Israeli Warning: Boycotting Settlement Products May Be a Prelude to Comprehensive Economic Boycott of Israel

Tel Aviv - Afaq News - An article by Israeli researcher and writer Michael Oren warned that the European boycott of Israeli products manufactured in the West Bank could be a precursor to expanding the boycott and sanctions to include the entire Israeli economy.

Oren stated in an article published today, Saturday, in the newspaper "Israel Hayom": that Israel faces an increasing danger represented by international boycotts and sanctions, urging Israeli leadership not to treat this threat as something unlikely.

He pointed out that one of the notable features of the current Israeli elections is the almost complete absence of parties offering serious economic and social programs, despite rising food and housing prices, the widening gap between the rich and the poor, and the existence of about one million Israeli children living below the poverty line.

He added that the focus of the Israeli voter on security issues after three years of war is "understandable," but emphasized that any current or future Israeli leadership cannot ignore the increasing danger of international sanctions and boycotts.

"A tsunami" of sanctions

Oren relied on a report recently published by Mark Dubowitz, the CEO of the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, regarding the implications of a recent British decision to boycott Israeli products manufactured "beyond the Green Line," including products from Jerusalem.

Dubowitz warned, according to Oren, of the possibility of a cascading series of international sanctions against Israel, describing it as a "tsunami" of sanctions.

Oren noted that other European countries, including France, Canada, and the Netherlands, may follow Britain's lead, considering that this could inflict strategic damage on the Israeli economy.

He quoted a senior official in the Israeli banking sector as saying: "How am I supposed to conduct business with someone living in Efrat or Gilo without facing sanctions?"

He added that what begins as a boycott of "settler products" could easily evolve into a boycott of all of Israel.

Concerns about a decline in American support

According to the article, Dubowitz believes that the current sanctions imposed on Iran could serve as a model for similar actions against Israel, but the repercussions of such steps on Israel, in his estimation, could be more severe than merely changing its policy towards the Palestinians or toppling the government.

Oren quoted Dubowitz as saying that a boycott of Israel could threaten "our very existence."

In this context, Oren addressed the issue of Israel's reliance on American support, questioning whether Israel can continue to assume that the United States will always stand by it in the face of international sanctions.

He referred to a survey conducted by CNN, which he said showed a 67% decline in American public support for Israel, adding that the majority of young Republicans, according to the survey he mentioned, no longer view Israel positively.

He also pointed out that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump did not respond to Israel's requests to impose sanctions on countries that boycott it, questioning what a future Democratic administration might do, if it reaches the White House, to protect Israel from international sanctions.

Calls for economic and political action

Oren urged Israel to prepare for the possibility of an expansion of sanctions by increasing foreign currency reserves and ensuring that skilled workers and productive sectors remain within the country.

He also called for seeking new markets in India, Africa, and South America, and for strengthening technological relations with advanced economies around the world, specifically highlighting the importance of military technology relations developed by Israeli companies with the U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon.

At the same time, Oren called for a proactive policy that is not limited to economic measures but also includes demonstrating that Israel is still interested in peace and is willing to take what he described as 'reasonable risks'.

He concluded by saying that paralysis, whether at the economic or political level, "is not an option" for Israel at this stage.