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Netanyahu's Gaza takeover push fuels crisis for Israel's global image
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's latest plan for a full military takeover of Gaza, along with the expanding starvation crisis in the strip and Israel's repressive measures in the West Bank, underline the country's predicament.
Notwithstanding US support, the Jewish state faces a crisis of international credibility, from which it may not be able to recover for a long time.
According to a recent Pew poll, the international view of Israel is now more negative than positive. The majority of those polled in early 2025 in countries such as the Netherlands (78 per cent), Japan (79 per cent), Spain (75 per cent), Australia (74 per cent), Turkey (93 per cent) and Sweden (75 per cent) said they have an unfavourable view of Israel.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israel's former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Many international law experts, genocide scholars and human rights groups have also accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
Israel's traditional supporters have also harshly criticised the Netanyahu government's actions, from both inside and outside the country. These include former prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak, the Israeli literary giant David Grossman, and Masorti Judaism Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg and Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur.
In addition, hundreds of retired Israeli security officials have appealed to US President Donald Trump to push Netanyahu to end the war. Israel's global partners distancing themselves
With images of starving children in Gaza dominating the news in recent weeks, many of Israel's friends in the Western alliance have similarly reached the point at which they can no longer tolerate its policy actions.
In a major shift in global opinion, France announced it would recognise Palestinian statehood in September. The United Kingdom and Canada vowed to follow suit. Even Germany has now begun the process for recognition. And Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated his country's recognition of Palestine was only a matter of time.
Spain and Sweden have called for the suspension of the European Union's trade agreement with Israel, while the Netherlands has officially labelled Israel a 'security threat', citing attempts to influence Dutch public opinion.
Israel and the US have rejected all these accusations and moves. The momentum against Israel in the international community, however, has left it with the US as its only major global supporter.
Israel's sovereignty, security and prosperity now ride on the back of America's continued support. Without US assistance, in particular its billions of dollars worth of arms exports, Israel would have struggled to maintain its devastating Gaza campaign or repressive occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
Yet, despite Trump's deep commitment to Israel, many in the US electorate are seriously questioning the depth of Netanyahu's influence in Washington and the value of US aid to Israel.
According to a Gallup poll in March, fewer than half of Americans are sympathetic toward Israel.
This discontent has also been voiced by some of Trump's MAGA ideologues and devotees, such as political strategist Steve Bannon and congressional hardliner Marjorie Taylor Greene. Even Trump publicly questioned Netanyahu on his claim there was no starvation in Gaza. Israelis have dim view of two-state solution
Many Israelis would like to see the back of Netanyahu and his extremist right-wing ruling cohort, especially given his failure to secure the release of all the hostages from Hamas.
Many want the war to end, too. Recent polling by Israel's Channel 12 found that 74 per cent of Israelis back a deal to end the war in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
However, a majority of Israelis maintain a dim view of a future Palestinian state.
One poll commissioned by a US academic showed 82 per cent of Jewish Israeli respondents backed the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. And a Pew poll in early 2025 showed that just 16 per cent of Jewish Israelis believe peaceful coexistence with a Palestinian state is possible, the lowest percentage since the pollsters began asking the question in 2013.
This indicates that not only the Israeli state, but also its electorate, has moved to the extreme of the political spectrum in relation to acknowledging the right of the Palestinians to an independent state of their own.
Under international pressure, Netanyahu has expediently allowed a little more humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza. However, his new plan for a full military takeover of Gaza indicates he is not prepared to change course in the war, as long as US support remains steady.
His government is bent on eliminating Hamas and potentially depopulating and annexing Gaza, followed possibly by the West Bank. Such a move would render the idea of a two-state solution totally defunct.
To stop this happening, Washington needs to align with the rest of the global community. Otherwise, an unrestrained and isolated Israel will only widen the rift between the US and its traditional allies in a highly polarised world.
