Many of its Western allies, including Australia, Britain, Canada and France, have recognised – albeit conditionally – the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority as the government of a non-existent Palestinian state.
International celebrities, including Hollywood A-listers like Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix and George Clooney, have joined a filmmakers’ boycott of Israel-funded projects.
Similarly, pop stars like Blur frontman Damon Albarn, soul legend Neneh Cherry and rock band Bastille last weekend headlined a concert in London that raised £1.5 million (US$2 million) for besieged Palestinians in Gaza. Several European state broadcasters have threatened to boycott the next Eurovision song contest if Israel were to participate.
Sports governing bodies like Europe’s Uefa are also under pressure from icons, including former France and Manchester United striker Eric Cantona, to expel the Jewish-majority state from international tournaments.
But none of this adds up to a “critical mass” that would persuade Israel’s most important allies, especially the United States, to abandon Israel because of its ruthless pursuit of Hamas, perpetrator of the October 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Kenneth Katzman, senior Middle East fellow of the Soufan Centre, a New York-based think tank.
