Is unwavering Western support for Israel beginning to fracture?
If one looks at the mainstream media and listens to leading Western politicians, it seems that support for Israel is solid and will remain so. While Russia and Belarus were unable to compete in the Olympics due to Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Israeli delegation was welcomed to Paris with open arms despite their country’s current assault on Palestinians.
What Western leaders don’t seem to recognize is that from the viewpoint of billions of people around the world, Israel and its supporters are openly engaged in genocide. In response, countless individuals are using their version of soft diplomacy to express displeasure. It is proving quite effective, and one wonders how much longer the Western elite can pretend to ignore this reality.
A recent study published by the public relations firm Edelman surveyed 15,000 people in 15 countries, including France, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. According to Middle East Eye, the study found that 37 percent of individuals are boycotting at least one brand because of its perceived association with the assault on Gaza. This result may explain why companies like Starbucks, McDonald’s, and other flagship American corporations are seeing significant drops in sales internationally.
People are also using their collective wealth to avoid what they see as unethical investments. The Norwegian pension company KLP has divested from the American heavy machinery manufacturer Caterpillar due to its involvement with the Israeli military, but the biggest blow to investors in Israeli aggression came when Norway’s oil fund divested completely from Israeli bonds.
These are but a few examples of ordinary individuals using economic pressure to try to force Israel, the U.S., and their political and corporate allies to end the killing in Palestine. It makes sense; normal people do not want to feel complicit in genocide, and they will do what they can to sleep at night, despite seeing the horrific images coming out of Gaza. If investment firms have foresight, they will continue to divest from holdings associated with Israeli aggression; if the living conditions of Palestinians do not improve soon, these holdings may become worthless.
Corporations are beginning to listen. For example, the German sportswear company Puma has announced that it will not renew its contract with the Israeli Football Association. Other corporations are cancelling plans to expand their operations in Israel, the largest being the tech company Intel, which stopped the construction of a $25 billion facility.
Governments in the global south have been far more responsive to the outcry of their citizens, with Columbia suspending coal exports to Israel, a move that could significantly impact Israel’s ability to produce electricity.
Academic institutions around the world are cutting ties with Israeli universities due to their perceived complicity in genocide. Yet, many Canadian universities continue to take draconian measures to squash opposition to their ties with Israel. Vancouver Island University, for example, risks humiliating itself internationally by seeking legal injunctions to remove student protestors.
Opposition to Israel’s perceived genocide in Gaza is building like a crescendo all over the world. I have shared but very few examples of the growing international isolation of Israel and its allies ethically, politically, academically, and financially.
Will Israel ever recover its international reputation? There is growing uncertainty about whether countries that have offered unwavering support to Israel, such as the U.S., the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Canada, will be able to restore their global standing. We are being seen as collaborators in genocide, and genocide is simply not good business.
Gerry Chidiac specializes in languages and genocide studies and works with at-risk students. He received an award from the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre for excellence in teaching about the Holocaust.
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