The strike drew condemnation from Istanbul to Beijing and from Washington to Paris.
Jerusalem:
A series of diplomatic setbacks, strong condemnation of a recent attack in Gaza and intense protests on Western campuses have left Israelis feeling that their country is unfairly isolated.
Israelis expected unwavering support from their allies and the international community following the Hamas attack on October 7.
But as Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Hamas in Gaza has deepened, it appears to have lost the sympathy it initially received following the unprecedented attack.
This loss of support intensified after last week’s Israeli attack on a Palestinian displacement camp in Rafah, which killed at least 45 people, according to Gaza officials. The military denied targeting the camp.
The strike drew condemnation from Istanbul to Beijing and from Washington to Paris.
On the social media platform Instagram, more than 47 million posts with the hashtag “All eyes on Rafah” have been recorded since the attack.
But the Israelis remain defiant despite their growing isolation.
“I don’t think Israel should care what the world has to say… I support our military 100 percent,” Netanel Aronson, a 24-year-old Israeli-American, told AFP.
“I pray for them every day that they are safe and come home.”
– ‘Tragedy for all’ –
At least 36,379 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Gaza in Israeli bombings and ground offensives since October 7, according to the Ministry of Health in Hamas-controlled territory.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign came after the Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,189 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures.
The militants also took 252 people hostage, 121 of whom are still detained in Gaza, including 37 who the military says are dead.
“It’s a tragedy for everyone,” said Nathalie, who refused to reveal her surname, also referring to the fate of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
“Because everyone is connected, we can see what is happening. We feel like we are hated,” said the 50-year-old.
“We have the feeling that we are accused of being colonialists and imperialists. But we see ourselves as refugees,” she added, echoing the sentiment of many Jews who arrived during the creation of Israel in 1948.
Palestinians call the creation of Israel the Nakba – or “catastrophe” – when some 760,000 Palestinians fled or were forced to abandon their homes by the war over the creation of Israel.
Over the past month, Israel has faced a series of diplomatic setbacks.
While the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to stop its ongoing offensive in Rafah, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor requested arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, along with three senior Hamas leaders.
Ireland, Norway and Spain also recognized a Palestinian state in a coordinated decision on Tuesday, while Slovenia’s parliament is expected to vote on the proposal next week.
– World ‘against Israel’ –
Political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin said Israelis were aware that the war was damaging their global standing.
“(Israelis) think the world is against Israel. They think many institutions and countries are anti-Semitic and that there is a double standard,” Scheindlin said.
She lamented the “devastating” impact of the war on Gazans, but said Israelis view the ongoing military campaign as an “existential struggle” for their people.
Scheindlin said Israelis were demoralized by setbacks in international courts after Israel was accused of committing some of the worst crimes in Gaza.
Such crimes “Israelis believed were only committed against them,” she added.
“So it’s very difficult for them to accept this. They fear isolation.”
Israelis are also opposing the “All Eyes on Rafah” social media campaign, with their own campaign saying “If your eyes are on Rafah, then help us find the hostages.”
In a survey conducted by the US-based Pew Research Center before the May 26 attack on a displaced persons camp in Rafah, 40 percent of Israelis thought the country would “definitely” achieve its war goals in Gaza. .
Only four percent of the Jewish majority considered that Israel’s military response in the Palestinian territory had gone “too far”.
But for Christians like Annie Dikbikian, the war only increased “the hate” on both sides.
“This is affecting us… as Christians,” said the Jerusalem-based hairdresser, who hopes “peace, love and respect” will soon return.
(Except the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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