International Society Under Fire: The Gaza Crisis (2023-Present) and the Fourth Wave of Revolt Against the West

Abstract

The Gaza crisis (2023–2025) marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of global resistance to Western hegemony, reframing Hedley Bull’s “Revolt Against the West” within the English School’s international society framework. As Bull’s thesis underestimated the ways 21st-century actors would weaponize liberalism’s own institutions, this study investigates how Western unconditional support for Israel has catalyzed a fourth wave of anti-Western revolt, characterized by institutional weaponization, normative disintegration, and digital activism. Employing a multi-method qualitative approach -discourse analysis, institutional case studies, and digital ethnography- the research analyzes primary and secondary literature to map the crisis’s structural consequences. Findings reveal that Global South states, through actions like South Africa’s ICJ genocide case and UNGA’s overwhelming ceasefire votes, have repurposed liberal institutions to expose Western hypocrisy and enforce accountability. Normative disintegration manifests as postcolonial actors exploit liberal contradictions, while digital resistance amplifies transnational counter-narratives. The study argues that this multidimensional revolt transcends Bull’s original sovereignty-justice-culture model, signaling a shift toward a pluralist, contested international order. While institutional and normative strategies challenge Western dominance, digital activism’s atmospheric role underscores the revolt’s complexity. The Gaza case suggests a redefinition of global governance, urging policymakers to address legitimacy crises or risk a fragmented multipolar order. This analysis extends the English School’s historicist lens, proposing a theoretical update to account for 21st-century hybrid resistance and its implications for international society’s future.