Do Israel face a “moment of South Africa” ​​on Gaza?

As the war in Gaza continues, the international isolation of Israel appears to be deepening.

Are you approaching the “moment of South Africa”, when a mixture of political pressure and economic, sports and cultural provinces helped to force Pretoria to abandon the apartheid?

Or can the right -wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu overcome the diplomatic storm, leaving Israel free to follow its goals in Gaza and the occupied West Bank without causing permanent damage in its international position?

Two former prime ministers, Ehud Barak and Wahud Olmert, accused Netanyahu of turning Israel into international outcast.

Thanks to a judicial order issued by the International Criminal Court, the number of countries that Netanyahu can travel to without significantly arrest them.

At the United Nations, many countries, including Britain, France, Australia, Belgium and Canada, said it plans to recognize Palestine as a country next week.

And the Gulf states, interact with anger to The Israeli attack last Tuesday on Hamas leaders in QatarThey met in Doha to discuss a unified response, as it invites some countries with relations with Israel to think again.

But with the pictures of hunger arising from Gaza during the summer and the Israeli army, he is preparing to invade – and perhaps destroy – Gaza City, more and more European governments show their dissatisfaction in ways exceeding just statements.

At the beginning of the month, Belgium announced a series of sanctions, including prohibiting imports of illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a review of purchasing policies with Israeli companies and restrictions on the consular assistance of Belgians living in settlements.

It also announced two Israeli government ministers, Itamar Ben-GVIR and Bezalel Smotrich, an unwanted figure, along with the Jewish settlers accused of violence against the Palestinians in the West Bank.

Other countries, including Britain and France, have already taken similar steps. But the sanctions on the violent settlers imposed by the Biden administration last year were canceled on the first day of Donald Trump at the White House.

A week after Belgium’s transfer, Spain announced its own measures, and the prohibition of current realistic weapons has turned into the law, announcing a partial import ban, with the exception of entry into Spanish territory to anyone involved in genocide or war crimes in Gaza, and the ban on air ships heading to Israel.

The Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, accused Spain of the progress of anti -Semitic policies, and suggested that Spain would suffer more than Israel from the arms trade ban.

But there are other worries signs of Israel.

In August, the sovereign wealth fund in Norway, 2.7 Terry, euro, 1.6 Trinion). By the middle of the month, 23 companies were removed, and Finance Minister Jeans Stoltenberg said he could follow more.

Meanwhile, the European Union, the largest commercial partner for Israel, is planning the punishment for the right -wing extremist ministers and partially suspending the commercial elements of an agreement with Israel.

On September 10 of the Union’s speech, the Chairman of the European Union Committee, Ursula von der Lin, said that the events in Gaza “shook the conscience of the world.”

A day later, 314 former European diplomats and officials wrote to von der Lynn and the head of the European Union Foreign Policy Kaja Calas calling for stricter measures, including the full suspension of the association’s agreement.

One of the features of the sanctions that were placed in South Africa between the 1960s and the end of the apartheid – the policy of apartheid and discrimination imposed by the White Minority Government in South Africa against the black majority in the country – in the 1990s was a series of cultural and sports provinces.

Again, there are signs that this will happen with Israel.

The Europision Song competition may not look like an important event in this context, but Israel has a long and shiny history with competition, and has won it four times since 1973.

For Israel, participation is symbolic to accept the Jewish state among the family of nations.

But Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia all said, or gifted, They will withdraw in 2026 if Israel is allowed to competeWith an expected decision in December.

In Hollywood, a message calling for boycotting Israeli production companies, festivals and broadcasters was attracted “who are involved in collective genocide and racist semester against the Palestinian people” more than 4000 signatures in a week, including the names of families such as Emma Stone and Jarm Barm.

Tzvika Gottlieb, CEO of the Israeli Film and Television Producers Association, described the petition “deeply misleading”.

He said: “By targeting us – the creators who give a voice to various novels and a dialogue that strengthens – these sites undermine their cause and try to silence us.”

Then there is a sport. The Volta de Evanna bicycle race has been disrupted repeatedly by groups protesting the presence of the novice technology team in Israel, forcing an early messy end on Saturday and the cancellation of the platform.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the protests as the source of “pride”, but opposing politicians said that government measures caused international embarrassment.

Also in Spain, seven Israeli chess players withdrew from a championship after telling them that they would not be able to compete under their knowledge.

The Israeli government’s responses to what the media has already called the “diplomatic tsunami” in general.

Netanyahu accused Spain of “a threat to the bright genocide” after his Prime Minister said that his country, which lacks nuclear bombs, aircraft tankers or large oil reserves, was not able to stop the Israeli attack in Gaza alone.

After Belgium announced its penalties, Gideon walked on X that “it is unfortunate that even when Israel fights an existential threat, which is in the vital interest of Europe, there are those who cannot resist their anti -Israeli obsession.”

But among those who represented Israel abroad, there is deep concern.

Jeremy Isasarov, the Israeli ambassador to Germany from 2017 to 2021, told me that he could not remember time when Israel’s international status was “weak”, but he said that some measures were “very drawn” because it targets all Israelis.

“Instead of distinguishing government policies, this alienates many moderate Israelis on the middle land,” he said.

He said that some steps, such as recognition of the state of Palestine, are likely to be inverse results, because they “give ammunition to people like Smotrich and Ben Gvir and to enhance their argument to the annex (West Bank).”

Despite his concerns, the former ambassador does not believe that Israel’s diplomatic isolation is irreversible.

“We are not in the moment of South Africa, but we are in a possible preamble of South Africa,” he said.

Others believe that there is more deep change to stop the Israeli segment towards an outcast.

“We have to restore our place in the family of nations,” another former diplomat, Ilan Barkh.

“We need to return to our senses.”

Baruch, who was an ambassador to South Africa after a decade from the end of the apartheid, resigned from diplomatic service in 2011, saying he was no longer able to defend the occupation of Israel. Since his retirement, he has been an audio critic of the government and the supporter of the solution of Dalaat.

He believes that the recent sanctions are necessary, saying: “This is how South Africa has been pushed to its knees.”

“I would like to say that the firm pressure on Israel in any way the Europeans believe at their disposal should be welcome.”

He said that if necessary, this should include changes to visa systems and cultural provinces, adding: “I am ready for pain.”

But despite all expressions of anger and talking about pressure, some veteran observers complain that Israel is on the edge of the diplomatic abyss.

Daniel Levy, a former Israeli peace negotiator, told me: “Those who are ready to go to the Spanish road are still from extremist values.”

He said that the efforts made to take collective measures within the European Union – the elements of overcoming the association’s agreement or even, as some have suggested that it is unlikely that the freezing of Israel from the research and innovation program in the European Union – with sufficient support, with the resistance of Germany, Italy and Hungary among members.

Israel still has strong support for the United States, as Foreign Minister Marco Rubio “Washington’s relationship with Israel will remain strong” during his departure on an official visit.

Levy still believes that the international isolation of Israel is “irreversible”, but it says that the continuous support of the Trump administration means that it has not yet reached the point that it can change in the course of events in Gaza.

“Netanyahu is running out of the road,” Levy said. “But we haven’t reached the end of the road yet.”