Alwaght- Over the past two years, Tel Aviv has been facing a multi-faceted crisis that is not limited to military operations in Gaza. Although it has sustained unprecedented casualties and losses during the war and has struggled with a situation of Palestinian resistance groups' making, the situation outside Gaza is not going in favor of Tel Aviv either.
What we are seeing today of Israel is an array of losses and setbacks in cultural, social, political, economic, and diplomatic areas plaguing this regime, and many observers have concluded that Israel in heading to a collapse.
Erosion of the Zionism's power to generate narrative in the Hollywood
One of the areas the Israeli regime has been specially counting on is the Western media and cinema, especially Hollywood. The cultural Zionism project for decades has been working to promote a victim face of Jews and Israeli regime in the US and at the same time with making the Israeli crimes, present Anti-Semitism as a global threat.
However, now a deep crack has emerged in this narrative wall and the Gaza catastrophe and genocide cannot concealed behind the theater curtains.
A growing wave of top Hollywood figures is publicly condemning Tel Aviv's military actions in Gaza, marking a significant shift in the industry's stance and challenging long-standing narratives in support of Zionism project.
The tide of opinion is turning, with over 350 prominent actors having signed open letters and petitions condemning the violence in Gaza and calling for global action against the occupying regime’s atrocities.
Angelina Jolie, the acclaimed American actor and former UNHCR Special Envoy with over two decades of humanitarian work, used her platform to voice solidarity with Gaza. She highlighted the catastrophic humanitarian situation by sharing a report from Doctors Without Borders on her Instagram.
Actor Andrew Garfield stated: "We must put our energy into what truly matters, perhaps the lives of Palestinians in Gaza right now. Perhaps we must direct our hearts and energy toward them and toward everyone suffering the horrors of our world, those who are denied the right to a dignified life. That is where our energy must go.”
In a powerful act of memorial, British actor Steve Coogan publicly read the names of children killed in Gaza at a vigil, stating: "They were all children with lives, who had no part in this conflict... This must to stop.”
Adding to the calls for de-escalation, American actor Mark Ruffalo said: "We have learned that bombing doesn’t work. We will not achieve peace through bombing. And all we are saying is: what is the harm in giving a ceasefire a chance?”
The Oscar-winning Natalie Portman, herself born in Al-Quds (Jerusalem), has amplified the voices of anti-war protesters in Israel through a series of Instagram stories. She shared images from demonstrations in Tel Aviv where citizens demanded an end to the war in Gaza and called on her followers to donate to humanitarian aid for its people.
Similarly, Radiohead's Thom Yorke used his social media platform to sharply criticize Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is wanted by the ICC, for the "horrific blockade" and prevention of aid from reaching Gaza, stating that "the excuse of self-defense has long been invalidated."
This shift in stance from major cultural figures deals a strategic blow to the media legitimacy of a regime that has heavily relied on narrative-building. Hollywood, once a safe haven for pro-Israel propaganda, has now become a prominent arena for revealing to the world Tel Aviv's actions and advocating for the plight of Palestinians. This transformation underscores that even the most powerful propaganda machines are ultimately vulnerable to a collective human pursuit of truth.
Student movements and the shift of Western view of Zionists
Ladvt year, European and American universities were scene to largest student protests against the Israeli genocidal campaign in Gaza. These protests have not remained just gatherings and marches, rather, they spiraled into boycott campaigns, seizure of academic campuses, and even pressuring the university administrations to take a moral stance. After all, these universities are the machines producing future Western leaders, policy-makers, and elites and now a generation of them views the Zionism project not as a legitimate obsession but also a moral and humanitarian question.
As the polls show, a notable shift in American public opinion, particularly among younger generations, is posing a strategic challenge to the traditional narrative surrounding Israel. Major polling data indicates a significant decline in positive views of the Israeli government, with young Americans increasingly less likely to perceive its actions through a lens of unquestioned sympathy or to view it solely as a victim in the conflict.
This erosion of public support strikes at a core pillar of Tel Aviv's legitimacy, which has long relied on steadfast, bipartisan backing from Western powers, especially the US. As the grassroots foundation of this support weakens, a long-term recalibration of political positions becomes inevitable—even in Washington. The pressure will mount on politicians to align their stances with the changing values of their constituents.
