Israel's Garbage Diplomacy Is Painful Evidence of Its Magnificent Defeat -
It's worth pausing for a moment over Israel's decision last week to deny entry to the foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who had planned to visit Ramallah to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the rest of the Palestinian Authority leadership.
And this happened in the run-up to a French-Saudi initiative to promote a two-state solution by holding an international conference at UN headquarters that will begin on June 17.
This decision deserves attention, first of all for a technical reason: the fact that Israel has the power to prevent foreign ministers from going to Ramallah. That's important, because Israelis like to deny that their country controls the lives of Palestinians living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. "What do they want from us?" many Israelis ask. "After all, we disengaged from Gaza, and the Palestinians in the West Bank live under the Palestinian Authority." But in fact, this isn't so.
No less important is the warped message Israel sent to the world, and especially to countries in the region, first and foremost Saudi Arabia – with which it ostensibly seeks to normalize relations. That message was simple: Israel isn't interested in peace. Don't ask, don't propose plans, don't seek dialogue.
Or as that prince of crudity and vileness, Yair Netanyahu, wrote to French President Emmanuel Macron, who is pushing recognition of a Palestinian state: "Screw you."
The Foreign Ministry's official response was in the same spirit, albeit without the curses. "The Palestinian Authority – which to this day refuses to condemn the October 7 massacre – intended to host in Ramallah a provocative meeting ... to discuss the promotion of the establishment of a Palestinian state," it said. "Such a state would undoubtedly become a terrorist state." This was yet another clumsy attempt to explain a policy through insults and fear-mongering.
It's worth noting that not long ago, Abbas publicly said "Hamas, you sons of dogs, free the hostages." He has consistently supported a two-state solution, and just recently presented a plan for ending the war that included Hamas disarming and giving up control of Gaza's government, the Palestinian Authority taking over civilian and security control of Gaza and the start of a diplomatic process.
The Palestinian leadership has for decades waged a diplomatic battle to get an agreement on two states for two peoples (not a single Palestinian state in place of Israel). But that hasn't stopped the government, the prime minister and the Foreign Ministry from continuing to promote the lie about 50 shades of terrorists.
Israel's garbage diplomacy isn't just a marginal anecdote. It's painful evidence of the magnificent defeat of what was once the State of Israel.
An activist in Tel Aviv wears a Trump mask and holds a Netanyahu doll during an April protest.Credit: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
Ostensibly, we should be happy that the Foreign Ministry was removed from the weak hands of Israel Katz, the man who may have been the most ridiculous minister in its history. But the forced seriousness of his replacement, Gideon Sa'ar, is no less depressing. Because what is Sa'ar doing with the opportunity he was given to influence foreign policy? He's sucking up to an imaginary electorate and proudly waving the flag of diplomatic rejectionism.
Instead of extending a hand for peace, presenting Israel as a country that promotes dialogue and encouraging alliances and cooperation, he is bolstering Israel's image as a self-pitying thug. "Saudi Arabia is extending a hand in peace, but Israel is pulling its hand away," someone in the Saudi royal family said, adding, "It's impossible for force a reality between neighbors." Impossible? Don't make Netanyahu's Israel laugh.
Israel insists on continuing down the path of rejectionism – viewing every Palestinian as a terrorist and every peace initiative or extended hand as a hostile trick. It's alienating its friends, provoking its allies and clinging to anti-diplomatic populism as if it were a policy.
But as the entire world converges around the two-state solution, Israel will remain alone with its back to the world, and it won't be able to complain that it wasn't invited. And the price will be paid by all Israelis, in the form of diplomatic isolation and living by the sword with no end in sight.