Has the world had it with Israel?
In Israel, left-wing politician Yair Golan, a retired general, recently stirred controversy when he said in an interview with Israel Radio that 'Israel is on the way to becoming a pariah state' and added that 'a sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not set itself the aim of expelling populations.'
In the face of intense criticism, he has since walked back those comments.
But while Golan's comments were condemned across the Israeli political spectrum, they 'also sparked a discussion about Israel's conduct and what it is doing and the toll of the war on civilians,' said Tia Goldenberg, a correspondent for the Associated Press in Jerusalem.
In an interview with Vox's Today, Explained, Goldenberg said Golan's comments are indicative of the fact that Israelis are increasingly turning against their country's war in Gaza.
That war began on October 7, 2023, when an attack by Hamas fighters left 1,200 dead and 250 captured. Some of those kidnapped have been returned; others have died. There are 58 hostages remaining in Gaza, of which a third are believed to be alive.
Israel's attacks on Gaza have killed more than 50,000 people and have devastated Gaza, leaving much of it uninhabitable. In recent weeks, it has expanded its military offensive, with increased air strikes and a goal of capturing the entire Gaza Strip and moving the population of Gaza to the south of the territory.
That escalation comes amid a dire hunger crisis. Israel began a total humanitarian aid blockade on March 2 in order to increase pressure on Hamas to return the remaining hostages, leading one critic to accuse the country of using aid as a 'weapon of war' during an April hearing on Israel's war strategy at the International Court of Justice.
'During these few weeks, or nearly three months actually, no aid was being let into Gaza, no food, no medicine, no fuel, and you had a situation where food experts were warning that nearly 1 million Palestinians barely had enough access to food, and nearly half a million Palestinians were at the risk of possible starvation,' Goldenberg said.
The escalating strikes and threat of mass starvation haven't just roiled Israeli politics; they've also drawn worldwide condemnation of Israel and created an unlikely coalition of critics.
MAGA-friendly podcaster and standup comedian Theo Von recently described the ongoing conflict in Gaza as a 'genocide' and 'one of the sickest things that's ever happened.'
Leading children's entertainer and YouTube star Ms. Rachel has used her platform to talk about how the conflict is affecting children in the region.
'It's sad that people try to make it controversial when you speak out for children that are facing immeasurable suffering,' she told Zeteo's Mehdi Hasan. 'I think it should be controversial to not say anything.'
The new pope, Leo XIV, like his predecessor, has appealed for a ceasefire in Gaza, the freeing of the remaining hostages, and called on Israel and Hamas to respect international humanitarian law.
German leaders have made public comments about changing their country's long-running special relationship with Israel, while French President Emmanuel Macron has floated acknowledging Palestine as a state.
Even President Donald Trump, a longtime ally of Israel and of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has started to suggest he's seen enough. 'Israel, we've been talking to them, and we want to see if we can stop that whole situation as quickly as possible,' he said last weekend.
All of this suggests an inflection point in Israel's long-running war. It has been made possible in part thanks to aid from allies like the US, Germany, and France. If that support were to deteriorate, continuing its operations could become more difficult.
That is not to say the war's end is necessarily near.
Despite the shift in rhetoric, few of Israel's allies have made any material changes to their relationship with the country. Israel's goal of completely destroying Hamas has not changed. It recently killed Mohammed Sinwar, believed to be the head of Hamas's armed wing.
'It's just been an intense, intense conflict. And yet that hasn't dislodged Hamas from its position. Netanyahu, meanwhile, is under a lot of political pressure from his governing coalition to continue the war,' Goldenberg said. 'It's hard to see how the sides reconcile and come to an agreement that ends this war.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Old clip of Yangon flash mob protest misrepresented as new anti-junta demonstration
On the 63rd anniversary of the brutal suppression of a student movement in Myanmar, an old video of a flash mob protest in Yangon resurfaced in posts falsely claiming it was filmed in July 2025. The clip previously circulated in local news coverage from July 2021 and corresponds to AFP video of the demonstration. "General Strike Committee, students' unions, and marchers from other townships demonstrated to overthrow the military dictatorship today on July 7 in Pansodan, Yangon," reads part of the Burmese-language caption of a Facebook video shared on July 7, 2025. The video -- which was viewed more than 1.7 million times -- shows people hurriedly gathering for a street protest, chanting slogans and flashing the Hunger Games-inspired three finger salute popular among pro-democracy protesters. A banner held up by those at the front of the protest reads, "July 7 keep the spirit and fight" and "Oust the military dictatorship by all means". The video was also shared in similar Facebook, Instagram and TikTok posts. It circulated on the anniversary of the bloody 1962 blitz on students protesting against military rule in Yangon University. According to an article published by The Irrawaddy news outlet, eyewitnesses said hundreds were killed (archived link). Myanmar has been ruled almost continually by the military since 1962, just over a decade since independence from Britain. A 2021 coup ended a decade of transition from outright military rule, with generals justifying the power grab by alleging fraud in the previous November's elections that democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won in a landslide (archived link). The coup sparked a civil war that has killed thousands, and left 3.5 million displaced and half the nation in poverty (archived link). While local media reported that several townships in Myanmar as well as Burmese communities in South Korea and Thailand commemorated the 1962 student movement, the video circulating online does not show a protest that occurred in Yangon in July 2025 (archived here, here and here). Yangon protest 2021 A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to the same footage published four years earlier by local news