Turkiye became the latest country to reduce diplomatic contact with Israel Saturday as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced he would be withdrawing his country’s ambassador to Tel Aviv.
The Turkish foreign ministry said Sakir Ozkan Torunlar would be withdrawn from Israel “in view of the unfolding humanitarian tragedy in Gaza caused by the continuing attacks by Israel against civilians, and Israel's refusal [to accept] a ceasefire.”
The announcement marks the latest development amidst a deteriorating diplomatic environment between the two countries. Late last week, Erdogan referred to Israel as a “war criminal” during a rally in solidarity with Palestinians in Istanbul, without elaborating on what kind of concrete measures the characterization might entail.
Türkiye has significant economic ties to Israel, even resuming discussions about a natural gas pipeline running through the two countries recently, although Erdogan has been compelled to rhetorically oppose Netanyahu amidst strong opposition from Türkiye’s overwhelmingly Muslim population.
Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat claimed Erdogan’s announcement was “another step by the Turkish president that sides with the Hamas terrorist organization.”
Israel cut access to food, running water and electricity in Gaza last month, and has also periodically suspended Internet access as Gazans attempt to share news from the besieged enclave. “We are fighting human animals and we act accordingly,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the time.
The United Nations and various human rights organizations have warned of a severe humanitarian crisis unfolding in the territory amidst continuing Israeli attacks which have killed large numbers of civilians, among them at least 3,500 children.
A number of countries throughout the region and the world have strongly criticized Israel as the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 9,000 during the country’s military operation in the Palestinian enclave. Here, Sputnik offers a recap of measures taken by various world powers in opposition to Israel’s actions.
Bolivia
The Plurinational State of Bolivia has had a complex relationship with Israel over the last several years. The country’s domestic politics have been dominated by the left-wing Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party since the election of indigenous labor leader Evo Morales to the presidency in 2005. Like other progressive-led countries in the region, Bolivia has consistently taken the side of the Palestinians amidst ongoing conflict in Israel and the occupied territories.
Bolivia first suspended relations with Israel in 2009 during Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip resulting in the death of more than 1,300 Palestinians and around a dozen Israelis. Morales expelled Israeli ambassador Shlomo Cohen at the time, following similar action by then-Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.
Relations between the two countries remained tense over the following years, with President Morales calling Israel a “terror state” during renewed military action in Gaza in 2014. Morales suspended the country’s visa waiver with Israel that year, requiring Israelis to apply for a visa before being allowed entry into Bolivia.
Interim president Jeanine Áñez reestablished diplomatic relations with Israel in 2019 after a coup removed Morales from the presidency late that year. But relations were once again suspended on Tuesday under Morales ally President Luis Arce after Israel’s attack on the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza. Bolivia called for a ceasefire at the time and joined regional ally Venezuela in sending aid to the besieged Gaza Strip.
Many indigenous activists have drawn parallels between the Palestinian cause and the efforts of Bolivia’s indigenous-led government, which has touted efforts to “decolonialize” and “depatriarchalize” Bolivian society after centuries of domination by descendants of Europeans.
Jordan
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Amman on Saturday to discuss the ongoing crisis in Gaza with Arab leaders in the region, but the meeting took place in the context of Jordan’s recalling of their ambassador to Israel this week.
Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi made the announcement on Wednesday, saying the ambassador would only return to Tel Aviv if Israel took steps to resolve the “humanitarian crisis it has caused.”
Jordan was in a state of war with Israel for decades after the country’s official founding in 1948. Hostilities only officially ended with a peace treaty in 1994 but tensions have persisted, especially as Israel has pursued military action in illegally-occupied Palestinian territory. Jordanian King Abdullah II has joined Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in denouncing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “collective punishment” of Palestinian civilians.
Some 3 million Palestinians reside in Jordan. They’re joined by hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees in neighboring Lebanon, some of whom help make up the armed group Hezbollah. Protests have rocked Lebanon for almost a month as people there have urged the government to break relations with Israel.
Egypt
Elsewhere in the Middle East, Egypt intensified its criticism of Israel on Saturday.
“There is no justification for the deaths of Gaza civilians,” said Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. “We will not accept attempts to justify these actions as a legitimate right to self-defense.”
The Egyptian foreign ministry stated they would release a joint statement on the situation in Gaza along with their counterparts in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Palestine, and the United Arab Emirates. The declaration would represent a unified stance of Arab countries meeting with the US Secretary of State on Saturday, according to the ministry.
Shoukry also stated the country’s continued opposition to the forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza. In recent days Egypt has allowed some Palestinians to enter the country to receive medical care amidst Israel’s bombing of hospitals in the enclave. But the country has opposed Israel’s attempts to encourage large-scale “humanitarian evacuations” into the neighboring country, reiterating Palestinians’ rights to remain in territory guaranteed to them under international law.
Recently an Israeli think tank associated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted a “rare opportunity” for the country to formally annex the Gaza Strip while displacing Palestinians in the territory into Egypt’s Sinai Desert. Leaked documents from Israeli intelligence agencies also suggested the move is being considered at high levels within the Israeli government.
The proposal provoked outrage in the Arab world, forcing Israel to publicly downplay the idea in the days since. US President Joe Biden stated earlier this week that he and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi discussed “ensuring that Palestinians in Gaza are not displaced to Egypt or any other nation.” Palestinians in Gaza, many of whom are already refugees from other parts of historic Palestine, have stated their opposition to being forced out of the country.
