On video: Biden in a message to Israel: Humanitarian aid to Gaza cannot be a bargaining chip/photo: Reuters
Israel's relations with the supporting power the United States suffered two blows in the past day: the first was yesterday, when Vice President Kamala Harris said that she does not rule out "consequences" in the event that Israel acts in Rafah contrary to the US position, and the second blow fell today, when the US did not used her veto to prevent the Security Council's resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza during Ramadan.
There are several ways to address the terrible crisis afflicting Israel's foreign relations, one of which, we have already heard from public figures, members of the Knesset and even ministers in the government. This approach is possible To conclude in the spirit of "Givat Halfon does not answer" in the sentence "Allah makes Victor", in which the Egyptian officer from Alexandria said goodbye to his captive, Victor Hasson, just before it became clear that the UN soldiers who freed him, were none other than Gingi and Sergio Constanta.
"God is with you", that is, with us, with the people of Israel - therefore any international criticism that may develop into an economic, academic, cultural and other boycott that is directed at the virtuous people, just because they are such in their own eyes and in God's eyes, is doomed to failure.
If you hold this attitude (which, contrary to popular belief, does not necessarily characterize people of faith), I have two more things to share with you: the first is that I am jealous, the second is that you are exempt from further reading, I hope it turns out that I am stupid and that you are right.
At the other end of the range of reactions are extreme left-wing organizations for whom even burning babies in the southern settlements is merely a legitimate means of resistance to the policy of apartheid, such an approach that characterizes organizations such as "Betzlem" for example (in fact the last sentence is an almost exact quote of what Yuli Novak, CEO "The organization. Although she did not refer specifically to the burning of babies, but to the general actions of Hamas that day), deserves not envy but pity for someone whose soul is so conflicted that he sees crimes against humanity as a legitimate response to a wrong policy.
I wish he had opinions like that kept to the internal discourse in Israel, but when they are distributed to the whole world, they come very close to the threshold beyond which a defensive democracy is allowed to harm freedom of expression. Let's leave the auto-antisems alone for a moment, not because they deserve it, but because they are not the cause for which we gathered.
Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris. Her words portend an existential danger much more than they cause concern in the immediate term/Reuters
What will the Jews do?
Another way to treat the emerging criticism of the Sholia into real boycotts is to accuse the world of hating Israel and a tendency towards anti-Semitism.
This claim is not devoid of foundation: some of the criticism is indeed based on clear anti-Israeli elements, some of which flirt with classical anti-Semitism.
Even if you hold this attitude, it can be dismissed with a shrug of the shoulders, considering that "there is nothing to be done", because there will be haters of Israel in such a world - and on the other hand, it is possible, in the spirit of Ben-Gurion's saying, to say that it does not matter what the Gentiles say, but what the Jews do - i.e. , our response will decide.
Continuing with the same approach, the question is not only what we could have done, but mainly what we could have avoided: even those who think that all the residents of Gaza should be exterminated down to the last of them - and not only from Hamas terrorists, better think twice about saying these things in Rish Gali, especially when quotes from them star in every The same indictments (whether as such or as a background to condemnations).
In other words, listening to these things evokes nostalgia for the securityist left of the past, the one that knew how to speak highly of the purity of weapons and peace, but it was amazing to fight whenever it was necessary.
We can place ourselves on the spectrum of reactions to the multitude of condemnations that Israel receives around the world wherever we want, as long as we only recognize that this is an existential danger to the State of Israel.
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IDF soldiers in Gaza. Even if there is a degree of hypocrisy in the international criticism, Israel has no existence except as a Western front post/spokesman for the IDF
With all due respect to the IDF
One of our common tendencies is to believe not only in the righteousness of our way, but also to regard our power with excessive faith.
The reality is bleaker.
Because with all due respect to Jewish power, from spirit to substance - and even if you acknowledge the fact that a large part of the rebellion of the people of Israel in their country is the result of acts of heroism and sacrifice, of the victory of the few over the many - a wonderful story of a people rising from its ashes, from the greatest destruction that has happened to any nation throughout history humanity and established a state for himself to glory, after all the State of Israel would not have arisen, let alone survived, in a sea of hundreds of millions of enemies who want its destruction.
Our strength, apart from the bravery of our soldiers (which I do not doubt) and the wisdom of our leaders (which was lost to them a long time ago), is being a penetrating outpost, a western settlement in the heart of a population that has declared war not only on the Jews who returned to their land, but on the entire western, democratic, free way of life (as much as possible) ) and some will add even the liberal.
We will soon return to what Israel can and should do in order to continue and justify its existence, but let's open a window here to the economic channel.
In an almost bizarre way, Israel's economic situation, despite the expenses of the campaign, is still good: the State of Israel was one of the fastest growing economies in the world on the eve of the war, the export of services, most of them high-tech, from Israel is in great demand worldwide, and of course the same is true of defense exports.
And what's more: we are submitting part of our war expense account to our great friend, who has already suffered tens of billions of dollars from the Israeli financial loss: part through direct aid, part through security aid, and more.