outlet Mizzima (archived link). The July 7, 2021 post reads: "'Keep the spirit of July 7 and fight' - Yangon anti-military dictatorship protest march." "Today also marks the 59th anniversary of the Seventh July Movement, during which the Yangon University Students' Union building was demolished". AFP reporters said the protest involved around 100 demonstrators who moved quickly through Yangon before scattering down side streets or jumping into waiting cars about two minutes later (archived link). Informants had tipped off police to previous flash mob protests and demonstrators had been arrested, read an AFP article from the time. An AFP video journalist who covered the protest confirmed the circulating video showed the 2021 demonstration. "This is reuploaded misinformation to farm engagement," they said. An AFP photo journalist also said the video showed the 2021 Yangon protest: "This was when flash protests were being organised amidst violent crackdowns targeting anti-coup protestors." "There were no protests in Yangon on July 7, 2025," they added. The falsely circulating video also corresponds to a video AFP published of the 2021 demonstration (archived link). "Around a hundred protesters march in central Yangon to mark the anniversary of the 1962 Yangon university protests during which more than a hundred people died and thousands were arrested in a violent crackdown by the military regime," reads part of the video's description. AFP has debunked other false claims about Myanmar's military coup and the subsequent unrest.
USA Today
27 minutes ago
- USA Today
French plan to recognize Palestinian state draws fire from Israel, US
PARIS/WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - France intends to recognize a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday in hopes of bringing peace to the region, but the plan drew angry rebukes from Israel and the United States. Macron, who unveiled the decision on X, published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France's intention to press ahead with Palestinian recognition and work to convincing other partners to follow suit. "True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the state of Palestine," Macron said. "I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September." More: Israel and US recall teams from Gaza truce talks, US says Hamas not showing good faith Home to Europe's largest Jewish and Muslim communities, France will become the first major Western country to recognise a Palestinian state, potentially fuelling a movement so far dominated by smaller nations generally more critical of Israel. The news sparked anger in Israel and Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision by one of Israel's closest allies and a G7 member, saying such a move "rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy." In a post on X, he added, "A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. "Let's be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel." Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the move as "a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism," adding that Israel would not allow the establishment of a "Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence." More: More than 100 aid, rights groups call for action as hunger spreads in Gaza In response, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States "strongly rejects (Macron's) plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly." In a post on X, he said, "This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th." Earlier, Canada also pressed Israel to seek peace, with Prime Minister Mark Carney condemning its "failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza" and reiterating support for a two-state solution. Carney also accused Israel of violating international law over the blocking of Canadian-funded aid to civilians in the war-torn Palestinian enclave. More: Ms. Rachel says she won't work with anyone who hasn't spoken out about Gaza "Canada calls on all sides to negotiate an immediate ceasefire in good faith," he added. "We reiterate our calls for Hamas to immediately release all the hostages, and for the Israeli government to respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza." In a diplomatic cable in June, the United States said it opposed steps to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state, even saying it could go against U.S. foreign policy interests and draw consequences. In June, Washington's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said he did not think an independent Palestinian state remained a U.S. foreign policy goal. President Donald Trump has himself expressed doubts about a two-state solution, proposing a U.S. takeover of Gaza in February, that was condemned by rights groups, Arab states, Palestinians and the U.N. as a proposal of "ethnic cleansing". Macron had been leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state for months as part of a bid to keep the idea of a two-state solution alive, despite the pressure not to do so. More: UK, France and 23 other nations condemn Israel over 'inhumane killing' of civilians French officials initially weighed up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia had planned to co-host in June to lay out parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security. The conference was postponed under U.S. pressure and after the 12-day Israel-Iran air war began, during which the closure of regional airspace made it hard for representatives of some Arab states to attend. It was rescheduled and downgraded to a ministerial event on July 28 and July 29, with a second event taking place with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September. CREATING MOMENTUM The decision to make the announcement ahead of next week's conference aimed to give the French team at the United Nations a framework to work with other countries that are also considering recognising a Palestinian state or have misgivings in doing so. Diplomats say Macron has faced resistance from allies such as Britain and Canada over his push for the recognition of a Palestinian state. About 40 foreign ministers will be in New York next week. Israeli officials have spent months lobbying to prevent what some have called "a nuclear bomb" for bilateral ties. Sources familiar with the matter say Israel's warnings to France have ranged from scaling back intelligence sharing to complicating Paris' regional initiatives - even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank. Israel has been waging a devastating war in Gaza since the Palestinian militant group Hamas' deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and says recognising a Palestinian state now would be equivalent to rewarding Hamas. Thanking France, the Palestinian Authority's Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh said on X that Macron's decision reflected "France's commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people's rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state." (Reporting by John Irish; Additional Reporting by Enas Alashray and Yomna Ehab in Cairo and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Clarence Fernandez)
