On the way to Mauritius we'll stop at Masada
Nahum Barnea warns that a series of Western European countries are preparing to impose sanctions on Israel after the elections, if Benjamin Netanyahu forms a government. The sanctions are expected to include restrictions on the connection between Israel and the territories, a requirement to indicate place of residence in passports, and boycotts in sports, culture, and academia. Barnea compares Netanyahu's 'Sparta' vision to Masada.
Nahum Barnea warns in his column that a series of Western European countries, led by Britain, France, the Netherlands, and Norway, have initiated parliamentary procedures and government decisions that will culminate in painful sanctions on Israel. The moves have been deliberately left incomplete: the governments will keep the weapon loaded and cocked until October 27, election day. The planned sanctions span various areas, with the most significant concerning the separation between Israel and the territories – a narrow interpretation would make life difficult for hundreds of thousands of Israelis and thousands of businesses in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights; a broad interpretation could paralyze banks, insurance companies, and any company with global business ties. Additional sanctions relate to passports: the Netherlands is considering requiring Israel to include place of residence in the passport, which would lead to every Israeli passport holder being treated as a resident of the territories and possibly to the renewal of visa requirements. Barnea notes that the pressure to boycott Israel comes from below, from the street, and that the problem lies specifically in democratic countries – with dictatorships, Israel is managing for now. He warns that boycotts will spread to sports, culture, academic research, and international institutions, and that America will follow Europe. Barnea argues that Netanyahu offers Israel to be Sparta – a city-state whose purpose in life is war – but in practice offers to be Masada, a besieged compound ending in heroic suicide. The column concludes with a warning that if Netanyahu forms a government, even before he gives Smotrich the war he dreams of, the boycotts that are hard to stop will begin.