Is Israel the new apartheid South Africa?

Will Israel become the new apartheid South Africa? The question has reached its peak. The war in Gaza, which has resulted in over 30,000 Palestinian deaths until now, according to the enclave’s figures, has triggered a global backlash against Israel. Two weeks ago, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva went so far as to compare the war in Gaza to the Holocaust, stating that the only historical equivalent was "when Hitler decided to kill the Jews." Despite being integrated into the Western bloc, Tel Aviv no longer enjoys the same level of trust among its allies, from which it is gradually drifting away. Initially united behind Israel, the West has gradually displayed embarrassment over its military campaign and indiscriminate actions in Gaza. Along with the increase of openly racist provocations launched by extremist figures in power, the perception of the country has darkened.

The current situation is reminiscent of the isolation Israel experienced in its early days. From its inception, the state had been rejected by many countries, notably by its Arab neighbors who almost unanimously opposed the UN partition plan on November 29, 1947. A majority of countries in the global South have in turn denounced the human rights violations committed by Israel in a position also marked by anti-Americanism. Many went on to recognize the State of Palestine following Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat’s speech before the United Nations General Assembly in 1988.

Abraham Accords

Over the years, Israel has managed to change the game. After three wars with several of its Arab neighbors from 1948 to 1973, Egypt engaged in talks with Tel Aviv resulting in the first Israeli-Arab peace treaty in 1979, followed by Jordan in 1994. "Israel has long suffered from isolation, particularly due to the Arab line that decided not to recognize it until a Palestinian state was created alongside it," noted Amélie Ferey, a researcher at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI). Yet, this public position did not prevent unofficial ties, such as with Saudi Arabia, “which purchased the services of NSO [an Israeli cybersecurity company] and the Pegasus software."

Spearheaded by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the fall of 2020, a significant diplomatic victory was achieved when Israel signed the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and subsequently Morocco. These gains allowed Israel to sell the idea that it was possible to make peace with the Arabs without resolving the Palestinian issue.

Leveraging its technology, Israel has also forged relations with various countries seeking a military edge against their enemies, like Azerbaijan, with whom relations began at its creation in 1992. Azerbaijan has benefited from Israeli drones in wars against its neighbor, Armenia. Through industrial agreements, Israel has established ties with emerging countries like India, signing various arms sales contracts with it from the early 2000s onwards. This rapprochement was further augmented by the personal relationship between Benjamin Netanyahu and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. On October 7, 2023, New Delhi hastened to express its "solidarity" with Tel Aviv.

Apartheid

Israel’s carefully nurtured dynamic is now under the threat of collapse. All around the world, internet users were glued to their screens in mid-January to follow the live broadcast of public hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) following South Africa's complaint against Israel for genocide. The request was made all the more historic by the fact that it came from a southern country that battled apartheid itself, rather than from Western governments that pose as flag bearers of human rights.

In 2022, several international human rights organizations like Amnesty International warned that Israel is committing apartheid crimes against the Palestinian population. This is something the Netanyahu government tirelessly seeks to shake off, arguing that the survival of Israel has been threatened since its existence. "The comparison with South Africa troubles Israel, which has always denied the use of the term apartheid," recalled Ferey. "Its identity in foreign policy is Western, allied with the democracies of Europe and the United States. For Israel, losing its democratic character would mean moving away from the West, potentially weakening its alliance system."

American Pressure

The drift is already happening. Certainly, Washington has several levers of pressure against Israel, which it has not yet used. The Biden administration is currently trying to convince Republican lawmakers to endorse a package of over $14 billion in military aid to Israel. Nonetheless, the tone of the United States towards its closest ally in the Middle East since October has not gone unnoticed.

In early February, the Democratic administration ordered significant financial sanctions against four Israeli settlers involved in attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. "For decades, Israel has managed to present itself as a democracy and to project the idea that 'bad' Muslims are terrorists. Every time someone criticized the country, that person or group was labeled antisemitic," said Daoud Kuttab, a former journalism professor at Princeton and founder of the Institute of Modern Media at Al-Quds University in Ramallah. This strategy has been exposed, especially to the young generation, which bypasses the major media, owned and operated by pro-Israelis. Preferring social media networks, the younger generation has highlighted the shortcomings of Western media channels, which they accuse of presenting the war in Gaza as an act of Israeli self-defense, pressuring Arabs to condemn Hamas, and conveying the idea that the conflict began on October 7.

Despite frustrations, Westerners still back Israel. However, several changes could help Israel avoid increasing pressure, including the departure of the extreme right and ultra-Orthodox parties from power and a change in their conduct in Gaza.

"Resuming a genuine peace process with guarantees given to the Palestinians could pave the way for a new diplomatic 'normalization' of Israel, which has many advantages for neighboring countries [in terms of commercial prospects, but also to limit Iranian influence]," suggested Ferey.

This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.