Israel is becoming increasingly isolated. Dozens of representatives from various nations walked out on Friday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was addressing the UN General Assembly in New York. The past week also saw the unthinkable: major Western nations, including France, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada announced their recognition of the Palestinian state.
A few weeks earlier, German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (a country with the eternal guilt of the genocide of the Jewish people during the Nazi era), was becoming increasingly vocal and reported about the decision of the association of scholars and experts on genocide to brand the killing in Gaza by the Israeli Defence Force a genocide.
In another major blow to the international standing of Israel, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) highlighted the fact that more journalists have been killed in Gaza than in many major military conflicts in the past – more than 270.
“According to Brown University’s Costs of War project, more journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began on October 7, 2023, than in the US Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, the wars in the former Yugoslavia and the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan – combined,” CPJ, which gave the International Press Freedom Award to this writer in 2017, noted in its article on August 11.
I think the reputation of the state of Israel is at its nadir now. I once warned the Israeli ambassador to Thailand Orna Sagiv, who just completed her tour of duty in Thailand a few weeks ago, that Israel migh bet winning the battle militarily but they are failing in the war to win the hearts and minds of the international community – particularly countries that are not totally for or against Israel.
It’s time for the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs to express its concern and join the growing number of nations in pressurising Israel.
P.S. I was recently asked by a foreign Facebook friend when I posted something about the conversation.
”How did the ambassador react when you shared your opinion with her?”
My answer: “Her reaction was that the Israeli Government had no choice, that deep tunnels have been dug by Hamas, hospitals allegedly used as a hiding place for Hamas, that the UN is biased, and that Hamas vows to exterminate the Jewish people. I sensed that she sees it as a zero-sum war and perhaps it explains why the attacks, killings and retribution are so relentless.”
Too many people, including civilians, women, children, and journalists, have been killed, however.
The FB friend then wrote back: “Thank you for your detailed answer. That was a gutsy move to share your views with her.”
Then I added a message to the FB friend: “I also told her that further south from Thailand, (e.g. Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei) they do not even recognise the existence of the state of Israel, no embassies there, so please do not lose the middle ground, countries like Thailand, etc.”
The barbaric attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, led to the deaths of some 1,200 people, including dozens of Thai workers. Nearly two years on, the Israeli armed forces have killed about 65,000 people, according to Palestinian officials. Let us just say the number in Gaza is inflated. I shall cut it to half, or 32,500 people killed, including women and children. If you do the math then you will realise that it is way beyond an eye for an eye but an eye for 26 eyes.
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