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First Post
8 minutes ago
- First Post
Why Microsoft workers have taken over company's main campus in Washington
Dozens of current and former Microsoft employees congregated at the tech firm's campus in Washington on Tuesday afternoon to protest against the company's contracts with Israel. The employees, who were also joined by locals, are part of the No Azure for Apartheid group, which itself is part of the No Tech for Apartheid movement The No Azure for Apartheid group took over part of Microsoft's campus which spans around 500 acres in Redmond and recently underwent redevelopment. They set up tents and declared the area a 'liberated zone'. Image courtesy: @NoAz4Apartheid Microsoft has a problem. Its workers in Washington, DC, are in an uproar – and have taken over part of the company's main campus. The issue at hand? The company's defence contracts with Israel. An employee group within the firm has been pressuring the company to cut its ties with Israel. The development came less than a week after Microsoft said it was launching an independent probe into the use of its Azure software. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This isn't the first time the employees have raised a hue and cry. But what happened? What do we know? Let's take a closer look: What happened? Dozens of employees, as well as former members of the firm, congregated on Microsoft's campus in Washington on Tuesday afternoon. The employees, who were also joined by locals, are part of the No Azure for Apartheid group – which itself is part of the No Tech for Apartheid movement. The group took over part of the campus which spans around 500 acres in Redmond and recently underwent redevelopment. They set up tents and declared the area a 'liberated zone'. The group said they had changed the name of the area from the East Campus Plaza to 'The Martyred Palestinian Children's Plaza.' They also set up artwork that honoured those who died in Gaza. This included shrouds and a large plate that stated 'Stop Starving Gaza.' They also set up a table with a sign asking Microsoft management to 'come to the table' and cut ties with the Israeli military. The group also published an open letter and manifesto entitled 'We will not be cogs in the Israeli genocidal machine: a call for a Worker Intifada'. The group has called on Microsoft employees to voice their objections, walk off their jobs, and go on strike until Microsoft ceases to do business with the Israeli government and military. The No Azure for Apartheid group has also slammed Microsoft's decision for banning terms such as 'Gaza,' 'genocide,' and 'apartheid' in their internal communications. The group said around 50 people had attended the beginning of the event. Microsoft employs nearly 50,000 people at its Redmond campus. Why are the employees doing this? Hossam Nasr, an ex-Microsoft employee who is leading the protest, said the group had taken this decision because Microsoft refused to respond to their concerns surrounding the use of Azure. Azure is Microsoft's cloud-computing division. It sells software to businesses and governments as well allows them to store data on its servers. The Israeli government and its agencies are among the clients of Azure. An investigation this month revealed that an Israeli military surveillance unit is using Microsoft's Azure software to record phone calls of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Israel is said to have used this information to choose the locations on which to drop bombs. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Nasr told The Guardian, 'We are here because over 22 months of genocide, Israel — powered by Microsoft — has been killing, maiming Palestinian children every hour'. Nasr also cited the death of Al-Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif at the hands of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) as a reason for this fresh protest. Anas was among five journalists killed in a strike by Israel earlier this month. 'I watched him report on Gaza relentlessly, through starvation, through extermination campaigns, through bombing. He was the voice of the business. He was intentionally targeted,' Nasr, 26, said. Critics of Israel have long accused them of conducting a genocide in Gaza and targeting journalists covering the war. Israel disputes such allegations, however the increasing number of journalists killed in Gaza suggests otherwise. Hossam Nasr, an ex-Microsoft employee who is leading the protest, said the group had taken this decision because Microsoft refused to respond to their concerns surrounding the use of Azure. Image courtesy: Hossam Nasr, an ex-Microsoft employee who is leading the protest, said the group had taken this decision because Microsoft refused to respond to their concerns surrounding the use of Azure. Image courtesy: @NoAz4Apartheid Nasr was earlier fired for leading a protest against Microsoft. The firm has sacked a few members of the No Azure for Apartheid group for holding unauthorised events and disrupting these speeches of its top executives. The latest protests have been clearly inspired by uprisings against Israel on US college campuses. Many students had called for US colleges to cut ties with Israel and adopt the BDS movement, or Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, movement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Microsoft is the most complicit digital arms manufacturer in Israel's genocide of Gaza,' Microsoft employee Nisreen Jaradat said in a statement on Tuesday. Jaradat told The Guardian, ' Every single second that we wait, things are worse and worse in Palestine. People are getting hungrier and hungrier. More and more people are being bombed and maimed. It's time for us to escalate, however we can.' Julius Shan, another Microsoft employee, added, 'I think we are inspiring conversation among the people who work at Microsoft to feel more comfortable talking about this with each other and about how their work is contributing to genocide'. Some experts have accused Israel of conducting a genocide in Gaza. The United Nations has warned that Gaza faces widespread starvation