'Israel's' obstinacy leaving it more isolated, even in academia
4 Min Read
One specific area in which criticism has been profound is academia, where researchers express worry about no longer being invited to events or having their articles published in scientific journals as a result.
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Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative of "Israel" to the United Nations, addresses the United Nations Security Council at UN headquarters, Monday, March 25, 2024. (AP)
"Israel" brushing off deepening international criticism and amping up its defiance of the law have left it more isolated than ever, even leaving many Israelis intentionally wanting to see the war to its end.
According to the Financial Times, Yonatan Freeman, an expert in international relations at Hebrew University, said, “It reinforces this narrative that once more we’re on our own... Israelis are rallying around a flag that everywhere around the world is being taken down.”
Tamar Hermann, a senior research fellow at the "Israel Democracy Institute" (IDI), chimed in to say that the international criticism reinforced the “whole world is against us” notion, stating, “The [Israeli] public doesn’t see this isolation as a consequence of what Israel’s doing in Gaza... They see the hostility as more deep-seated . . . as part of our destiny.”
Read more: Oct. 7 has changed everything, 'Israel's' existence in doubt: WSJ
The occupation's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now at high odds with the US, keeps blaming anti-semitism for the increasing criticism, while his critics blame it on his actions.
Yossi Beilin, a former senior diplomat and one of the architects of the 1993 Oslo Accords between "Israel" and the Palestinians, said, “The longer he remains in power, the greater the damage” to "Israel’s" global ties, noting that Netanyahu could settle tensions with the US by agreeing to Biden's demands for a post-war Palestinian Authority-ruled Gaza.
“As long as he is there and doesn’t change his policy, which I doubt will happen, then there will be a deterioration [in Israel’s international standing],” Beilin continued.
Scholasticide, genocide, you name it...
One specific area in which criticism has been profound is academia, where researchers express worry about no longer being invited to events or having their articles published in scientific journals as a result.
In one instance, US demographer Philip Cohen announced last month he had refused to review a grant proposal sent to him for evaluation by the non-profit "Israel Science Foundation" in protest against the Israeli genocide in Gaza.
Gad Yair, a sociology professor at Hebrew University, sounded the alarm by saying that "the entire machinery of Israeli academia is based on collaboration with the international community."
“We could be approaching a South Africa-style situation with an all-round boycott.”
Tom Segev, an Israeli writer and historian, said, “World opinion is always biased towards the side that suffers more, and so now they’re on the side of the Palestinians... and rightly so.”
While Israeli academians lament their inability to access conferences and scientific journals, their army continues to target schools, universities, and students and teachers, thus committing scholasticide.
About 2,000 scholars in the US signed a letter condemning "Israel’s" actions in Gaza and its physical and cultural liquidation of Palestinian civilians.
They expressed deep concern about the occupation's endless targeting of academics, educational institutions, and cultural heritage sites.
Read next: Over 1600 North American professors condemn scholasticide in Gaza
“We, the undersigned, write to condemn Israel’s systematic targeting of academics, students, educational institutions and cultural heritage sites in Gaza, in violation of international human rights, humanitarian and criminal law,” the letter noted.
“Some of us have taught Palestinian students or collaborated with faculty from academic institutions in Gaza who have been killed or injured, or who have seen their institutions destroyed.”
“We mourn what these losses mean for world knowledge and culture, and for the future of the Palestinian people, and we stand in solidarity with our Palestinian colleagues and students and all others who deplore this scholasticide.”
"Israel", as of January, has killed 94 university professors, hundreds of teachers, and thousands of students in Gaza.
