Israel’s war in Gaza faces growing opposition at home and abroad

Brussels – Netanyahu’s war on Gaza is starting to cause severe repercussions for the Israeli government. Street protests are increasing, even spreading, while the international political and economic community, including Europe, is beginning to send heavy signals of distancing. 

Yesterday, Sunday (17 August) in what was the biggest day of national mobilization, probably a million people poured into the streets of various cities (in Tel Aviv alone, half a million participants were counted) to demand real negotiations to bring back the hostages who are still alive, perhaps twenty or so, and the bodies of those now dead, and to demand an end to the massacre in Gaza. “Bring them home”, and “End this fucking war now” were the two slogans most frequently seen on placards and shouted by the protesters.

The police responded with water cannons to disperse the crowd and arrested some 40 people, who, according to the police, carried out violent actions, such as burning tires.

Also at the international level, besides the frequent incidents involving Israeli tourists being chased out of bars, restaurants, or being stranded on board cruise ships, there is an increasing number of governments that have decided to recognize the state of Palestine, blocking or at least limiting arms exports. French President Emmanuel Macron called the escalation announced by the government of Israel a “disaster,” and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz argued that Israeli policy towards Gaza “is no longer justified.” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store pointed out that Israel “has damaged its reputation in countries that have always had sympathy for it.” The European Union urges that humanitarian aid be allowed into the Strip, although it cannot say much more. Today, the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said in a statement for World Humanitarian Aid Day that “The man-made humanitarian crises in Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine have rightly aroused worldwide indignation.” While not explicitly referring to Israel and Gaza, she also stated that “at a time when humanitarian needs are reaching new heights, respect for International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is under threat. Targeted attacks on civilians and aid workers, along with the attacks against hospitals, schools, and other civilian targets, are surging, while access to lifesaving aid is increasingly denied.” “Yet the ‘rules of war’ established by the Geneva Conventions in 1949 remain unchanged: violating IHL is a crime,” she added.

Also today, the Financial Times reported how the international financial community is beginning to loosen its ties with Israel. The British newspaper reports that Norway’s two trillion dollar sovereign wealth fund said it had sold a fifth of its assets in the country, while other major Jewish players are beginning to have “moral” doubts about investing in Israel.