The growing horror and revulsion at that unrelenting and systematic brutality have also awakened the world to the true nature of Zionism as an extremist movement. No longer is anyone taken in by the racist propaganda that casts Israel as a beacon of civilisation and democracy in an otherwise backwards Arab region.
The awakening of the world’s conscience has expressed itself in widespread grassroots outcries against the sadistic savagery of the far-right Netanyahu government. But the anger has extended to the Israeli public following the publication of opinion polls that showed that no less than 82 per cent of Israelis support their government’s war on Gaza.
Israeli tourists are increasingly facing boycotts and other forms of rejection, especially in Asia. The Maldives has officially banned Israeli passport holders from entering the country. Thailand has established an official website to receive complaints against Israeli tourists who have abused local laws and cultural sensitivities. “No Israel here” signs reflect a growing resentment of Israelis using Thailand for “R&R from genocide.” In Sri Lanka, Israelis have been accused of job theft, operating unauthorised businesses, and sparking tensions with locals. In Japan, hotels have begun to ask Israeli tourists to sign a declaration affirming they have not committed war crimes. Even in Europe, some hotels have begun to turn Israeli tourists away.
As the global boycott intensifies, Israelis may soon find themselves trapped in their own country, ironically getting a small taste of what Palestinians in Gaza have been experiencing for decades under the Israeli blockade.
Popular hostility towards Israel and Israelis has also begun to be generalised to all Jews due to the conflation of Judaism with Zionism. President Trump claims the world is witnessing a dangerous wave of antisemitism. Perhaps he is right, for once in his life. One can only imagine the consequences of this hostility, which Netanyahu himself unleashed through the pursuit of one of the most barbarously racist programmes in modern history.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 9 October, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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