and disease. The Gaza Health Ministry has said that at least 62,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war – which Israel launched as a response to the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The group had said it would remain in the plaza until it was forcibly removed. An hour into the protest, a police officer showed up to warn them they were press passing on private property and that there would be arrested. The demonstrators then left the plaza and set up on a sidewalk –which organisers said was public property. A Microsoft spokesperson said the group 'was asked to leave, and they left'. The company in May claimed it had 'found no evidence to date that Microsoft's Azure and AI technologies have been used to target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza'. However Microsoft has since enlisted the Covington & Burlin law firm to conduct an independent review. Previous protests by Microsoft employees This isn't the first time Microsoft employees have taken the company to task over its ties to Israel. In April, Vaniya Agrawal, an Indian-origin engineer, slammed Microsoft's top leadership at a companywide party in Washington. Microsoft at the time was holding an event to celebrate its 50th anniversary with leaders such as Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Satya Nadella in attendance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Vaniya Agrawal later sent an email announcing that she is leaving Microsoft. LinkedIn 'Shame on you all. You're all hypocrites,' Agrawal said at the time. 'Fifty thousand Palestinians in Gaza have been murdered with Microsoft technology. How dare you. Shame on all of you for celebrating on their blood. Cut ties with Israel,' she said. Agrawal was escorted from the event and booed by some fellow Microsoft employees. She later took to LinkedIn to announce her exit from the firm. That same event also saw Ibtihal Aboussad, another Microsoft employee, disrupting the speech of AI chief Mustafa Suleyman. 'Mustafa, shame on you,' Aboussad yelled – which caused Suleyman to halt his address. 'You claim that you care about using AI for good but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty-thousand people have died and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region.' 'Thank you for your protest, I hear you,' Suleyman responded. But Aboussad wasn't finished. She proclaimed that 'all of Microsoft' has blood on their hands and threw a keffiyeh on stage. The scarf has become a symbol of support for Palestinian people. Aboussad too was removed from the event. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In February, five Microsoft employees were thrown out of an internal meeting with Nadella for protesting against the contracts with Israel. More than 60 Microsoft shareholders holding $80 million in the firm have demanded a review to see Microsoft's contracts with Israeli firms are contravening human rights in Gaza. The proposal will likely be taken up at the company's annual general meeting in December.
Time of India
8 minutes ago
- Time of India
Russian diplomat tells Donald Trump ‘friends don't behave like that' as Moscow opens doors to Indian exports amid US tariffs
India-Russia relations remain on solid ground despite U.S. tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, according to Russian Charge d'Affaires Roman Babushkin. Speaking at a press briefing, the diplomat underlined Moscow's support for Indian exports, defended oil trade between the two nations, and questioned Washington's idea of 'friendship.' India-Russia ties described as uninterrupted Opening his remarks in Hindi, Babushkin described India-Russia relations as uninterrupted and expanding. He noted that mutual respect has been central to the partnership, stretching across energy and defence. He also pointed to the possibility of reviving the Russia-India-China trilateral dialogue as a counterweight to Western influence. Response to Trump's tariffs In a direct reference to Trump's tariff measures, Babushkin questioned the U.S. approach towards India. Despite Trump calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'friend,' Washington imposed a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods. 'The sanctions are a tool of unlawful competition… Friends don't behave like that,' Babushkin said, stressing that sanctions signal double standards and pressure rather than cooperation. Russian markets open to Indian goods With U.S. tariffs limiting Indian access, Babushkin announced Russia's willingness to expand trade with India. 'If Indian goods cannot go to the U.S. market, they can head to Russia,' he said. Bilateral trade between India and Russia reached $68.7 billion in 2024–25, with India exporting goods worth $4.88 billion. He added that criticism from the West often means India and Russia are 'doing something right,' pointing out that bilateral trade has grown sevenfold despite sanctions. Oil trade and U.S. concerns Much of Washington's criticism has been linked to India's purchase of Russian oil, which accounts for about 40 percent of its imports. Babushkin said reducing oil imports would not ensure fair cooperation with the West, which he described as acting in a neocolonial manner. He highlighted that Russian oil sales to India come at a five percent discount, with Indian refiners resuming purchases after a brief pause. 'India understands there is no chance to change supplies right now, and the profit is very high,' he added. Revival of the RIC dialogue Looking ahead, Babushkin said Russia is hopeful of reviving the Russia-India-China trilateral dialogue. Initiated in the late 1990s but dormant for years, the framework could help strengthen regional stability. With India-China ties showing signs of improvement, Moscow sees the format as timely. The Russian diplomat's comments served as a clear signal: Moscow views India as a long-term partner, while Trump's tariff measures have raised questions about the U.S. approach to friendship. With open markets, energy cooperation, and trilateral engagement, India-Russia ties remain resilient. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral follow Indiatimes Trending.