Biden is angry and Netanyahu, instead of appeasing, prefers to talk to Base/Photo processing, Reuters, Yonatan Zindel/Flash 90
The rich uncle and the drug addict nephew
It is likely that the United States will still pay off some of the bills we have piled up on rich Uncle Sam's desk, although he recently broadcasts that he is a little fed up with the unruly nephew who expects him to pay for his own mistakes: "If you want more money," grumbles the uncle, "don't expect me to fund your addiction To the Messianic nationalism you fell into. Give up on it - and I'll shower you with money, but if you keep using it, there's a chance you won't see even one more worn-out dollar from me."
In international relations, the centurion has an opinion.
This does not mean that you cannot make him change his mind: you can call him into a closed room and say to him: "Uncle Sam (or in this case, Uncle Joe) you demand that I not enter Rafah and start giving up in order to promote normalization with Saudi Arabia, but such a request if It will be executed immediately, it will be like suicide.
Are you worried about the killing of civilians in Gaza? I accept it. Are you worried about the fear of starvation? I will not tell you that the Palestinians can survive on the leftover baklava they distributed on October 7th in front of vans loaded with corpses - although they deserve it, but I will promise that I will do every An effort to introduce aid that will prevent starvation even among the Hamas-supporting population.
Are you afraid of a mass killing in Rafah? Here I am aware of your concern - this is how the refugees will be evacuated from the battlefields, here I will refrain from acting because of the excessive caution you impose on me - and there I will prepare an alternative plan of action, all to show you How I'm trying, just because you asked.
After Hamas is eliminated, it's really possible for us to talk to the Saudis about some political concessions, because such a conversation right now would be a victory for Hamas.
Assuming that the other side also wants our best interests (even if, naturally, he puts his own interests first) , after all, such a conversation - between the nephew in need and the uncle whose help he desires - is essential.
Such a tone, by the way, is not folding and certainly not nullifying.
It is simply a desire to establish what should have been self-evident: between friends, certainly between those who are not equal in strength, there should be a respectful discourse.
On video: Netanyahu on the operation in Rafah, after his conversation with Biden it will take some time to prepare for it/official website
The strategic asset has become too expensive
What did Israel do instead?
She told the Americans something like: "Jump for us, we are determined to enter Rafah even if it is done against your nose and your wrath."
We can be told by tomorrow that Kamela Harris, the vice president, is just talking to her democratic-liberal base, just like Netanyahu is talking to his right-wing nationalist base.
Only that would be bullshit.
We are in an era where it is no longer possible to speak two different languages to two different audiences.
The things are photographed, recorded, documented and heard by everyone.
Israel is still a strategic asset for Western countries and the United States in particular.
The problem is therefore not in the short term: such condemnation and even a small embargo, we can still carry on our thin shoulders.
The more significant damage is actually in the long term.
Imagine that you have a strategic asset, one that is dear not only to your heart but also to your best interests.
Now let's say the maintenance costs of this property have skyrocketed.
At some point we will start to develop a negative sentiment towards him, realize that his maintenance has become too expensive - and we will start looking for alternatives.
Maybe not from today to tomorrow (assuming there is no replacement) but for the longer term, and in the language of the Middle East: maybe it's worth bringing the moderate Arab countries closer together instead of Israel?
Volcanic Institute.
The damage to his budget is a symbol of mortgaging the future of Israel's economy in favor of a political interest / Reuven Castro
An unprecedented existential threat
The economic damage (that is, from the damage to the image, not as a direct result of the cost of the war) of Israel is still small, but concern is already beginning to be heard among tech companies trying to raise funds on Nasdaq and among exporters of goods.
The academic price is also slowly rising: fewer parties in the world are willing to cooperate with Israeli institutions, from the most basic dialogues in the form of student exchanges to research and development.
For those who think that this is something that is limited to the academic field, it is better to think again: student exchanges ripen into interpersonal relationships, research turns into the development of technologies or products that bring in money.
Here, too, the Israeli government chose In its folly in the spirit that produces separatism (the budgeting of the Avarachs) over a spirit that produces money (the budgets of the universities or institutions such as the Volcanic Institute), that is - prioritizing the past over the future.
And if we are already talking about the past, this will not be the first time in history that an evil alliance between corrupt leadership and religious fanatics , rebelling against the world order and bringing Israel to the brink of destruction.
Even if there is a great deal of injustice in the criticism against Israel and even if it is intended for internal purposes, the State of Israel, founded on "what the Jews will do," is acting in complete opposition to its survival interest and is slowly pushing itself into a place where the only way out that will be left to her will be "I will die mentally with the Philistines".
Israeli companies that are having trouble listing on Nasdaq are only the first swallow that portends a gloomy future.
"The whole world is against us" is becoming an existential threat that is worse than Israel has known in all its 76 years of communism.
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Joe Biden
U.S
Gaza war
Economic boycott
academic boycott