The Quartet – DEAD.

The sense of futility surrounding European posturing—especially in the face of a reshaped Middle East where Israel, backed (or at least tolerated) by the U.S., is asserting itself more aggressively than at any time in recent decades. The UK and France—once colonial architects of the Middle East—are now marginalized. Their joint statements and targeted sanctions amount to moralistic theater, not actionable strategy. They no longer possess the financial, military, or diplomatic clout to force outcomes in the region. The “pause” in UK-Israel trade talks or symbolic settler sanctions are optics-driven gestures, not genuine statecraft.

Starmer’s posturing is politically safe for domestic audiences but toothless internationally. Without control of global finance mechanisms like the U.S., UK and EU sanctions are performative at best. Much like the ICC after President Trump imposed sanctions upon it for attempting to arrest the Israeli PM. The Abraham Accords rather than UN 242 serve as the model for Middle East Peace.

The post-imperial West (Britain, France, EU) no longer drives outcomes in the Middle East; it spectates. The U.S. remains top dog, not because of moral authority, but due to raw power. And Israel has become a regional superpower in its own right, no longer dependent on international approval. The so-called “rules-based order” is exposing its contradictions in real time—where legal norms are performative, and power alone determines what gets enforced.

mosckerr