Gaza grab will deepen Israel's global credibility crisis
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%), Japan (79%), Spain (75%), Australia (74%), Turkey (93%) and Sweden (75%) said they have an unfavorable view of Israel.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israel's former defense 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 criticized 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.
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 recognize Palestinian statehood in September. The United Kingdom and Canada vowed to follow suit. Even Germany has now begun the process of 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 labeled 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.
46% of Americans express support for Israel.
This is the lowest rating in 25 years of Gallup's annual tracking of this measure on its World Affairs survey. pic.twitter.com/8ybhevOOCH
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