News- Middle East: When Israel launched its no-holds-barred genocidal war on Gaza following Hamas-led Operation Al Aqsa Storm in October 2023, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu declared four ambitious military objectives: destroying the resistance military infrastructure and leadership, securing the release of Israeli captives, and ensuring permanent “security” for Israeli settlers.

Yet, after two years of live-streamed genocide and a fragile ceasefire that came into effect last week, Israel is no closer to safety than it was before October 7, 2023.

If anything, one could argue Israel is more vulnerable than ever. It has revealed itself as a pariah entity, disregarding international law and humanitarian law. It has made it known that there are no red lines as far as its brutality is concerned and it is willing to do the unthinkable to achieve its far-fetched goals.

Two years on, and despite the unprecedented use of force and the vast scale of the genocidal aggression on Gaza and the occupied West Bank, none of Netanyahu’s vows were fulfilled.

Hamas continues to be operational and its political leadership remains intact. Many captives were only returned through negotiations, and Israeli settlers remain far from secure.

Instead of the total victory Netanyahu promised, Israel was forced to negotiate once again with the very resistance group it sought to eliminate for two years.

These talks, brokered by Qatar and backed by the US, revealed a harsh truth: military force alone could not deliver Netanyahu’s goals. Once again, the Western alliance led by the US had to come to the rescue of the Zionist entity.

Losing global public opinion

Recent polls by the Pew Research Center show that global opinion has shifted sharply against Israel and its occupation. Despite betrayals by some Arab and Islamic nations, 90 percent of people in West Asian and North African countries oppose Israel; no surprise there.

But Europe is also seeing a major shift, especially in Spain, Italy, and France, where massive protests have erupted over recent weeks.

The real game changer, however, is the United States. Recent polls indicate 75 percent of American Democrats now hold an unfavorable view of Israel, and following Charlie Kirk’s killing, nearly 42 percent of Republicans are also turning critical. Trump’s policies, perceived as “Israel first” rather than “America First,” have disappointed his MAGA base.

This shift in American public opinion is critical for Israel, which has responded by tightening control over media narratives. From Netanyahu boasting about Israeli allies acquiring American TikTok, to paying US content creators up to $7,000 per pro-Israel post, to Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) adjusting its algorithm to favor Israeli narratives, media manipulation is widespread.

Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) has long curated content favoring Israel. Many AI chat systems have been reprogrammed to redirect anti-Israel queries or provide misleading information. A stark example is X Grok, shut down after producing openly anti-Zionist outputs.

Despite this, polls still show Democrats hold a 75 percent unfavorable view of Israeli government actions, while Republicans remain 78 percent favorable.

Western shield for occupation

Despite growing global criticism and widespread public opposition, Israel remains shielded from consequences, largely thanks to its Western allies.

Chief among them is the US, which has used its diplomatic clout and veto power at the United Nations Security Council multiple times to block ceasefire resolutions.

On December 8, 2023, just two months into the genocide, when the Palestinian death toll had already reached 17,000, Washington vetoed the first ceasefire resolution. It has since vetoed five more ceasefire attempts over two years, enabling the live-streamed killing of over 76,000 Palestinians.

Europe, following the US lead, has softened language in international resolutions and avoided direct condemnation even as many Palestinians killed held European passports.

Shared history of colonialism

Western governments have long been the backbone of Israel’s international legitimacy. Since its founding in 1948, the Zionist regime has been sustained by financial aid, military assistance, and political support from the West.

The US alone has provided over $300 billion in aid to the regime, the most to any ally in the post-World War II era. This includes annual military aid packages totaling $3.8 billion under a 10-year agreement signed during the Obama administration.

Beyond aid, Israel benefits from intelligence sharing, advanced weapons systems, missile defense cooperation (including Iron Dome funding), and favorable trade agreements. These partnerships have sustained Israel’s military and enabled operations with minimal accountability.

Initiatives like the Abraham Accords have further aided the regime. Many Arab states involved are heavily reliant on US military and economic support. These regimes, often labeled client states, prioritize strategic alliances over Palestinian self-determination.

Now, as the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire came into effect, a recurring theme emerges: all these moves are creating a diplomatic shield around Israel rather than achieving long-term justice for Palestinians.

These so-called breakthroughs exclude Palestinian voices and other victims of Israeli terrorism. The shared history of brutality, occupation, and colonialism between Israel and many Western countries, built on the blood and resources of indigenous peoples, has allowed Israel to be viewed as a partner, while the rest of the world sees it as a killer of humanity.

The legal reckoning

International law is clear on many of Israel’s actions: settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank violates the Fourth Geneva Convention; the blockade of Gaza amounts to collective punishment; and indiscriminate bombardment of civilian areas may constitute war crimes.

Yet enforcement remains inconsistent. Mass protests against Israeli settler-colonial and genocidal policies have become frequent in major Western capitals such as London, Paris, New York, Berlin, Sydney, and Amsterdam.

University campuses see sustained organizing. Boycotts of Israeli-linked businesses have grown, and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement has gained unprecedented traction among younger generations, especially in the US and Europe.

While Israel has long operated with relative impunity, this status is now under pressure. In 2025, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former war minister. Several Western nations, including Spain, Ireland, and South Africa, have publicly pledged to enforce these warrants if the named individuals enter their jurisdictions.

During recent US visits, Netanyahu has had to reroute flights to avoid these countries’ airspace. For the first time in decades, some Western countries are taking limited but meaningful steps toward holding Israel accountable. Though not yet a full policy shift, these actions mark a change in tone as global pressure mounts. Various human rights groups are bringing legal cases against Israeli soldiers for war crimes, signaling cracks in Israel’s legal shield.

Growing global isolation

The term “pariah,” once confined to activist spaces, is now widely used in political commentary and media. Israeli settlers and officials increasingly face rejection abroad: academic conferences, cultural events, and business forums have seen walkouts and disinvitations.

At home, Netanyahu faces mounting legal troubles, a fractured regime, and nearly three years of sustained public protest against his embattled regime. Israeli settler society itself is deeply divided not only on the war but on the regime’s future direction.

This moment reveals a profound contradiction. Israel has been propped up for decades by Western political, economic, and military power, often at the expense of international law and Palestinian rights. But that support system is cracking. The world is watching more critically. International institutions, though slow, are beginning to act. Younger generations in the West, the backbone of Israel’s strength, no longer accept traditional narratives.

Israel’s future today is as uncertain as it was before October 7. The difference is that the protective shield built by Western governments over the decades is no longer impenetrable. Military failures in Gaza, diplomatic backlash, legal challenges, and global protests converge like never before.

Source: press TV