in that the colonisers seek not only to control the land but also to replace the indigenous population. This is exactly what Israel has done since 1948:

• Settlement Expansion: Israel continues to build illegal settlements in the West Bank, driving Palestinians from their homes and fragmenting Palestinian territory.

• Military Occupation: The Israeli military controls Palestinian borders, trade, movement, and access to resources — reducing Palestinians to a subjugated population.

• Erasure of Palestinian Identity: Israeli laws and policies seek to erase Palestinian identity — including through the destruction of homes, restriction of language and culture, and denial of the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

Israel’s occupation is not defensive — it is colonial. The goal is not just security; it is the permanent displacement and political erasure of Palestinians.

Colonial Echoes in Ukraine

The response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine exposes the selective application of international law. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its aggression toward Ukraine clearly violate the UN Charter and international law. Western governments responded swiftly with sanctions, military aid, and diplomatic pressure. War crimes investigations were quickly opened against Russian officials.

Yet Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land, the blockade of Gaza, and the settlement expansion in the West Bank also violate international law — specifically the Geneva Conventions. Leading human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have described Israel’s actions as apartheid. But the United States and its allies routinely block UN resolutions condemning Israel’s actions. Israeli officials are shielded from war crimes investigations.

International law is not applied consistently — it is applied strategically. Russia’s actions are punished because they threaten Western dominance in Eastern Europe. Israel’s actions are tolerated because they reinforce Western dominance in the Middle East.

Neo-Colonialism and the Modern Global Order

While formal colonialism may have ended, the structures of global power that colonialism created remain intact.

Economic Control

Western dominance in global finance, trade, and military power reflects the persistence of colonial economic structures:

• The US dollar remains the global reserve currency, giving America control over international markets.

• The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), controlled by Western governments, impose structural adjustment programmes that keep former colonies economically dependent.

• Western multinational corporations extract resources and wealth from the Global South, maintaining economic dependency and underdevelopment.

Military Power and Strategic Interests

Western military dominance allows former colonial powers to intervene in conflicts that threaten their interests:

• NATO’s backing of Ukraine reflects a desire to maintain Western military and political hegemony in Eastern Europe.

• US and European military aid to Israel ensures that Israel remains a dominant military force in the Middle East, securing Western access to oil, trade routes, and political leverage.

Selective Application of International Law

International law is applied strategically — not consistently:

• Russia’s annexation of Crimea is punished with sanctions — while Israel’s annexation of Palestinian land is tolerated.

• The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates African leaders and Russian officials — but not Israeli officials.

• The UN Security Council remains controlled by the victors of World War II, reinforcing Western dominance.

Colonialism Disguised

Colonialism never ended — it adapted. The language has changed, but the mechanisms of control remain the same:

• Colonialism through Economics: Debt, trade dependency, and corporate control keep former colonies economically subservient.

• Colonialism through Security: Western-backed dictatorships and military alliances secure Western control over strategic regions.

• Colonialism through Narrative: Western media frames resistance from the Global South as terrorism, while resistance in the West is framed as democratic self-defence.

The result is a global system where Western powers remain dominant, and non-Western struggles for liberation are criminalised.

What We Can Do

Justice will not come from Western governments or international institutions. Ending these double standards will require dismantling the structures of colonialism itself. Here’s how we can take action:

• Demand Political Consistency: Pressure governments to treat Israel’s occupation of Palestine the same way they treat Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

• Challenge Economic Dependency: Support Palestinian economic independence by boycotting Israeli goods and investing in Palestinian-owned businesses.

• Expose Media Bias: Call out media double standards and amplify Palestinian voices.

• Support Legal Accountability: Back cases at the ICC and UN against Israeli war crimes.

• Disrupt the Military-Industrial Complex: Oppose arms sales to Israel and military partnerships that reinforce Western dominance.

Conclusion

Colonialism never truly ended — it was rebranded. The double standards we see in Ukraine and Palestine reflect the ongoing legacy of colonialism, where Western powers protect their geopolitical interests at the expense of justice and human rights. Palestinian freedom threatens this colonial order — which is why it is criminalised. Justice will not come through diplomacy — it will require dismantling the structures of colonialism itself.

Colonialism never ended — it evolved.