International Support for Israel Is Strong, but Gaza Offensive Can Turn Tide

Diverse group of world leaders visit Israel to express solidarity during ongoing conflict with Hamas

International leaders continue to visit Israel on the second week of its war with Hamas. Ahead of what appears to be an imminent Israeli ground invasion into the Gaza Strip, the war will likely intensify. Images of the destruction caused by Israeli air strikes in the territory controlled by the Hamas terrorist organization are now dominating the news bulletins and could put a dent in what is currently almost iron-clad support for Israel. 

Over 1,400 Israelis were killed since Hamas opened a surprise offensive against Israel last weekend. Thousands of others were injured and approximately 200 are being held hostage by Hamas. Since the beginning of Israel’s response, for now in the form of a massive air campaign, approximately 2,800 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed. Thousands of others have been injured, hundreds of thousands internally displaced. On both sides, it is the civilians who are paying the heaviest price for the conflict. 

A string of leaders have visited Israel in a rare show of solidarity. 

US President Joe Biden is slated to visit Israel on Wednesday. This will be the visit of the most senior international leader to the area. French President Emmanuel Macron is also expected to visit. Before that, a number of high-level officials visited under fire, providing Israel with support to which it is not accustomed. 

The German and Canadian foreign ministers also visited over the weekend, as did the president of the European Parliament and the president of the European Union Commission. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made his second visit on Monday. 

The American support is extraordinary. But they do not want to see an escalation of the fighting and will probably want to stop Israel from doing certain things.

“The American support is extraordinary,” said Professor Efraim Inbar, president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. “But they do not want to see an escalation of the fighting and will probably want to stop Israel from doing certain things.” 

Some officials toured the areas hard-hit by the Hamas attack; others met with their counterparts in Jerusalem. 

“Germany stands firmly by Israel’s side,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz posted Tuesday on his X account after landing in Israel. “Afterwards I will travel to Egypt … [it’s] about protecting the civilian population in the Gaza Strip and avoiding a conflagration.”

In a meeting between Scholz and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the latter said Hamas is the “new Nazis.”

“This is the savagery that we only remember from the Nazi crimes in the Holocaust,” Netanyahu said alongside Scholz, as German and Israeli flags hung behind them. “This is not only our battle, it is our common battle.”

“The visit … is an unequivocal message to the world, that Germany stands by Israel in her right to defend herself,” said Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen during his meeting with Scholz. 

On Tuesday, Netanyahu also met the Romanian premier, Marcel Ciolacu, in Jerusalem. 

“We appreciate you coming here at the time when Israel is in great unrest,” said Netanyahu. “We now need the support of all of the European countries in Israel’s just fight against these barbarians.”

As testimonies of the attack committed by Hamas emerged, Israel has tried to shape the narrative that equates Hamas to the Nazi era and the attack as Israel’s second Holocaust. Videos of Hamas terrorists beheading civilians, kidnapping babies, and parading hostages in the streets of Gaza City have helped the Israeli government etch the equation that Hamas is akin to ISIS, an equation that resonates with American and European audiences.

Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu was also part of the Romanian delegation to Jerusalem. She met with her Israeli counterpart.

“We will not forget those who stood beside us throughout these difficult days,” said Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen. “I have asked the Foreign Minister to support Israel in its war to topple Hamas and [requested] that Romania, together with other good friends in Europe, will promote the declaration of Hamas as a terrorist organization.”

Until now, the EU has only blacklisted Hamas’ military wing, leaving its political arm outside of the designation.

“The visits reflect extraordinary support for Israel from Western states,” said Dr. Toby Greene, of the Department of Political Studies at Bar-Ilan University. “But increasingly, this also reflects a desire to have some influence over the character of the military response, especially by the US.” 

The US has already sent one aircraft carrier to the Eastern Mediterranean, with another one on the way. Two visits by Blinken since the war began and a steady supply of munitions and interceptors for Israel’s air defense array makes it clear that the US has a stake in the conflict. President Biden’s planned visit is the ultimate signal to all countries in the region of the depth of American involvement in the developments. It is also a signal to its allies, who have been concerned with American withdrawal from the region in recent years, but, more importantly, to its adversaries who may have banked on less involvement. 

As the Israeli offensive in Gaza intensifies, Israel will seek international support. It is used to being a minority in international forums and despite the current support, may find itself soon in the position it is usually in.

“Israel can ignore much of the criticism,” Inbar told The Media Line. “It will be difficult to ignore the US. But this is a war that Israel must fight and win; otherwise, it will be left with no deterrence.”

When the harrowing results of the Hamas terrorist attacks began to emerge, there was almost automatic solidarity expressed by Israel’s allies. 

But as the attack becomes a more distant memory in the international arena, images of Israeli victims are replaced with images of Israel’s offensive on Gaza, which is taking a large humanitarian toll. This could put a time cap on the support for Israel. 

“There is support for Israel’s military response, but there is growing concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” Greene told The Media Line. “We’ve seen in the past that this is the pattern, although the scale of what happened has changed the perception about Hamas internationally. But inevitably there will be growing international concern.”

In addition, the fact that many of the hostages being held by Hamas since the attack have dual citizenship has inserted many countries into the conflict.

During his meeting with Netanyahu, the German chancellor said he was concerned for the German citizens and all others being held hostages, adding that Germany was “acting in full force” to secure their release.

“It is a significant factor in shaping the perception of those states on the conflict and it’s a top priority for those governments to try and secure the release of their citizens,” said Greene. “The fact that there were international citizens among those killed, also has contributed to the reaction.”

“Romania stands by Israel,” said Romanian Prime Minister Ciolacu while meeting Netanyahu. “We ask the international community to act regarding the hostages being held by the Hamas terrorist organization. … We also ask the international community to make sure humanitarian corridors are opened for the innocent.”

EU leaders held an emergency meeting on Tuesday regarding the potential fallout the war could have on Europe, including concerns about an influx of Gazan refugees. The leaders also wanted to try to reach a uniform policy on the conflict. While many countries took Israel’s side, including concrete measures against Hamas and pro-Palestinian movements, there were mixed messages on the fate of European humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Spain, for example, has been very critical of Israel’s response to the Hamas attack, causing a diplomatic spat with Israel.

The EU, a body of countries with a wide range of views, has had difficulty reaching any uniform policy in recent years on major issues. The Israel-Hamas war may not be any different. 

The fear of the war escalating into a wider regional conflict is a major concern for the US and the EU.

“We will take all necessary action in order to prevent an escalation,” said Scholz while in Jerusalem. “I warn all the actors not to enter this conflict. This will be a grave and unforgivable mistake. We have conveyed this message through various channels.”

This was likely directed at Iran, and its proxy Hizbullah, on Israel’s border with Lebanon. In recent days, there have been increasing exchanges of fire with Israel that threaten to spill over into a wider conflict. The US has also warned other countries of entering the cycle of violence. President Biden’s visit is meant to highlight this warning.

“The US has interests here, including keeping the possibility of a nuclear agreement with Iran,” Inbar told the Media Line. “In their statements, they have been very careful in naming Iran, even though it is Hamas’ main sponsor.”

For now, Israel still has the backing of significant parts of the international community. With Jerusalem already well-versed in how public opinion can swiftly change, it should not be surprised if and when the tides turn.