Israel is at risk of becoming a global pariah

For years, Israel has been compared – sometimes unjustly – to South Africa. This comparison stems from the concept of apartheid. In South Africa, racial segregation was between whites and blacks; in Israel, it’s the discrimination against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

Today, however, the validity of the comparison between Israel and South Africa is even more relevant in another aspect: the international isolation and economic sanctions that were imposed on the white minority regime in Pretoria, which ultimately brought about its downfall, are a warning of the future Israel could face.

Israel is steadily heading down this path. For years, the international community has considered imposing economic and military sanctions on Israel due to the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the moves to deprive Palestinians of their basic rights. But aside from strong declarations of intent, the steps taken so far to actually impose any sanctions have been small and negligible: short-term embargoes on certain weapon components and efforts to brand the exports of Israeli companies operating in the occupied territories.