At the same time, Israel is increasingly becoming internationally isolated.
Targeted sanctions Recently, a number of Western countries, including the United States, have introduced targeted sanctions against officials and entities involved in violence across the occupied West Bank. The sanctions are an effort to respond to Israel’s military operations in Gaza that have already been denounced by dozens of countries around the world. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Israel is facing a “sort of isolation” which extends over several years. He related that the country needs to be united as it fights against this never-before-seen backlash.
Over the last few weeks, most of the world—particularly Western countries—have raised their voices and acted against Israel. France, Italy and the United Kingdom have announced partial or total embargoes on arms. This unprecedented action comes against the backdrop of rising concerns over Israel’s military conduct in Gaza, marking a dangerous new trend in international relations. The European Union has already proposed sanctions that would see the bloc largely suspending its free trade agreement with Israel. This move is still contingent upon approval from individual member states.
Targeted Sanctions and Arms Embargoes
The widening of targeted sanctions to cover Israeli officials and organizations representing the Israeli state is a remarkable breach from longstanding diplomatic precedent. Countries have started to adopt a tougher approach towards Israel’s presence in the occupied territories. These measures are designed to penalize those whose actions have been judged to be complicit in violence against Palestinians.
Even as the rigmarole continues, Israel is subjected to growing complete arms embargoes from a number of key European countries. Our friends in France, Italy and Spain are pushing back – hard. We thank them for their public commitment to halt arms sales to Israel given the humanitarian crisis arising from Israel’s ongoing conflict in Gaza. The consequences of these embargoes would drastically curtail Israel’s military options and change the face of Israel’s defense posture.
Signed, Netanyahu’s acknowledgement of Israel’s isolation betrays the deepening fear and worry of Israeli officials. This alliance includes the prime minister, who has repeatedly stated that his country can only depend on itself in a time of waning international support.
“We are unable to provide sufficient clarity about his attitude to the genocidal regime in Tel Aviv.” – Music festival in Ghent, Belgium
Cultural Boycotts and Public Protests
For a few weeks now, the backlash against Israel has gone past political and economic sanctions to include the cultural sphere. To date, thousands of filmmakers, actors, and industry professionals have stepped up and stood down. They have promised not to work with Israeli film institutions that they deem complicit in Israeli violations of Palestinians’ human rights. This cultural boycott is the bedrock principle of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. It hopes to achieve an effect comparable to the anti-apartheid boycott in South Africa.
Protests against Israeli presence in any sort of sporting event have been increasingly picked up. In Spain, pro-Palestinian protests helped derail the final stages of La Vuelta, one of the world’s largest bike races. This disruption resulted in the cancellation of the event out of fear over the Israel-Premier Tech team’s participation. Public service broadcasters from several different European countries are pushing back. They have previously threatened an international boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is permitted to compete in 2026.
“Eurovision is very popular, and the football tournaments are very, very popular. And if you even mention a connection between the pressure on Israel on policy issues and culture and sports and so on, it will make an impact.” – Ilan Baruch
Economic Consequences and Future Implications
These sanctions and boycotts hurt much more than cultural spaces. They tremendously affect key sectors of our economy. Norway’s sovereign wealth fund recently announced it would divest parts of its portfolio invested in Israel due to the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza. This ruling serves as a prime example of how financial institutions are reassessing their ties to Israel in light of ethical and moral concerns.
The looming prospect of Israel’s expulsion from European football tournaments represents yet another significant danger to Israel’s place within the world of sport. As the tide of public opinion turns against Israel’s oppressive campaign, athletic organizations will increasingly be unable to ignore the call to cut their ties with abusive Israeli teams.
Robert Satloff, an expert on Middle Eastern affairs, remarked on the broader implications of this trend:
“There’s no doubt that there is performative voting here. Some of these countries that voted against Israel have very important, quiet relationships with Israel and are viewed as strong partners.” – Robert Satloff
This developing trend of alienation is a clear sign of changing behavior by nations that have traditionally supported Israel.
“The trend should be disconcerting when, over time, there’s a clear pattern of once-strong supporters moving in the opposite direction.” – Robert Satloff
