While Israel has a seat at the UN, sends athletes to the Olympics and enjoys international flights into and out of the country, at the end of the day, Israel has not been fully accepted by much of the world community.
The United States has not had a problem of being accepted for the past 200 years. Yes, it has enemies like Iran and North Korea, where formal relations do not exist. But nobody pretends that the US does not exist or act as if the US, its military might and the dollar are not powerful. Throw a $100 bill in the air in Tehran and watch them pummel each other to get their hands on it.
Israel, on the other hand, still suffers from a lack of respect as a nation-state. For example:
*Egypt: Successive governments from Mubarak to Morsi and el-Sisi have allowed weapons to flow into the Gaza Strip. Without such weaponry, 10/7 would have been impossible, and the world would have continued along as 10/6 and before. Egypt, while having been the first to sign a peace treaty with Israel, is perfectly content with letting deadly weaponry flow into Hamas’ terror state. While I do know people who have gone to Sharm El-Sheikh in Sinai for diving, I have yet to meet in 32 years someone who vacationed in Cairo or Alexandria. Cold peace is an understatement.
*Jordan: Go watch the Jordanians celebrate one of their own who murdered three Israeli civilians last week. The Jordanians also signed a peace treaty with Israel but often treat visiting Israelis with contempt (such as confiscating religious items). Jordanians, including their diminutive king, are always complaining about Israel. The subject can be Gaza, the Palestinians, or the status of the Temple Mount. It doesn’t matter. I have never heard a good word from a country that is dependent on Israel for its water and also received Israel’s American Cobra helicopters to strengthen its armed forces. Other than day trips to Petra, nobody goes to Jordan for a vacation.
*Turkey and Iran: Both countries enjoyed excellent relations with Israel when they were secular countries. Already more than 40 years ago, Iran became an outspoken enemy of Israel and has repeatedly said—without any world sanction—that it will wipe Israel off of the face of the Earth. Turkey had several airlines running out of Israel but shut shop when the Gaza War started. The Islamic ruler Erdogan never misses an opportunity to attack Israel or threaten direct military action by Turkey, a NATO member, against an American ally. Lots of Israelis used to take vacations in Turkey due to its proximity, low cost and attractive destinations. Those days are over and probably will not come back. Erdogan threatened a boycott of Israel but quietly sent ships to keep business going as per signed treaties.
*Europe: It was telling when the foreign ministers of Britain and France took off their yellow “hostage pins” when they met with the Palestinian Authority prime minister three weeks ago. I wish that the hostages had gotten the hour off, but they did not. Europe has relations with Israel and the major national carriers and the smaller low-cost lines fly in and out of the country. Still, European leaders love to treat Israel as the dog that one can kick when pleased. Britain revoked licenses for sale of some weapons to Israel, exactly on the day when six emaciated hostages who could not even stand up were executed. France, Spain and Ireland take their turns complaining that Israel is committing genocide or prosecuting the war too aggressively in Gaza. Israelis go to Europe because it is close. Europe tolerates Israel but there is no great love for the country or its people. Germany feels more guilty than the others and tends to be less anti-Israel than its EU partners.
*The Palestinian Authority (PA): This terrorist organization cooked up by the Oslo Accords could have been the solution to today’s problem, namely how to end the war. If the PA were an honest and trustworthy organization, then it would man the border between Egypt and Gaza and let Israel leave the scene. But the PA and its officers are no less craven or corrupt than the Egyptians who cannot be trusted on the other side of the massive walls that separate the two areas. The Palestinian Authority and its alphabet subdivisions like Fatah, Tanzim and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade were involved in most of the attacks during the second intifada. Their only regret is that Hamas did 10/7 and their terrorists only played a bit role in the pogrom.
While the Emirates are smart enough not to get involved in post-war Gaza, their disposition towards Israel has been far more positive. As they entered the Abraham Accords in order to advance their interests, there is no fake sentimentality for the self-destructive Palestinians. Flights continue and Israeli tourists go to Dubai and Abu Dhabi where they are received in a friendly manner. All of this could change in a second, like with Iran and Turkey. For the moment, the relationship is positive.
Israel and Israelis crave international acceptance and validation. Nobel Prizes and Olympic medals are meant to show that Israel is a country among all of the countries of the world. But, in the end, it is treated differently. It is held to a standard not demanded of any other country. And this state of affairs includes US positions. How often has the US criticized Israel for civilian deaths when Israel is doing a worse job prosecuting the war only to reduce the number of Gazans killed? Almost daily, the IDF sends out messages telling Gazans where to move in order to avoid conflict. While the locals are being moved hither and yon, no other army has ever done the same: tell its enemy where to move so as not to be killed. Biden said that the pro-Hamas lunatics have a point. No, they do not. They support murderers and should be upbraided. But it’s Israel, so it’s okay to coddle them. If the Gaza campus protesters had come out against blacks or trans, their protests would not have made it to the first afternoon.
God told the Jews prior to their entry into the Land of Israel that they will live “badad,” which translates to “alone.” Yes, Israel has friends and supporters, but at the end of the day, she is treated differently than any other country in the world—even dictatorships like Iran and Cuba. Israel should take care of its interests. What it needs more than international acceptance is respect. When Israel acts to protect its citizens and advance its interests, it gains the respect of other countries and their leaders. Enough with “Please love us!” and more of “Respect us or we'll get along fine without you.”
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