The world is setting a price for Israel’s war in Gaza

Lone anti-government protester in Tel Aviv in June 2025

The Haaretz lead editorial on 11 September 2025:

What do a physicians’ conference in Portugal, a music festival, an arms fair, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, a Dutch university, research foundations and a few sports federations have in common? In the past few months, all of them have ostracized Israel or Israelis: Your invitation or participation has been revoked, we don’t want you.

On Wednesday there was a significant escalation, signaling to Israel what awaits it if it continues down the path that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is leading it on. The European Union, led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, announced plans to seek a partial suspension of trade with Israel and sanctions against “extremist Israeli ministers.”

The proposals include a “partial suspension” of an Association Agreement that underpins relations between the EU and Israel, targeting “trade-related matters.” In 2024, Israel’s exports to the EU totaled $16.9 billion, and imports totaled $24.8 billion.

The European Union buys almost one-third of Israel’s total exports. The road to the implementation of this decision is a long one, and it’s not clear whether von der Leyen really wishes to go down it. But this declaration of intent is a diplomatic, political and economic earthquake.

Israel is gradually losing legitimacy around the world, being placed in a group that includes other reviled pariah states. Even its oldest, most loyal friends are finding it increasingly uncomfortable to be associated with it.

The boycott has many faces. It includes sanctions on settlers, entry bans on senior government ministers, protests at sporting events and the indirect removal of participants from such events; an arms embargo and protests by longshoremen who refuse to load Israeli vessels; supermarket chains refusing to buy agricultural produce from Israel; investment funds, not just in Norway, divesting from Israeli companies and even from American firms that assist Israel in its actions in Gaza.

The boycott began in the world of culture, hurting mainly performing artists. But from there it moved on: Collaborations, funding and even participation in conferences are starting to disappear, given the increasing global pressure. Even a field that was the envy of the entire world – tech startups – has begun to feel pressure in recent months. Many companies are beginning to consider or to carry out reincorporation in a different country, and/or removing or at least not highlighting Israeli symbols.

In general, Israelis are experiencing increasing hostility when they travel abroad.

Israelis can cry “antisemitism” until they’re blue in the face and deny the fact that these boycotts are directed against the government’s policies, not Jews. The world is beginning to explain to Israel that there is a price for continuing the war in Gaza. It is its way of saying that its actions are no longer acceptable. If Israel continues on its current path, we could soon wake up to find that it cannot survive this isolation.

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