Newsweek
29 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Saving the World's Rainforests Isn't Rocket Science. Here's How to Do It
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As diplomats and activists scramble to secure hotel rooms in Belém, Brazil for the next U.N. COP30 in the Brazilian Amazon, one of the biggest problems our planet faces is how to protect the world's last remaining rainforests—nature's most powerful climate solution. Despite the 29 previous COPs, attended by thousands of scientists, politicians, and activists, forests are still being destroyed at an ever-increasing rate, lost to massive cattle ranching, palm oil, illegal logging, mining, land-grabs, and man-made fires, which are ravaging the Amazon, Congo, and everywhere in-between. A rainforest in Darien province, Panama is pictured. A rainforest in Darien province, Panama is pictured. Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis via Getty Images Tropical rainforests are the cradle of life on Earth—and the world's lungs. By converting carbon dioxide to oxygen on a massive scale, rainforest conservation should be at the forefront of action to save our planet from climate change and ecological collapse. While international conservation groups can play a supporting role, it is national governments who must take responsibility for protecting our last pristine forests and marine ecosystems. Fancy billion-dollar carbon capture machines, or "breakthrough" technologies for climate mitigation, or reforestation with billions of young trees, will never come close to the power of old-growth tropical rainforests to protect biodiversity and simultaneously provide the oxygen the planet and humans need to survive. The destruction of the Amazon and Congo, this year at its highest level in decades, and the rapid loss of Southeast Asia's rainforests, is pushing the limits of our planet's ability to survive in the face of rising oceans, global warming, catastrophic extinction events, desertification, and unsustainable urban development and land use. Very few developing countries are fighting back successfully, and showing us that we can indeed save our rainforests. Despite supposedly unstoppable global forces—such as demand for hamburgers or chocolate spread—a few nations have stopped the burning, protected their rainforests, and are now busy increasing their size. One small but proud nation, Panama, shows how it can be done. It starts, inevitably, with political will. In Panama's case, this is the recently elected government of President José Raúl Mulino. Since being elected into office last year, Panama's government has undertaken unprecedented steps to protect the country's rainforests, wildlife, and marine ecosystems. Steps taken by Panama in the past year include enacting a province-wide illegal logging moratorium in Darien to stop anarchic cutting and clearing of tropical rainforests until a new permitting system is deployed, while hiring, equipping, and training 240 new national park rangers with the trucks, boats, and equipment they need—with an additional 50 rangers on the way. Panama has also made use of new technologies like satellite monitoring, marine radars, cellular trail cameras, and systems like EarthRanger and Skylight, to increase the effectiveness in terrestrial and marine reserve protection. A large effort is underway to support Indigenous communities like the Naso Kingdom to protect their 400,000-hectare Comarca. Also, nature and ecotourism are now a leading strategy for the country's sustainable development. Another critical policy response focuses on the government itself. Panama has restructured the Environment Ministry to remove non-effective officials and return to the field and build awareness to motivate Panamanians to protect their natural treasures. In addition to rainforest protection, Panama is protecting the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR), one of the world's largest marine reserves. By using satellites to monitor this vast area, 16 illegal fishing boats were interdicted last month in the Cordillera de Coiba Marine Protected Area, the largest bust in the country's history. Unlike other governments dependent on international aid from the U.S. and Europe, Panama is leading by financing nature protection from its own government budget. Outside help comes as critical co-investment, not handouts creating more dependency. Global Conservation is assisting Panama by supporting advanced protection systems and training for the country's largest national parks—Darien, La Amistad, and Coiba—and the Naso indigenous territory, some of the most important forests and marine ecosystems in Mesoamerica. This year, Global Conservation assisted Darien National Park to train 25 new rangers and helped 28 rangers at Coiba National Marine Park to inaugurate and deploy a powerful Marine Radar system, installed to identify and interdict illegal fishing within the marine reserve. While Panama still faces tremendous conservation challenges, it's well on its way to meeting these challenges head-on, and solving them. Taking concrete steps to protect the forest and securing real budgets for enforcement is something akin to a revolution in nature protection. In most developing countries in which Global Conservation works, the typical story involves a handful of rangers, with little more than a broken-down truck or boat, struggling heroically but in vain to protect the parks from unscrupulous logging syndicates and thousands of miners, without any training, zero political support, and no resources. As diplomats and officials prepare to travel to Belém and spend two weeks arguing over climate, making, as is typical of COPs, progress at glacial speed, other nations must show how to get things done now. The Panama Solution is an example of the way forward for immediate, effective, and much needed rainforest and marine protection by a small developing nation, which is replicable in almost any country in the world. The time is now to be bold and to protect our forests and seas—our greatest nature-based solution to solve the climate crisis. Juan Carlos Navarro is minister of Environment of Panama. Jeff Morgan is executive director of Global Conservation. The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.
