Former Israeli diplomat warns country could face apartheid-era South Africa-style isolation

Former Israeli ambassador Avi Pazner has warned that Israel could face unprecedented international sanctions and political isolation if the government’s current policies continue, comparing the potential trajectory to the pressure placed on apartheid-era South Africa.

Pazner, who previously served as Israel’s ambassador to France and Italy and as a media adviser to former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, made the remarks in an internal exchange among former Israeli Foreign Ministry officials, according to a report published Monday by Ynet.

“Most of us witnessed the process South Africa went through when economic and political sanctions were imposed on it in the mid-1980s, leading to the collapse of the apartheid regime in the early 1990s,” Pazner wrote.

He said that sanctions targeting Israel currently remained limited, pointing in particular to measures concerning Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

However, Pazner warned that if Israel’s current governing coalition wins the upcoming election, international measures could broaden significantly.

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“If the current coalition wins the elections, I have no doubt that Israel will enter a situation unlike anything we have faced before regarding sanctions and boycotts,” he wrote, predicting that such measures could expand from the occupied territories to Israel itself.

His comments came amid growing diplomatic tensions between Israel and several European governments over Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The Netherlands introduced a national prohibition on 22nd September covering the import, purchase and sale of goods originating from Israeli settlements in occupied territory, as well as services facilitating such trade.

The Dutch government has stressed that the measure does not affect bilateral trade with Israel within its internationally recognized pre-1967 borders. It says the restrictions are intended to meet its international legal obligations concerning Israeli settlements.

Israel has strongly objected to the Dutch measures. On Sunday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that Israel was revoking the diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats serving at the Netherlands’ Representative Office in Ramallah, describing the move as a response to Dutch actions against Israeli settlements.

Separately, Yedioth Ahronoth columnist Nahum Barnea wrote that several Western European governments were considering further measures against Israel. 

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