• Experts say young people’s disillusionment with double standards on human rights is reshaping Europe’s political landscape
• ‘They’ve realized that international law and human rights were not universal and were subject to conditions depending on who the perpetrator of the crime is,’ says Lynn Boylan, chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Palestine

ISTANBUL

“There’s work to be done on Gen Z across the West.”

Those were the words of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in August, responding to a question about his country’s waning support among young people.

Asked what might happen once this generation becomes the next wave of decision-makers, Netanyahu said he was “very fortunate” to have a US president who, unlike Europe’s leaders, “doesn’t succumb to this stuff” – a reference to growing pressure from younger people.

His remarks came amid a sharp decline in Western support for Israel.

A YouGov EuroTrack survey from June found that in Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, sympathy for Israel is at or near its lowest point since 2016. A significantly larger share of Europeans now sympathizes with Palestine over Israel, while only 6% to 16% across the six countries believed “Israel was right to send troops into Gaza.”

Germany is the only country where views toward both sides remain roughly balanced.

Perhaps no force has shaped this historic shift more than Gen Z, whose protests have forced institutions and governments to take action.

Born between 1997 and 2012, this generation – now aged 13 to 28 – has refused to turn a blind eye to Israel’s war on Gaza.

What drives this generational shift?

Lynn Boylan, chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Palestine, described the current moment as a reckoning, with young Europeans beginning to question what she called the “shattered credibility” of European institutions.

“They’ve realized that international law and human rights were not universal and were subject to conditions depending on who the perpetrator of the crime is,” the Irish politician told Anadolu, referring to what she called the “duplicity” in how the EU has treated Russia compared to Israel.

“That has also led to a growing movement of young people who are now angry, frustrated and disillusioned with the institutions,” she added.

History also accounts for some of the generational gap on Palestine, she said: “There’s a perceived level of guilt or trauma from what happened in the Second World War, and that’s why Germany and other countries don’t take action. The younger generation are more removed from that.”

Christian Schonbeck, a university lecturer with Academics for Palestine in Denmark, agreed, saying the Holocaust is often used to “suppress criticism of Israel.”

“They (older generations) do not dare to speak out for fear of being accused of being antisemites. But this is not such a strong weapon when it comes to the younger generation,” he told Anadolu.

As a teaching associate professor at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Pharmacy, Schonbeck said he has witnessed these shifts firsthand.

“In the beginning, protests against the genocide were not well represented in the media or by politicians,” he said, adding that public discourse around Palestine in Europe has changed significantly over the past six months.

He said that student activism became visible early on.

“The older generations are slowly starting to realize what is going on. But I noticed my students early on – in November 2023, for example – were writing ‘Free Palestine’ and drawing Palestinian flags on their lab coats,” he said.

Activism in the digital age

As digital natives, Gen Z relies on social media for news, unlike older generations who depend on traditional outlets.

In the case of Gaza, this access has allowed them to witness the death, destruction and starvation through unfiltered images shared online in real time.

A UN independent international commission of inquiry concluded last month that Israel is committing genocide in the enclave, where it has now killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and wounded nearly 170,000.

Amid declining youth support, the Israeli government is ramping up its ‘hasbara’ efforts – a Hebrew term often translated as ‘propaganda’ – investing hundreds of millions in influencers and AI platforms to promote a pro-Israel narrative.

Schonbeck said Danish mainstream media “have been telling Israel’s version of the story for a very, very long time,” which makes alternative sources crucial for younger people seeking other versions of events.

Boylan added that Gen Z’s activism is shaped by a broader worldview that links social justice struggles around the world.

“Going back to the climate movement, to Black Lives Matter, to the MeToo movement, their worldview is being shaped differently than when I was in my 20s,” she said.

One prominent example is 22-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who became a vocal supporter of Gaza and was twice detained by Israeli forces in international waters while participating in Gaza-bound aid flotillas.

‘That is what will force politicians to change’

Inspired by student encampments in the US, pro-Palestine demonstrations spread across European campuses in 2024 and continue today. Students have staged sit-ins demanding divestment and academic boycotts to sever ties with Israel over its assault on Gaza.

Encampments at leading universities – including Oxford, Cambridge, King’s College London, Sciences Po, and Humboldt University Berlin – led to occupations, marches and tense standoffs with authorities, resulting in numerous detentions.

Figures from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) project show that Europe and Central Asia accounted for 17% of nearly 48,000 pro-Palestine demonstrations around the world over the past two years, second only to the Middle East at 46%.

France, Italy, and Spain were among the top 10 countries where over 75% of the protests occurred.

Meanwhile, last month, several European countries, including France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Andorra, the UK and Portugal, formally recognized Palestine as a state.

Boylan said the wave of youth activism has “a hundred percent … had an impact” on those decisions.

She added that even pro-Israel politicians take notice when thousands of emails pour in, motorways are blocked, and weekend protests continue unabated.

“That is what will force politicians to change,” she said.

Can Gen-Z push Europe toward real change?

The question now is whether this new generation of activists can channel their energy into more concrete policy change.

Boylan said young people are driving solidarity movements even in countries once seen as staunchly pro-Israel, including Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

“Despite police crackdowns, you’re seeing young people come out and continue to protest – something you wouldn’t have seen in Germany five or 10 years ago,” she said.

The German government, for example, maintains that recognizing Palestine should come only as part of a final peace process.

Yet public opinion appears to be shifting. A recent survey by German public broadcaster ARD, conducted between Sept. 29 and Oct. 1, found that 55% of Germans now support recognizing Palestine as an independent state, while more than half support backing the EU Commission’s plans to suspend trade and tariff concessions for Israel.

As for Denmark, which remains the only Scandinavian country yet to recognize Palestine, Schonbeck said change must come quickly.

“We need sanctions fast. We cannot wait 10 years until the present youth becomes more dominant in Danish politics,” he said.