By : Najla M. Shahwan
Jordan Daily – Israel’s war on Gaza, which entered its tenth month, has done an untold damage to the enclave and its people more than 38,243 of whom have been killed ,88,243 wounded and millions displaced.
The damage also extended to Israel’s generational global reputation as in the ongoing months of war it has been doing more damage to its global standing than the preceding five and a half decades of its military occupation of the Palestinian territories.
Israel’s retaliatory war on Gaza after the Hamas Oct 7 attack which resulted in the deaths of 1,139 Israelis have been ongoing with daily destructions , massacres , indiscriminate bombings of densely populated civilian areas including , shelters, homes , schools, universities , hospitals , creating unforgettable shocking images for Israel’s crimes against the illegally blockaded enclave.
The situation is deteriorating by the day, suffering of the people inside Gaza is significantly increasing ,the delivering of the much-needed aid into the territory incredibly difficult and the amount of humanitarian aid entering the Strip dropped by more than 67 % after Israel launched its military offensive in Rafah earlier in May.
Besides, up to 1.9 million people in Gaza are internally displaced, including people who have been displaced nine or 10 times according to the UN.
As the images of Israel’s daily retaliatory offensive in Gaza deepens and the Palestinians’ tragedy spreads in the media day by day Israel seems to have lost its expected unwavering support from its allies and the capitals of most of the world have been witnessing huge demonstrations in solidarity with the Palestinians.
The war is dragging on while Israel’s diplomatic isolation is growing rapidly and the Israeli government has become the target of increased censure on the world stage, drawing sharp criticism from many of its closest allies in Europe for its conduct in the war which is clearly in violation of international law and the rules-based order.
Legal action is also escalating as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is facing a potential arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court over Israel’s actions in Gaza, and Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice .
Israel has also come under harsh criticism from most Arab countries, as well as the Arab states that already have diplomatic ties with it , including Jordan , Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
In addition to African countries such as the Republic of South Africa, Tunisia and Yemen, thousands of people flock to streets in Paris, Geneva and London, demanding Israel to stop its aggression against Gaza.
Israeli Jews also hold demonstrations around the world, including in Tel Aviv, demanding an end to Israel’s attacks and emphasizing the need for a ceasefire.
Besides, countries considered to be among Israel’s closest allies have expressed concerns about the impact that the war stands to have not just on Israel’s credibility, but on their own.
Israel’s declining international standing is already having a tangible effect as last March , the Canadian government announced its intention to cease all future arms shipments to Israel, citing human rights concerns.
Besides, the UK government is facing growing pressure to follow suit amid concerns that failing to do so could constitute a violation of international law.
Turkey on its part has suspended all trade with Israel over its offensive in Gaza, citing the “worsening humanitarian tragedy” in the strip.
Trade between the two countries was worth almost $7bn last year.
As well, Russia and China, have more closely aligned themselves with the Palestinian position.
On top of that, Israel’s international standing, especially the unofficial aspects—those not related to the positions and institutions of the state is the emergence of a serious, unofficial, international boycott of Israeli academia, and a global boycott of artistic and cultural works, in addition to the escalation of student protest movements in American universities.
On its part, Israel is not concerned about the implications its war in Gaza will have on its long-term standing, or that of its closest friends, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has repeatedly rebuffed calls for a ceasefire .
Moreover, Netanyahu recently have been attempting to undermine a Gaza ceasefire proposal presented by US President Joe Biden on May31by introducing new demands after initially accepting the plan.
As the US , Egypt and Qatar continue cease-fire talks to broker the hostage release deal , Netanyahu injected new uncertainty into the negotiations late July 8, insisting that Israel should be able to resume fighting as part of any deal accepted by negotiators.
His statement appeared to raise the bar for what Israel would accept in a deal and further tempered any lingering expectations of an imminent peace.
Netanyahu stipulated that “any deal will allow Israel to resume fighting until all of the objectives of the war have been achieved.”
A statement issued by his office suggested that the prime minister would be unwilling to fully commit to a permanent cease-fire until the complete elimination of Hamas in Gaza – something he has repeatedly described as a key aim of the war, alongside the release of the hostages and the ensuring of Israel’s security.
Netanyahu’s office also said that any deal would need to prevent the smuggling of weapons from Egypt into Gaza and “maximize the number of living hostages” released by Hamas — rather than the return of all the hostages.
The statement was criticized by Netanyahu’s domestic political opponents as well as Israeli demonstrators campaigning for a hostage release deal.
On their part many Israelis accuse Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, of not doing more to secure a truce as a matter of political survival.
Israel realizes it is losing ground in the battle for public opinion in the US and Europe , especially among young people as its PR problem is deepening further by large numbers of younger people holding an unfavorable opinion of the country or its role in the conflict.
This is likely why the Israeli government has been flooding social media with paid advertisements and has been going solid on TikTok, Instagram and other social media sites.
On the other hand, South Africa’s current genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has garnered support not only from Muslim-dominated countries but also several in Latin America.
The ICJ’s recent interim ruling, recognizing the plausibility of some of South Africa’s that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, adds additional harm to Israel’s international image.
Moreover, Ireland, Norway and Spain recognized a Palestinian state in a coordinated decision on May 28, while Slovenia
on June , they recognized Palestine as an independent and sovereign state after its parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of the move.
Furthermore , Brazil has officially enacted recently a long-awaited free trade agreement with the Palestinian Authority, a move aimed at showing solidarity with the Palestinian people amid the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.
Over the long term, there is a real risk that Israel will lose whatever standing it has left, something that could impact on-the-ground political realities.
In the past, Israel could rely on the support of the US and other key allies, and this is likely for the foreseeable future but changes in global economics and generational shifts mean it is unlikely to be indefinite.
There is no simple way for Israel to improve its image in the world especially now after its war crimes in Gaza brought strongly in the light Israel’s ruthless policies of land confiscation, illegal settlement and dispossession, coupled with rampant discrimination, which inflicted immense suffering on Palestinians, depriving them of their basic rights during the long occupation of the Palestinian Territories and East Jerusalem .
Najla M. Shahwan is Palestinian author, researcher and freelance journalist. Author of 13 books in literature and a children story collection .She is also Chairwoman of the Palestinian Center for Children’s Literature ( PCCL ) , founder of Jana Woman Cultural Magazine and Recipient of two prizes from the Palestinian Union of Writers.
