Israel is confronted with South Africa’s moment over Gaza?

As the war in Gaza is grinding, Israel’s international isolation seems to be deepening.

Is it approaching “moment of South Africa” ​​when a combination of political pressure, economic, sports and cultural boycotts helped to force Pretoria to abandon the apartheid?

Or the right government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in time diplomatic storm, leaving Israel free to pursue his goals in gas and the occupied West coast, without causing lasting damage to his international situation?

Two former prime ministers, Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert, have already accused Netanyahu of turning Israel into international steam.

Thanks to an order issued by the International Criminal Court, the number of countries that Netanyahu can travel without the risk of being arrested has fallen dramatically.

In the UN, several countries, including the UK, France, Australia, Belgium and Canada, said they plan to recognize Palestine as a country next week.

And the Persian Gulf countries, responding with the fury of Last Tuesday Israeli attack against Hamas leaders in Qatarmeet in Doha to discuss a single reaction, with some calling on countries that enjoy relations with Israel to think again.

But with images of hunger coming out of the gas in the summer and the Israeli army, they are ready to invade – and possibly destroy – the city of Gaza, more and more European governments are showing their dissatisfaction in ways that go beyond ordinary statements.

At the beginning of the month, Belgium announced a series of sanctions, including a ban on imports from illegal Jewish settlements in the west coast, reviewing public procurement policies with Israeli companies and restrictions on consular assistance of Belgians living in agreements.

He has also announced two solid ministers from the government of Israel, Itar Ben-Gvir and a troubled Smotrich, Persona Non Grata, along with Jewish settlers accused of violence against Palestinians on the West Coast.

Other countries, including the UK and France, had already taken similar steps. But sanctions on the violent settlers imposed by the Biden administration last year were scrapped on Donald Trump’s first day in the White House.

A week after the relocation of Belgium, Spain has announced its own measures, turning an existing actual embargo of weapons into law, announcing a partial ban on imports, prohibiting the entry of the Spanish territory for anyone involved in genocide or war crimes in Gaza, and prohibits Israeli to The airplane.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has accused Spain of developing anti -Semitic policy and suggested that Spain would suffer more than Israel from the ban on arms trade.

But there are other alarming signs for Israel.

In August, the huge 2TN (1.7tn Eurs; 1.6TN) in the amount of 1.6 points) that it will begin to release itself from companies listed in Israel. By the middle of the month, 23 companies were removed and Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg said he could follow.

In the meantime, the EU, the largest trading partner in Israel, plans to sanction the far-right ministers and partially suspend the commercial elements of its association agreement with Israel.

In his speech on September 10, the Union chairman of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen said the events in Gaza “shook the conscience of the world”.

A day later, 314 former European diplomats and employees wrote to von der Leyen and EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kalas, calling for more stringed measures, including the complete suspension of the Association Agreement.

One of the characteristics of the sanctions, leveled in South Africa between the 60s and the end of apartheid – a policy of racial segregation and discrimination implemented by the White Minority government in South Africa against the black majority in the country – in the 1990s it is a series of cultural and sports boycotts.

Again, there are signs of what is beginning to happen to Israel.

The Eurovision song contest may not sound like a significant event in this context, but Israel has a long and famous story with the competition, winning it four times since 1973.

For Israel, participation is symbolic of the adoption of the Jewish state among the family of nations.

But Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia have said or hinted that They will withdraw in 2026 if Israel is allowed to competeWith a decision expected in December.

In Hollywood, a letter calling for a boycott of Israeli manufacturing companies, festivals and television operators, “which are involved in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people,” attracted more than 4,000 signatures a week, including house names such as Emma Stone and Javier Bardem.

Zwika Gottlib, CEO of the Israeli Films and TV producers, called the petition “deeply deluded.”

“When we are directed to us – the creators who give voice to different stories and encourage dialogue – these signed their own cause and try to silence us,” he said.

Then there is a sport. The Vuelta de Espana bicycle race has been repeatedly broken by groups protesters against the presence of Israel’s technical team, forcing a messy, premature end on Saturday and the cancellation of the podium ceremony.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the protests a source of “pride”, but opposition politicians said government actions have caused international embarrassment.

Also in Spain, seven Israeli chess players withdrew from a tournament after being told that they would not be able to compete under their flag.

The Israeli government’s response to what the media has already called a “diplomatic tsunami” is generally challenging.

Netanyahu accused Spain of “screaming genocidal threat” after his prime minister stated that his country, missing nuclear bombs, aircraft carriers or large oil reserves, was unable to stop Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

After Belgium announced its sanctions, Gideon Saar wrote to X that “unfortunately, it is that even when Israel is struggling with an existential threat that is in Europe’s vital interest, there are those who cannot oppose their anti -Israeli obsession.”

But among those who represented Israel abroad, there is deep anxiety.

Jeremy Isaacher, the Ambassador of Israel to Germany from 2017 to 2021, told me that he could not recall Israel’s international status that he was so “broken”, but said many of the moves were “regrettable” as they were inevitably regarded as targeted at all Israelis.

“Instead of separating government policies, it alienates many Israelis in the middle ground.”

He said that some steps, such as recognizing Palestine’s condition, would probably be counterproductive, as it “gives ammunition to humans like Smoth and Ben Guir and even reinforces its argument for annex (the west coast).”

Despite his fears, the former ambassador does not believe that Israel’s diplomatic isolation is irreversible.

“We are not at a South African moment, but we are in a possible preamble at a South African moment,” he said.

Others believe that a deeper change is needed to stop the sliding of Israel to the status of Paria.

“We have to get our place back in the Nations family,” another former diplomat Ilan Baruch told me.

“We have to go back to our senses.”

Baruch, who was an ambassador to South Africa a decade after the end of Apartheid, resigned from the 2011 diplomatic service, stating that he was no longer able to protect Israel’s occupation. After retiring, he is a vocal critic of the government and a supporter of a decision of two countries.

He believes that the latest sanctions are needed, saying, “So South Africa was pushed on the knees.”

Baruch continued: “I would say that persistent pressure on Israel in any way Europeans think that they should be welcome at their disposal.”

If necessary, he said, this should include changes in visa regimes and cultural boycotts, adding: “I’m prepared for the pain.”

But for all the expressions of indignation and conversation about pressure, some observers of veterans doubt that Israel is on the verge of a diplomatic gap.

“Those who are ready to go down the Spanish route are still remnants,” a former Israeli peace negotiator told me.

He said efforts to take collective action within the EU – the removal of elements of the association agreement or even, as some suggest, the freezing of Israel from the EU research and innovation program – is unlikely to collect sufficient support, such as Germany, Italy and Hungary, resist such moves.

Israel also has the steadfast support of the United States, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying that “Washington’s relationship with Israel will remain strong” when he left for an official visit.

Levy still believes that Israel’s international isolation is “irreversible”, but says that the constant support of the Trump administration means that it has not yet reached the moment when it can change the course of Gaza events.

“Netanyahu is running out of the way,” Levy said. “But we haven’t hit the end of the road yet.”