Colombia
Colombian President Gustavo Petro is considered the country’s first leftist leader, and he’s made waves in recent weeks with his strong criticism of Israel.
The former guerrilla fighter refused to criticize Hamas’ surprise attack in Israel last month. When goaded by Israeli ambassador Gali Dagan to criticize the armed raid on the X social media platform, Petro instead responded with a message saying “terrorism is killing innocent children in Palestine.” He also accused Israel of transforming the Gaza Strip into a “concentration camp.”
Petro persisted in his criticism, accusing Israel of committing “genocide” and threatening to sever diplomatic relations with the country after continued rebukes from Dagan.
“If we must suspend diplomatic relations with Israel, then that is what we will do,” said Petro. “You cannot insult the president of Colombia.”
The rhetoric resulted in Israel suspending military exports to Colombia. Colombia made good on their promise to downgrade relations with Israel, announcing they would recall their ambassador to the country on Tuesday.
Petro has been joined in his criticism by Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who has often made human rights a cornerstone of his political rhetoric in a country where the legacy of dictator Augusto Pinochet looms large. Boric joined Petro in recalling the country’s diplomatic envoy to Israel. Progressive Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has also strongly criticized Israel in recent weeks, calling the country’s actions “genocide,” but has stopped short of recalling the country’s ambassador.
Petro has criticized Israel in recent weeks for its historical role in helping to drive violence in Colombia and throughout the region. For decades, Israel has sold military equipment to repressive and dictatorial regimes in Latin America, even arming and training brutal death squads. Notorious Colombian paramilitary leader Carlos Castaño received more than a year of military training in Israel. He has claimed that the strategy of paramilitaries in Latin America was “copied from the Israelis; every citizen of that country is a potential soldier.”
In addition to benefiting from Israel’s experience in suppressing restive indigenous populations, armed groups in Latin America also received funding via Israel when the Reagan Administration funneled money through the country to bypass Congressional restrictions against sending aid to Contra forces in Nicaragua. Israel continues to receive criticism for its role in training police departments throughout the United States, with Amnesty International calling the country a “chronic human rights violator.”
Spain and Europe
The left-wing Podemos party has maintained a fractious coalition with Spain’s center-left Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) under PSOE Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Recently, members of Podemos have distinguished themselves with fierce criticism of Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip.
Last month, Social Rights Minister and Podemos party member Ione Belarra called for Spain to break relations with Israel, impose sanctions on the country, and try Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu at the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Podemos leaders have repeatedly accused Israel of “genocide” against Palestinians in the besieged enclave and have encouraged protests against the country in Spain, even attending such demonstrations themselves.
The comments drew harsh rebuke from the Israeli embassy in Madrid via a communiqué that accused Spanish politicians of siding with Hamas and “endangering the security of the Jewish communities in Spain.” The embassy called on the country’s prime minister to “unequivocally denounce and condemn” Belarra’s comments.
The government refused to comply with the request, with the country’s foreign ministry, run by PSOE member José Manuel Albares, instead defending the left-wing politicians.
“The Government of Spain categorically rejects the falsehoods expressed in the Israeli Embassy’s communiqué about some of its members and does not accept unfounded insinuations about them,” read a statement from the foreign ministry. “Any political official can freely express positions as a representative of a political party in a full democracy such as Spain.”
Government officials aligned with Sánchez’s party have otherwise been more moderate in tone when addressing the issue in the aftermath of Hamas’ surprise attack last month. “Israel has the right to defend itself but always within the limits of international humanitarian law,” said Sánchez last month. Sánchez has gone a step beyond most European leaders by consistently calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and advocating for a peace summit.
Left-wing politicians throughout Europe have accused the European Union of “double standards” in refusing to condemn alleged Israeli human rights violations in recent weeks. Some football clubs throughout the continent have sided with Palestinians, with fans of the Celtic team in Scotland recently defying the club’s orders against displaying Palestinian flags at matches.
Criticism of Israel is a mainstream position across the political spectrum in Ireland, where politicians have long drawn parallels between the Palestinian cause and Irish people’s centuries-long resistance to British colonialism. But Israel typically enjoys warm relations with most European countries, in keeping with Zionist movement founder Theodor Herzl’s conception of the country as a “garrison state” for European interests in the Arab world.
EU president Ursula von der Leyen has defended herself against claims of bias in favor of Israel, with some characterizing her support of the country as “unconditional” after the German politician visited Tel Aviv last month. Von der Leyen was forced to abandon plans to cut all EU aid to Palestinians in the immediate aftermath of last month’s Hamas attack.
Germany has perhaps been Israel’s most important ally in Europe, where support for the country is widely viewed as penitence for Nazi-era crimes against Jews. Strong provisions against antisemitic speech in the country have been used as a pretense to ban some pro-Palestine protests there.
Some pro-Palestine protests have also been banned in the United Kingdom on similar grounds. French President Emmanual Macron briefly outlawed pro-Palestine protests entirely before the measure was struck down by a court last month. Regardless, large pro-Palestinian protests continued in London, Paris and Berlin on Saturday.
Meanwhile, in the United States, more than 100,000 protesters turned out in the nation’s capital and other major cities Saturday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. The protests signaled increased pressure from Democrats on US President Joe Biden to call for a humanitarian pause in Israel’s military campaign.