Hebrew Newspaper: "Diplomatic Tsunami" Drowns Israel.. Political Isolation Surrounds It

SadaNews - The newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth highlighted the escalating political isolation facing Israel due to the war of extermination and starvation in the Gaza Strip, reviewing a series of incidents that demonstrate the extent of the deterioration of Israel's image worldwide.

A report by the newspaper's political analyst, Itamar Eichner, described what Israel is facing as a "diplomatic tsunami" that includes condemnations, boycotts, and increasing rejection of Israelis abroad, outlining incidents in this regard that illustrate the "unprecedented anti-Israeli sentiments around the world."

Signs of Isolation

Eichner explained in his report that merely wearing Jewish symbols, such as the kippah, has become a sufficient reason for assault or expulsion from public places in European countries.

The report cites an incident where Israeli soldiers were pursued in Belgium on charges of war crimes, amid a rising series of incidents that the report classified as "anti-Semitic," confirming that six serious incidents occurred in just one week, indicating an unprecedented escalation of "global hostility" towards Israel.

The report recalls an incident that took place in Italy, where an Israeli father and his son faced a wave of chants at a gas station, such as "Free Palestine" and "Murderers," to which the father responded, "The people of Israel are alive," but received no support from those present.

It also addressed the expulsion of three Israeli musicians from a restaurant in Vienna after it became apparent they were speaking Hebrew, and an Israeli tourist on one of the beaches in Athens was assaulted by a Syrian immigrant that resulted in him losing part of his ear, according to the newspaper.

The report mentioned that a group of youths attacked a group of Israeli teenagers after they attended a concert in Rhodes, Greece, and an anti-Israel demonstration broke out against the docking of an Israeli cruise ship in Greece as well.

The isolation has not been confined to the street and global public opinion, but has also extended to official and international institutions, as the European Commission approved a recommendation to partially suspend Israel's participation in the Horizon 2020 program, the largest research program in the EU, with a budget of billions of euros.

Israel has been a traditional partner in this program since the 1990s. Eichner cited a diplomatic source commenting: "If Israel is excluded from the program, it will be a disaster for Israeli science and its image globally."

Furthermore, the political analyst mentioned accusations from several countries in the European Union, including Germany, alleging that Israel is not fulfilling its humanitarian obligations towards the Gaza Strip and called for the Commission to prepare concrete proposals for a collective European response to the situation.

Eichner confirmed that Israel had previously succeeded in thwarting a proposal to freeze trade agreements with the EU, but that was before the outbreak of the starvation issue in Gaza, which has now become considered the most significant weak point in the Israeli narrative, according to Eichner.

He also spoke about the increasing concern in Israel regarding attempts to exclude it from major international events, such as FIFA, and from artistic and cultural competitions like Eurovision. The report noted a rise in academic and cultural boycotts and a decline in investments in Israel without the authorities noticing.

As for the United States, the report sees that the crisis is no longer limited to a division within the Democratic Party, which they say Israel has lost, but it has also begun to include Republican voices criticizing Israel's starvation policy in Gaza.

It has become clear, according to the report, that Israel has lost the support of a large portion of Democrats, and even some segments of the American Jewish community.

In this context, statements from politicians such as Zahran Mamdani, a Democratic Party candidate for the position of Mayor of New York, who Eichner describes as "hating Israel," highlight that his election to run for mayor expresses "hatred for Netanyahu" even among American Jews themselves.

Recognizing Palestine

The report does not overlook Emmanuel Macron's announcement of France's intention to recognize the state of Palestine and his attempts to rally international support for it, including from Britain and Canada.

It discusses reports indicating that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is preparing to propose a plan to end the war in Gaza that includes an explicit clause to recognize Palestine.

It draws attention to the intention of other European countries to recognize Palestine, including Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, and Malta. The report views this shift as "reflecting the weight of Muslim communities in Europe on one hand, and on the other hand expressing European despair over the absence of a political horizon in the conflict."

The political analyst expresses his frustration with the diplomatic crisis that arose this week with the Netherlands after its Prime Minister tweeted in support of imposing sanctions on Israel, despite his previous promise to Israeli President Isaac Herzog not to support any sanctions.

In conclusion, the political analyst determined that Israel is in urgent need of a ceasefire, not only for military reasons or to free prisoners but to break this escalating political isolation and to stop the increasing pressures on Jewish communities worldwide.

The report concludes by asserting that the continuation of the current situation is no longer a viable option. It states that Israel has "eaten the rotten fish and has been expelled from the city," referring to its failure to impose its narrative, loss of international support, and its being pushed into a corner where it cannot afford to ignore change, according to him.