The damage to Israel’s global reputation has sparked debate among Israeli politicians over how to counter mounting criticism, particularly following the regime’s decision to advance its controversial E1 settlement plan, which would effectively divide the occupied West Bank.
A poll by the Institute for National Security Studies, a prominent Israeli strategic studies center, found that 26 percent of Israelis consider international isolation one of the three most threatening scenarios facing the regime.
Meanwhile, 37 percent of respondents said the likelihood of international sanctions increasing over the next few years was high, while 50 percent said Israel was unprepared to deal with such measures.
The growing diplomatic backlash has also raised questions about whether Israel’s international isolation will influence domestic politics.
Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli ambassador and columnist for The New Republic, told Al Jazeera that diplomatic isolation was unlikely to change voters’ choices in the upcoming election, as opponents of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu blame him personally for the regime’s deteriorating standing rather than the government’s policies as a whole.
“One group thinks that once Netanyahu is out – a likely scenario of these elections in six days – this [isolation] will disappear,” Pinkas said.
“The other side is sure that Israel could withstand these kinds of pressures, as long as it has Donald Trump on its side.”
However, Pinkas admitted that the damage to the Zionist regime’s international standing could persist regardless of the election outcome.
“Israel is almost an outcast in parts of Western Europe and even amongst younger Democrats in the US. This isolation is going to be a new challenge for the government.”