Israel's isolation: an overdue 'reckoning'?
Netanyahu faces moment of 'extreme crisis' following ICJ order to halt Rafah assault

The Gaza war is a "military quagmire and a human tragedy", said The Economist. It is also fast turning into a "diplomatic disaster for Israel", at a critical juncture in its history.
Last week, the International Criminal Court's prosecutor alleged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister had committed war crimes in Gaza: using starvation as a weapon of war and deliberately attacking civilians. (Hamas's leaders were also accused of war crimes.) The move is bitterly contentious, and the ICC judges won't decide for weeks whether there's enough evidence to issue warrants.
There is certainly an arguable case that Netanyahu's government has "breached the laws of war" in Gaza by not providing food and medicine to civilians "to the fullest extent of the means available", as the Geneva Conventions demand. Either way, the PM's "disastrous" strategy in Gaza has brought "ignominy" to Israel. His departure is long overdue.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Israel's 'fire alarm'
The ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and Netanyahu's determination to press on with the offensive in Rafah – the southern city where more than a million civilians have sought sanctuary – make it ever harder for Israel's allies to back it, said the FT.
Last week, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to immediately halt its assault in Rafah. Israeli forces pushed on, and on Sunday, 45 people, including many women and children, were killed in an air strike on an encampment housing displaced people in a supposedly safe zone.
Meanwhile, Ireland, Norway and Spain have all recognised Palestinian statehood – a "symbolic blow against an Israeli leader who rails against any talk of a two-state solution".
An "international reckoning" has long been coming, given Netanyahu's record of refusing to offer a credible peace plan to the Palestinians, said Jo-Ann Mort in The Guardian. Now a moment of "extreme crisis" has arrived. This is "a fire alarm for Israel". Will it take heed?
A weakening position
"The world is pitted against Israel in a way we haven't seen before," said The Jerusalem Post.
Much of the international pressure comes from "smug, sanctimonious" critics embracing a "ludicrous and disgusting double standard": why did the ICJ ask for Israel's Rafah operations to be halted, but not for Hamas to free Israeli hostages? Yet we must accept that our leaders' poor decisions and inflammatory rhetoric have paved the way for this growing isolation.
The current pursuit of "total victory", without defining any political goals that can slow the "escalating cycle of bloodshed", has not made us stronger, said Tehila Wenger in Haaretz. It has made us weaker – and is losing us friends.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
May 26 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday's political cartoons feature Donald Trump's red tie, Hunter Biden's crypto lament, and one meaning of Memorial Day
-
3 tips for coping with financial stress
The explainer Feel more at peace in an unpredictable economy
-
Crossword: May 26, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
How the civil service works – and why critics say it needs reform
The Explainer Keir Starmer wants to 'rewire' Whitehall, which he has claimed is too 'comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline'
-
Brexit 'reset' deal: how will it work?
In Depth Keir Stamer says the deal is a 'win-win', but he faces claims that he has 'surrendered' to Brussels on fishing rights
-
Donald Trump's foreign policy flip in the Middle East
Talking Point Surprise lifting of sanctions on Syria shows Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar are now effectively 'dictating US foreign policy'
-
'Organ donation is kindness'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Home energy: Bills are up, efficiency is out
Feature The Energy Star program saves Americans billions of dollars, but the Trump administration plans to 'eliminate' it.
-
Pirro: Trump turns to another loyalist
Feature Trump appoints Jeanine Pirro, a 2020 election denier, as U.S. attorney
-
Hate pays: Making $770K from a racist rant
Feature A Minnesota mom made $770,000 after being caught on camera calling a 5-year-old boy a racial slur
-
Medicaid: Will millions lose coverage?
Feature House Republicans have proposed a plan to cut Medicaid coverage for millions to help fund the GOP's tax cuts