Whereas world leaders initially rallied around Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre by Hamas militants, the resulting destruction inside the Palestinian enclave has seen the country ever more isolated on the international stage.
New Content Item (1)
Photo credit: Said Khatib | AFP
Nearly two years after the attack that sparked the Israeli operation, the war aims of Israel are understood more and more as politically motivated, with the purpose being the political survival of Netanyahu and his government.
There is increasing international condemnation and sanctioning of some of the government’s more prominent members who are accused of using genocidal language against the Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere.
People gather with signs for a demonstration calling upon the International Committee of the Red Cross to take action for the release of hostages abducted by Palestinian militants on October 7 and currently held in the Gaza Strip, outside the ICRC offices in Tel Aviv on November 9, 2023 amid the ongoing fighting between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
Photo credit: Ahmad Gharabli | AFP
But to what extent are Israeli citizens being conflated with the Netanyahu government in international criticism?
Israeli public opinion polls tell a complex story of views on the war in Gaza. On one hand, Netanyahu’s government remains deeply unpopular among 70% of Israeli citizens , and a growing number of Israelis now fully believe that the prime minister is prolonging the war for his own political interests.
Such sentiment has seen an uptick in protests over the war. On Aug. 17, the country practically shut down during a widespread strike and demonstration against the government. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv in an unprecedented mass rally, calling for the end of the war and a ceasefire deal that would bring all hostages back.
Bans, booing and ostracism
Netanyahu insists that all the reporting about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is fake news , orchestrated by Hamas and antisemitic forces around the world. Netanyahu has also responded to the moves by Western governments to recognize the Palestinian state by labeling their decisions as antisemitic .
But there are signs that international condemnation of the war in Gaza is affecting Israelis themselves – both at home and abroad.
A man walks with mattresses through destruction in a ravaged neighbourhood in Gaza City early on October 11, 2023, following overnight Israeli airstrikes.
Photo credit: MAHMUD HAMS / AFP
Israelis and Israeli organizations from all walks of life are facing increased instances of anti-Israeli actions and sentiments.
Israeli tourists in Greece have been targeted by pro-Palestinian demonstrations. And there are multiple reports of Israeli tourists being questioned or harassed elsewhere for their possible involvement in the war in Gaza.
There is pressure on FIFA to force Israel out of the global soccer organization, and matches involving Israeli teams in European capitals have been marred by violence by fans on both sides.
International cultural events that are scheduled to take place in Israel are now routinely modified or canceled, as just happened with the International Harp Competition , which had been scheduled for December 2025. Meanwhile, the popular Eurovision Song Contest has now been a site of anti-Israeli demonstrations for the second year in a row. This is despite Israeli fans of the event, hugely popular among the LGBTQ community, belonging predominantly to the progressive left-leaning camp in Israel – the very people most likely to be in opposition to the current government.
Columbia students participate in a rally in support of Palestine at the university in October.
Photo credit: AFP
Israelis have responded to this challenge in multiple ways. Even prior to the mass demonstration on Aug. 17, tens of thousands of Israelis have protested the government for months on end, accusing Netanyahu and his far-right government for turning Israel into a pariah state. Artists and academics have issued petitions , acknowledging Israeli’s responsibility for the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and calling for the end of the war.
Abroad, Israelis, who are known for being avid international tourists, are now traveling more to sites that are deemed less hostile to Israel . Many prefer not to disclose their Israeli identify. Reservists and discharged soldiers are fearful of being arrested abroad after posting on social media about their military service in Gaza.
Yet Netanyahu, who is subject to an outstanding arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court, along with his far-right Cabinet, seem to be unmoved. The global isolation may even serve their narrow interests by putting Israel in this precarious situation and helping them mobilize their base around the argument that all anti-Israeli actions are motivated by antisemitism.
And while antisemitism is real and widespread , and some of it drives anti-Israeli actions, it is a far cry to argue that antisemitism – and not Israeli government policy – is the main reason for current global sentiments and actions against the country.
People standing on a rooftop watch as a ball of fire and smoke rises above a building in Gaza City on October 7, 2023 during an Israeli air strike that hit the Palestine Tower building.
Photo credit: AFP
The government is particularly indifferent to areas that are considered “elitist” and that have been mainly affected by the global protest movement against Israel.
Members of the government and its supporters see Israeli academia or Israeli arts as fields filled with liberal leftists whose power should be curbed. It is telling that when the Weitzman Institute , one of Israel’s most distinguished academic centers, was hit by an Iranian missile during the 12-day war in June, a popular far-right radio and TV anchor and supporter of the government tweeted: “God 1; Weitzman Institute 0 .” The suggestion was that God punished this globally renowned academic institution for its lack of support for the government.
The tweet was condemned by journalists and some members of the opposition but was endorsed and repeated on Channel 14, widely known as Netanyahu’s “house TV channel.” Government officials remained silent.
When this is the sentiment among the government and its supporters, why would they be bothered with the consequences to Israeli academia and indeed its citizens by Israel being increasingly seen as a pariah state?