India Today
25 minutes ago
- India Today
Our markets open for India: Russian diplomat's reality check to Trump on ties
India-Russia relations are expanding and uninterrupted, Russian Charge d'Affaires Roman Babushkin said on Wednesday, perfectly summing up the ironclad relationship between the two nations amid an aggressive posturing by US President Donald pointed remarks during a wide-ranging press briefing, the senior Russian diplomat laid out the red carpet for India to export its products to Russia amid punitive US tariffs while castigating Trump for humiliating its "friends".advertisementThe fact that Babushkin began his media interaction in Hindi showcased how mutual respect has been the cornerstone of India-Russia ties, which stretch from energy to defence. "Shuruat karengey... Shree Ganesh karengey!" Babushkin said. He also hinted at the possibility of a revival of the Russia-India-China (RIC) dialogue as a counterweight to Western influence. 'FRIENDS DON'T BEHAVE LIKE THAT'At the outset, the Russian diplomat attempted to school Trump on "friendship". Despite Trump calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi his "friend" on several occassions, he has gone on to impose a 50% tariff on this aspect, Babushkin said, "The sanctions are a tool of unlawful competition. It's always about double standards. A lack of trust, blackmail and pressure, as well as disrespect of national interests. Friends don't behave like that."Through it, Babushkin has sought to highlight the "time-tested friendship" between India and Russia since the Soviet era. Defence has been at the centre of Russia-India ties, and it was visible during the Kargil War as well as during the recent hostilities with Pakistan.'RUSSIAN MARKETS OPEN TO INDIAN GOODS'In a major remark, the Russian diplomat announced that Russia's markets were open to Indian exports amid Trump tariffs. "If Indian goods cannot go to the US market, they can head to Russia," Babushkin trade between India and Russia reached a record high of USD 68.7 billion in 2024-25. India exported goods worth USD 4.88 billion. 'MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT'The Russian diplomat highlighted that India-Russia ties have stood the test of time despite external pressures in the past, thumbing a nose at Western criticism."If the West criticises you, it means you are doing everything right... We have seen this problem of sanctions for many years now, but our trade is growing. In recent years, our trade has grown by 7 times," he further said.'US BEHAVING LIKE NEOCOLONIAL POWERS'Much of Trump's anger with India is due to its continued purchase of Russian oil - a revenue source the US says is sustaining Moscow's war in Ukraine. Russia accounts for around 40% of India's oil India refuses Russian oil, it will not lead to equal cooperation with the West in general, because it is not in Western nature, which was clearly demonstrated in recent years. They behave like neocolonial powers that think of their own benefit," he further asserted that the profit was very high for India and scaling back oil purchases from Russia was not on the cards."India understands there is no chance to change supplies right now, and the profit is very high for India," he remarks came as Russia announced that it would supply oil to India at a 5% discount. Indian state-run refiners have also started purchasing Russian oil after a brief RUSSIA-INDIA-CHINA TROIKAWith allies and trade partners of Russia in Trump's crosshairs, Babushkin signalled hope for the revival of the RIC trilateral format. The RIC framework, initiated in the late 1990s, has been with India-China ties now on an upswing, calls for a revival of the RIC have gained ground."As far as the three-letter is concerned, we are quite hopeful that this format will be resumed sooner rather than later because its importance is not questioned... It is all about the regional stability of the region," he said.- EndsMust Watch
