PNN – Citing unprecedented sanctions against Israel, a Hebrew-language media outlet has stated that international isolation constitutes an existential threat.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; amid intensifying global animosity toward Zionists—three years after the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, which exposed the true, brutal face of Zionism—Zionist circles are warning that Israel’s international isolation poses an existential threat to the state.
In this context, Shuki Friedman, Director General of the Jewish People Policy Institute, warned in an article published in Israel Hayom that the mounting sanctions against Israel represent a strategic threat—one that, given the cabinet’s ongoing policies in the West Bank, could escalate into an existential threat.
Unprecedented Sanctions against Israel Following the Gaza War
Friedman, a law lecturer at the Peres Academic Center, explained that a database compiled by the institution has recorded 121 punitive measures taken against Israel by 62 countries since the beginning of October—93 of which remain in effect.
He added that most of the measures and sanctions imposed on Israel in this context—covering the arms sector, academia, and financial and commercial activities—are unprecedented. These include bans on the import of products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the imposition of personal sanctions against cabinet ministers.
The article further states that Ireland and Luxembourg declined to assist in the issuance of Israeli bonds within the European Union, while the UK, France, and Canada announced sanctions against companies operating in the West Bank. In this context, it is anticipated that these sanctions will expand to encompass all economic activities in the region, potentially posing a threat to banking operations as well.
The Consequences of Sanctions for Israel’s Security
The author of this article emphasizes that the Netherlands has banned the import of products from the West Bank and the Golan Heights, alongside an intensification of academic sanctions—a move that inflicts serious damage on researchers and scientific inquiry in Israel. However, the greatest risk lies within the security sector; Israel’s arms industry relies on foreign components and, in practice, no complex system is manufactured using exclusively Israeli-made parts.
Shuki Friedman adds that the imposition of sanctions on dual-use goods—such as electronic chips—makes the production of weapons systems extremely difficult. Many of the sanctions imposed on Israel are linked to the war in Gaza, as well as the domestic political considerations of the nations imposing these measures.
The article further states that a significant portion of the sanctions is linked to the policies of the Israeli cabinet in the West Bank—including the approval of an unprecedented number of settlement construction permits and the legalization of numerous settlement outposts—which effectively amounts to the annexation of this territory. Furthermore, no penalties are imposed on extremist Jews for their acts of aggression against Palestinians in the West Bank.
The director general of the organization known as the Jewish People Policy Institute noted that the impact of the sanctions extends beyond the specific individuals or regions targeted, affecting the entire economy. The requirement to verify the origin of products could lead European importers to cease imports from Israel altogether, while the risks associated with the sanctions might prompt investors to move their capital elsewhere.
International isolation poses an existential threat to Israel.
According to the author, Germany—within the European Union—and the United States—on the international stage—have thus far prevented the implementation of the most severe measures against Israel; however, this stance could shift. In this context, Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. have proposed a plan to restrict the provision of arms and aid to Israel. Should the Democrats secure a majority in the House of Representatives during the November midterm elections, the likelihood of such measures being passed will increase.
He identified the most dangerous scenario as the imposition of international sanctions against Israel by the Security Council—without the United States exercising its veto power to block them—noting that Israel’s reliance on the outside world for its survival transforms this into a strategic threat that could escalate into an existential one.
The author of the article warned that the continuation of these policies could drive away even Israel’s closest allies, thereby jeopardizing its economy, security, and survival.