There's a well-established principle in political science: to effect meaningful governmental change, a movement typically needs the active participation of at least 3.5% of the population. This threshold, identified by political scientist Erica Chenoweth, has been consistently associated with successful nonviolent campaigns throughout modern history.
Right now, the situation in Gaza, while deeply concerning, doesn’t appear to meet that level of public engagement in most Western countries. In the Czech Republic, for example, we’ve experienced nearly 40% cumulative inflation over the past five years, and that has hit people hard. When basic living costs skyrocket, public attention naturally shifts toward immediate personal and national concerns.
At the same time, Europe is still dealing with a major armed conflict in Ukraine, involving a nuclear power that openly threatens escalation. That’s not a minor distraction—it’s a live, high-stakes geopolitical crisis. In that kind of environment, even very real humanitarian tragedies abroad struggle to break through.
I understand this may not be what some want to hear—but it’s simply where the political oxygen is going right now.
So to answer your question: if you want to make this issue more visible, you have two options—either persuade people that their own survival is not at risk, or improve their conditions enough that they can stop worrying about their own lives and finally have the bandwidth to help others.
And here’s the brutal truth: it’s hard to help others when you’re drowning yourself. Just like they tell you on every airplane: secure your own vest before assisting others. That’s not selfish—it’s survival.
The "developed" nations of the Western world are either ignoring this huge, humanitarian crisis, or they are promoting it. What is to be done?
There's a well-established principle in political science: to effect meaningful governmental change, a movement typically needs the active participation of at least 3.5% of the population. This threshold, identified by political scientist Erica Chenoweth, has been consistently associated with successful nonviolent campaigns throughout modern history.
Right now, the situation in Gaza, while deeply concerning, doesn’t appear to meet that level of public engagement in most Western countries. In the Czech Republic, for example, we’ve experienced nearly 40% cumulative inflation over the past five years, and that has hit people hard. When basic living costs skyrocket, public attention naturally shifts toward immediate personal and national concerns.
At the same time, Europe is still dealing with a major armed conflict in Ukraine, involving a nuclear power that openly threatens escalation. That’s not a minor distraction—it’s a live, high-stakes geopolitical crisis. In that kind of environment, even very real humanitarian tragedies abroad struggle to break through.
I understand this may not be what some want to hear—but it’s simply where the political oxygen is going right now.
So to answer your question: if you want to make this issue more visible, you have two options—either persuade people that their own survival is not at risk, or improve their conditions enough that they can stop worrying about their own lives and finally have the bandwidth to help others.
And here’s the brutal truth: it’s hard to help others when you’re drowning yourself. Just like they tell you on every airplane: secure your own vest before assisting others. That’s not selfish—it’s survival.