Relations with the United States, the cornerstone of our national security, have been deteriorating ever since the formation of the far-right government. Two Jews are currently at the head of countries: of the two, President Biden chose to criticize the Jewish leader Zelensky who fought for the democracy of his country Ukraine, and not to invite the Jewish leader Netanyahu who harms Israel’s democracy and its moral image. This is an illustration of the deterioration of Israel’s international status due to the regime revolution and annexation ambitions.
While ministers in the government accuse the opposition of encouraging BDS, those same ministers make names for what is left of Israel’s culture: for example, Diaspora Minister Amichai Shikli allows himself to rebuke the Americans and calls them to mind their own business without realizing what boldness is inherent in his words. Even a thousand explanations and excuses will not be able to extinguish the match that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threw into the fire of Israel’s international relations in the form of the statement that Israel must “erase Havara”. It is hard to remember when a statement by a senior minister was met with such disgust from the American administration. The twists and turns of Smotrich and Netanyahu after him in the face of the American reaction show how influential and effective it is.
In the months that have passed since its establishment, the government has managed to set fire to the streets, harm social cohesion and exacerbate the conflict with the Palestinians, but no less, the government has managed to create unprecedented peripheral damage to Israel’s status and international relations. The signs are piling up every day: the postponement of the Prime Minister’s visit to the United Arab Emirates; More than two months after taking office, Netanyahu still has not received the traditional invitation to come to the White House; In addition, the American government boycotts Finance Minister Smotrich, who will not be allowed to meet with government officials during his visit to Washington. Furthermore, senior government officials come here one after the other to do an education series for the Israeli government. Those senior officials do not leave the criticism behind closed doors, but make sure to voice it.
The grounded Netanyahu is looking for flight opportunities in candles. First to French President Macron. Then he arranged a weekend for himself with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Maloney, and it can be assumed that soon there will be visits to Budapest with Comrade Orban and perhaps to Warsaw, the two capitals that give Netanyahu inspiration when he comes to harm democracy.
The political isolation is reflected not only in the reduction of the Netanyahu family’s flight options, but also in public reprimands of the Israeli government from the European Union and countries around the world. Even Poland and Italy joined in condemning the violence “from both sides”. A sign that we are never immune even when it comes to those whom Netanyahu considers to be partners in the way. As long as Ben Gvir fulfills his ambition to turn the police into a political tool, as long as Smotrich annexes the West Bank and continues with his inflammatory words, and as members of the Knesset from the coalition continue to cheer for Jewish terrorists in Hawara and other places, Israel will become more and more isolated and crippled.
Israel depends on the attitude of the countries of the free world. If it tries to imitate the system of the regime in countries with an authoritarian regime, we will end up standing in the corner of international punishment, with Viktor Orban who succeeded in destroying the Hungarian economy and bringing about mass immigration. The punishment angle, and in the absence of American backing, has moral, political, economic and security implications that are difficult to overestimate. Those who undermine Israel’s international status harm its security in every possible aspect. Right now, the Coalition of Extremists is doing it better than all of our haters.
The writer is the CEO of J Street Israel