Israel's changing status in global politics: three events demonstrating this
Three consecutive events in recent days show that the attitude towards Israel is changing at the level of the Western public and some governments. The documentary film "NAZA" screened at the Venice Film Festival, the Ed Sheeran–Macklemore controversy in the US, and the trade restrictions being introduced against products from Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Three events showing Israel's changing position in global politics
Public opinion may not be the most fundamental and central criterion in world politics, but it cannot be considered insignificant either. The global reputation of states is a very valuable resource. There are also special terms and concepts, such as "soft power," to describe this resource.
Over the last week to ten days, three important events have taken place. In my opinion, they show that criticism of the country's government's policy in the region has reached its highest level in the world community, including in Israel itself. These events, in turn, could further strengthen the critical resonance against Israel.
So, what events are we talking about?
The film "NAZA" — testimony of Israeli soldiers
The first event is the screening of the documentary film "NAZA" at the Venice Film Festival.
The film was directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor and produced with the participation of The Guardian. It raises the issue of the Israeli army's military operations in Gaza, including the use of artificial intelligence technologies in identifying targets and the issue of civilian casualties in this process.
The authors interviewed 24 Israeli military and intelligence personnel. Most of them did not disclose their identities for security reasons.
In one of the most harrowing testimonies presented in the film, it is said that strikes that could result in hundreds of civilian casualties were authorized to eliminate a single Hamas member.
These testimonies have further intensified international debates regarding Israel's military actions in Gaza and civilian deaths.
When "NAZA" was screened at the Venice Film Festival, the audience gave the filmmakers a standing ovation for nearly 25 minutes. The film was also awarded the festival's Special Jury Prize.
In my opinion, the most important aspect here is something else: Israel's actions in Gaza have been sharply criticized before. But this time, a significant part of the accusations comes from within Israel itself — through the testimonies of Israeli journalists, directors, soldiers, and people who worked in the intelligence system.
And this further increases the political and moral impact of the issue.