Israelis don't care what the world thinks about the war- opinion

A country at war may face a variety of international pressures aimed at restraining the use of force or bringing the violence to an end. The war that began on October 7, 2023, serves as an extreme example of such pressures. 

The conduct of the war brought criticism of Israel from both friendly and rival countries, fueled public protests in the United States and across the globe, led to accusations of genocide against Israel before the International Court of Justice, and resulted in charges of war crimes against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

How do Israelis view these pressures? Do they see them as real constraints on the goals or means of the war? To understand what the public thinks, the Institute for Liberty and Responsibility at Reichman University conducted a poll through the online survey company iPanel on September 19-23, covering a representative sample of 1,001 respondents.

We asked respondents about six types of international influences, which can be grouped into three categories. First, pressures from foreign governments – American or European demands; second, legal constraints – the international laws of war or the possible prosecution of Israeli officials before the International Criminal Court (ICC); and, third, the harm to Israel’s international standing – its global image or trade and investment ties.

Our findings show a clear divide between right-wing voters (supporters of the current coalition) and center-left voters (supporters of the opposition).

For right-wing voters, who are supporters of Netanyahu, international pressures matter little for the conduct of the war. Only 32% of rightists believe that American demands should affect how Israel manages the war, and a meager 12% think that European demands carry any weight. 

Similarly, legal constraints bear little importance, in their view. Just 28% of right-wing voters believe that Israel should be constrained by the international rules designed to reduce the suffering of war. Despite the ICC case against Netanyahu, only 19% of his supporters think that the threat of the court’s prosecution should affect the conduct of the war. Only 33% believe that, in managing the war, the government should consider the damage to Israel’s image or its economic ties.

Not entirely independent 

WHILE RIGHT-WING voters largely write off all international constraints, these figure much more prominently in the calculations of center-left voters. Some 68% of them believe that American demands should affect how Israel conducts the war, and between 60% and 66% would give weight to the laws of war or to concerns for Israel’s image or economic ties. 

Yet even center-left voters repudiate European pressures (just 28% believe they matter) or the ICC (39% would take it into account). European governments and the International Criminal Court are likely perceived as biased against Israel, leading to their dismissal even by Israelis who are otherwise mindful of the country’s delicate international position.

In fact, there seems to be a disconnect between Israelis’ realization that their country’s security depends on other countries’ assistance and the limited weight they accord to the wishes of those countries. In our survey, 49% of right-wing voters and 82% of center-left voters acknowledged that Israel needs foreign support to defend itself. But, as we saw, the share of citizens who think foreign pressure matters is lower. For Israelis, it is possible to enjoy the support of foreign countries without necessarily giving them voice in the conduct of the war.

Overall, Israelis seem wholly or partly dismissive of international constraints on Israel’s war effort. This public attitude is consistent with Netanyahu’s bristling at international criticism. In the face of pressure from US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, the ICC prosecutor and others, the prime minister has rejected all demands and accusations and vowed to keep fighting with determination. 

Such an attitude surely satisfies his political base and makes Netanyahu appear strong to his supporters. Yet, the long-term costs of ignoring the world will be high. With little international support, Israel will be unable to acquire the weapons it needs or to maintain the trade and investment flows its economy requires. The Israeli go-it-alone approach is a risky bet.

The writer is a senior research fellow at the Institute for Liberty and Responsibility, Reichman University.