The decline of the Zionist narrative in academia and broader society is therefore not a passing protest movement, but rather a sign of a deeper, historic change.
The symbolic battle of humanitarian aid fleet against Israeli occupation
One of the symbolic areas of the Israeli loss globally is the efforts by international activists and groups to break Gaza siege, in place since 2007. Such humanitarian aid flotilla as Madeline, Handala, and Sumud that have set sail to symbolically break the siege to deliver aid, imposing heavy pressure on Tel Aviv.
Each time these aid vessels are intercepted or attacked by Israeli forces, it triggers a wave of international condemnation, further tarnishing the regime's global image. Every seized ship serves as a new indictment in the court of world opinion, and every detained activist becomes a living testament to the desperation of a regime that finds itself increasingly isolated the more it resorts to suppression. These flotillas have demonstrated that the siege of Gaza is not merely physical—it is also moral. And now, it is this moral siege that is steadily suffocating Tel Aviv.
World protests expose Israel
For Tel Aviv, these popular movements are a strategic nightmare. This regime, which has always painted itself a victim and having global support, now faces an ocean of popular opposition and backlash among its traditional allies. No powerful lobby can ultimately stem this rising tide of popular dissent, which is fueled by a awakened global conscience. These scenes make it increasingly clear that Israel's legitimacy is eroding, and the protests filling streets worldwide are likely a precursor to more significant shifts in the international political order.
Political and diplomatic crisis
On the political front, the Israeli government is grappling with a multi-faceted crisis that strikes at the core of its legitimacy. The growing wave of recognition for an independent Palestinian state, now emerging from within its traditional Western allies, has cracked the once-solid wall of unconditional and unwavering support for Tel Aviv. Even the normalization of ties with certain Arab nations, once hailed as a major diplomatic triumph for Israel, has now either stalled or faces intense domestic criticism within those very countries.
Despite claims by Netanyahu and his far-right ministers that they will never allow for the establishment of a Palestinian state, the international community is moving decisively to end this eight-decade conflict through recognition. In a significant move, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly this past Saturday to adopt a resolution, dubbed the New York Statement, paving the way for the establishment of a State of Palestine. Despite staunch opposition from Israel and the US, 142 of the UN's 193 member states voted in favor, with only 10 against and 12 abstentions.
Simultaneously, on the legal front, international courts have become a nightmare for the regime's top officials. Legal actions against leaders like Netanyahu for war crimes has not only restricted their ability to travel officially but has also shattered the regime's long-standing global image of impunity.
Perhaps the heaviest blow is the social and cultural isolation of the Israeli citizens around the world. From stadiums to art festivals to academic circles, they face protests and excommunication. This widespread rejection indicates that not only Israeli government but also the Zionism project is facing moral questions of world public and there is no escape from a historic ruling.
Economic boycott movement
The global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement has emerged as a potent form of civil and economic instrument, growing significantly in recent years to become a major strategic concern rattling Israel. By calling for the boycott of goods, academic institutions, and companies tied to this regime, the movement has exerted considerable economic pressure.
Israel's economy is heavily reliant on its high-tech sector and exports of knowledge-based products. In this context, any meaningful restrictions or boycotts in the tech sphere could have severe detrimental effects. Numerous international companies, bowing to public pressure or seeking to protect their own reputation, have already begun scaling down their ties with Tel Aviv.
This trend of isolation is gradually disconnecting the Israeli economy from global markets and eroding its economic foundations. The BDS movement has proven to be an effective tool transforming moral outrage into tangible economic pressure. If this trend continues, it could progressively weaken the economic pillars upholding the Israeli regime and exacerbate its internal crises.
A collection of these losses and pressure in military area or in politics, culture, society, and economy shows that the Israeli regime is on a sharp downturn trajectory. It can no longer set hopes on sole American and Western support since the same countries are seeing a shift in view of their public to Israeli regime. Observers assert that Israel's demise does not mean an overnight process, rather, it is one having already started, with its signs evident globally and actually the collapse, sooner or later, appears inevitable.
