The reaction of countries to the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict can be divided into two. Common in their stance was the condemnation of the violence and deaths, but countries took a stand for either Israel or Hamas, or they sided with peace.
The Malacañang statement issued Oct. 8, 2023, a day after the start of attacks on Israel, did not mention any of the two countries by name. It said: “The Philippines conveys its deepest sympathies and condolences to those who have lost family members and loved ones in recent attacks. The Philippines condemns the attacks, especially against civilian populations.” News reports said the statement further noted that the Philippines “understands the right of states to self-defense in the light of external aggression as recognized in the United Nations Charter.”
Malacañang was correct to not side with Israel or the armed Palestinian group Hamas, unlike other countries, because the Philippines could not be a party to either of the two.
The United States, Europe, France, and Britain, among others, called Hamas’ aggression as “acts of terrorism” and condemned the attacks as having “no justification.” On the other hand, Iran congratulated Hamas for taking action to uphold the “legitimate interests of the Palestinian people.” At the same time, Qatar said Israel was responsible for the escalation of violence because it continues to ignore the rights of Palestinian people.
Other countries did not condemn either party but called for a de-escalation of the violence. Russia and China, for example, called for ways to settle the decades-long conflict.
The Philippines does not see the conflict as having a negative impact on its economy, based on a statement of National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan. At least not immediately. Balisacan said the Philippines will be affected if the conflict expands to other countries in the Middle East and the supply chain for fuel is disrupted. This must be the reason we had fuel price rollbacks last week despite the outbreak of war.
But it might end up as wishful thinking to bank on the conflict not growing or the other countries not eventually siding with the Palestinian people. It would be wiser for Neda and other government agencies to prepare for the worst and tell the people to be ready for still more belt-tightening as this conflict continues.
The economic impact on the Philippines would be higher oil prices as supply tightens. The country relies on imported oil and higher fuel prices would lead to higher inflation and slower economic growth.
There could also be a security concern as some Muslim Filipinos may be sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. Muslim Filipinos have always been partners in nation-building and they should be listened to about their sentiments regarding the violence.
Government assurances like those by Neda tend to calm fears but it also is good to know the risks and to prepare for what could be the conflict’s impact on us.