Israel Supporters Are in Trouble
Al-Ahram, Egypt, March 28
In recent months, Israel has been exposing itself to the world at an astonishing pace—faster than even its staunchest critics could have anticipated. Its latest scandal lies in stripping away the thin, fabricated veneer of propaganda it has long used to present itself—especially to its Western supporters—as a peaceful, democratic state where the rule of law prevails and where its leaders respect both domestic and international legal norms. However, the reality that has unfolded since its brutal assault on Gaza in October 2023 has shattered this illusion piece by piece.
With each passing day, Israel’s actions have laid bare its utter disregard for international law, as it continues to commit egregious war crimes while brazenly defying rulings from the two most prominent United Nations-affiliated courts: the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
Just as its defenders struggled to recover from this shock—unable to justify or excuse its blatant violations—the Netanyahu government escalated its defiance further by openly clashing with Israel’s own Supreme Court. It reacted with fury when the court froze the government’s decision to dismiss the head of Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, pending a ruling on an appeal against the dismissal. Not stopping there, Netanyahu’s coalition then launched a new battle to oust the government’s attorney general.
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Perhaps even more alarming is that Netanyahu’s government does not face any immediate political threat. It already holds a parliamentary majority that legally ensures its grip on power. Moreover, its position in the Knesset has only strengthened with the return of the extremist minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and his faction, whose votes now provide Netanyahu’s coalition with even greater stability, allowing it to push through virtually any policy it desires.
As for the mass protests against the government, it is important to recognize that they are not driven by moral opposition to the war or by any outrage over the suffering of Palestinian civilians. Instead, the sole demand of the demonstrators is the return of Israeli hostages from Gaza. Their only disagreement with Netanyahu’s government is over the urgency of this objective; they express no opposition to their country’s ongoing war crimes against defenseless Palestinian civilians.
Unlike much of the world, they do not recoil at the killing of Palestinian infants. They do not denounce the deliberate deprivation of food, water, medicine, and electricity to an already besieged population. They do not condemn the Israeli army’s ongoing crimes in the West Bank, its attacks on Lebanon and Syria, its provocations against Iran, or its assaults on UN institutions, journalists, medical personnel, artists, and even Oscar winners. This reality underscores not only the aggressive and expansionist nature of the Israeli government but also the wider societal complicity in its policies. For any truly free press in the West, this moment presents a critical opportunity to expose Israel’s true character, unfiltered and undeniable.
Ahmed Abdel-Tawwab (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)
