Israel, increasingly isolated despite Washington's unwavering support

LondonLast week, one day after Israel bombed Doha With the intention of killing Hamas negotiators, the country's president, Isaac Herzog, held a bitter debate in London with Bronwen Maddox, the director of the prestigious Chatham House, regarding the war in Gaza and the legitimacy of the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu's government in response. as of October 7, 2023Maddox reminded Herzog that "the families of the hostages seem dismayed by the attack on Qatar," to the point of asserting that "Israel is destroying the negotiations that could have brought about a ceasefire."

One of the audience members present at the debate addressed Herzog: "Israel has the right, and the duty, to protect its citizens. But there are limits: proportionality, caution, and distinction, which have frankly already been violated in the current vicious attack on Gaza." These words could reflect a general shift in sentiment, one that is increasingly critical of Israel, with the exception of the US administration.

Just this week, a tense exchange at the Xiangshan Forum in China on security once again highlighted the growing gap between Israel's perception of what is happening in Gaza and that of the rest of the world, at least on one side. In a video that has gone viral, Chinese academic Yan Xuetong clashed with Israeli military attaché Elad Shoshan, accusing the Israel Defense Forces of losing moral legitimacy for its actions against Palestinian civilians.

And this Thursday, in an interview with Israeli state television, French President Emmanuel Macron asserted that "they are causing so many victims and civilian casualties that they are completely destroying Israel's image and credibility, not only in the region, but in the eyes of public opinion throughout the world." However, words do not stop genocide. Despite the humanitarian catastrophe and famineThe United States' complicity with the Netanyahu government has once again been proven unwavering. This is demonstrated, on the one hand, by the visit to Jerusalem. last weekend by Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, and on the other hand, the outright refusal of President Donald Trump, this Thursday in London, to recognize the Palestinian state, in clear criticism of the imminent announcement that the British government plans to make public this weekend.

The condemnation of the Muslim world

The attack on Doha has been described as "state terrorism" by Qatar and has united the Arab and Islamic world in a near-unanimous condemnation. From Saudi Arabia to Egypt, via Jordan and the UAE, foreign ministries agreed in denouncing the violation of sovereignty and the risk that the escalation would end any hope of mediation.

In the summit of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation On September 15, Israel was accused of "hostile acts," including "genocide, ethnic cleansing, and starvation" against the population of the Gaza Strip. Also highlighted was the expansion of "colonial activities" that Netanyahu is promoting in the West Bank. All of this threatens "the prospects for peace and coexistence" in the region and hinders the establishment of further ties between Israel and Arab and Islamic states, as was done with the Abraham Accords, when Tel Aviv normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain five years ago.

The same attack in Qatar has caused Turkey, which had maintained a fragile balance, to go further: Ankara has accused Israel of adopting policies of "state terrorism" and warns that the peace process is seriously undermined.

The war has also put emerging powers to the test. China, which historically defended the Palestinian right to self-determination, has stepped up its criticism of Israel, to the point that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu accused Beijing and Qatar of orchestrating a "media blackout" against his country, a charge Beijing denied.

Despite the diplomatic friction, the two countries have shown interest in maintaining long-term cooperation. In February, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa'ar, in Munich, in their highest-level contact since the war began. Wang reiterated China's support for a two-state solution and expressed his willingness to advance the "comprehensive innovative collaboration" between the two nations.

Beijing's role

China has historically maintained strong economic ties with Israel, with bilateral trade reaching record levels in 2025. However, Beijing's verbal support for the Palestinian cause and its condemnation of Israeli military actions have complicated the relationship. Beijing has called for an immediate ceasefire and emphasized the need to respect international humanitarian law, while attempting to position itself as an alternative mediator to a West discredited by US vetoes at the UN, the latest of which took place this past Thursday. This is a gamble with a strategic dimension: eroding the US diplomatic monopoly in the Middle East.

For its part, India, traditionally closer to Israel, has qualified its position in recent weeks. Despite reiterating that Israel has the right to defend itself, New Delhi expressed concern about "a disproportionate use of force" and demanded safe humanitarian access to Gaza. Lula da Silva's Brazil has emerged as one of the most forceful voices within the BRICS blog. Brasilia has denounced the "criminal indifference" to civilian victims and called for reform of the UN Security Council to prevent the United States from systematically blocking any resolution critical of Israel.

Beyond European doubts and hesitations –Germany and Italy have left EU sanctions on Israel up in the air.–, with the opposite poles represented by Spain or Ireland, on the one hand, and Germany, Austria, or Hungary, on the other, nothing points to an immediate and categorical turn that would be effective in stopping Netanyahu, who has Washington on his side.

But the trend is clear: with each passing day, with more civilian deaths and more displaced people, Israel's international position weakens. In fact, Netanyahu himself admitted this last Monday in rare statements about the impact of the annihilation of Gaza. The prime minister stressed the need to produce its own weapons since "a significant and belligerent Muslim minority is influencing governments in Europe, which is leading to sanctions against Israel."