After launching a large onslaught on Israel on October 7, the Palestinian organization Hamas killed over 1,400 people, the majority of whom were civilians, and captured over 200 more.
Since then, ground forces have moved into the enclave and Israel has attacked several areas of Gaza ruthlessly.
To date, almost 10,000 people have died, the majority of them were women and children. Protests demanding a stop to hostilities and showing solidarity with the Palestinians erupted globally.
The Saudi Arab News daily stated that “Western and Arab states have found themselves divided.”
According to what the American press has acknowledged, “ from Lebanon to Jordan and Egypt, criticism is mounting against American and European leaders and media, who are accused of ’dehumanizing’ Palestinians.”
Arabs around the area have turned against brands associated with Israel’s allies, most notably the United States, in response to Israeli attacks. The boycott was accompanied by calls for Arab states to cut ties with Israel. Turkey, Jordan, Bahrain recalled their ambassadors. Tech-savvy teenagers are using smartphone applications, specialized websites, and text messages to browsers to boycott American businesses and goods.
McDonald’s has reportedly been a top target, according to the Al Arabiya website. A month ago, an Israeli franchise of the American fast-food company angered the local public by giving hundreds of free meals to the Israeli army. McDonald’s branches in Qatar and Kuwait have announced that they will provide hundreds of thousands of dollars to Gazans. Some Western media businesses in Qatar were compelled to close their doors after their owners uploaded online information that supported Israel.
Because of the boycott, an indigenous brand of carbonated drinks that was mostly neglected by the populace in Egypt has gained popularity.
Grocery stores in Amman do not purchase American-made goods.
The Turkish parliament has formally resolved to ban brands like Nestlé and Coca-Cola from its dining establishments.
On November 6, the Saudi Arab News daily published an article with the heading, “Israel has succeeded in turning the world against it.” “Israel thinks it has enough permission from the West to murder thousands of Palestinian civilians, four thousand of them are children. Airstrikes on ambulances, schools, and hospitals, along with massive bombs weighing thousands of kg landed on densely crowded refugee camps, amply illustrate the total disdain for civilian life.“ The massacre in Gaza, which was preceded by an attempt by the Netanyahu government to undermine the judiciary, casts doubt on years of claims made by politicians funded by the lobbying AIPAC that Israel is a model of democracy and moral superiority. Washington’s has been the sole significant international voice in recent years, with partners in Europe largely nodding along. However, emerging nations in Africa, Latin America, and Asia are now uniting to denounce Israel and rescind diplomatic ties.
The daily Le Monde claims that the conflict between Hamas and Israel is driving Middle Eastern nations away from the West.
Even in the West, proponents of justice have been enraged, with millions of people flocking to the streets to show their support for the Palestinian people. “The era when the pro-Israel lobby was in control is long gone.” Former President Barack Obama even warned his successors that “if you want to solve the problem, you’re going to have to accept the whole truth – any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs of the war ”could ultimately backfire.“
The pressure on Biden intensifies with each fresh batch of photographs of injured or dead children, with some members of his own party asking for a cease-fire decision that runs counter to the occasional humanitarian respite. CNN even believes that Biden should demand that Israel cease hostilities.
Throughout Europe, comparable tensions are evident: Ireland and Spain publicly back Palestine, and pro-Israel activists such as Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen have faced criticism.
Israeli leaders who advocated for conditions that would make it impossible for any human being to live in Gaza, including Amihai Eliyahu, Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, who suggested launching an atomic bomb on Gaza, and Giora Eiland, the former head of the Israeli National Security Council, are generally decried.
UN Secretary General Guterres called Gaza a graveyard for children, and Brazilian President Lula da Silva urged an immediate end to the genocide against Palestinians.
The New York Times is compelled to acknowledge that American power has its limits because the Biden administration is unable to resolve the Ukrainian or Palestinian crises. The current president has been under fire from powerful figures in the US for his policies not being in the country’s best interests. It’s no coincidence that polls show Donald Trump ahead of Biden in many crucial states: if the presidential election were held now, Trump would win.
Veniamin Popov, Director of the “Center for Partnership of Civilizations” in MGIMO (U) MFA of Russia, Candidate of Historical Sciences, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.
