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Abstract
Efforts to isolate and delegitimise nations pose a growing danger to state security. The components used in such efforts are, however, not fully understood. This article expands upon existing research by proposing that there are seven areas in which states can face isolation efforts: political, economic, military, sociocultural, media, lawfare, and religious. Moreover, it proposes the idea of ‘destruction-oriented’ isolation, which aims to destroy a state, not merely create change. The ongoing campaign against Israel serves as the case study. Gaining a better understanding of these different tools will allow states to better prepare themselves to withstand these threats.
Notes
1. Geldenhuys, Isolated States, 6.
2. Babbin and London, The BDS War Against Israel, 35.
3. Siboni, “The Changing Threat,” 3.
4. Bar-Tal, “Causes and Consequences of Delegitimization,” 65–6; Opotow, “Moral Exclusion and Injustice,” 1; Oren and Bar-Tal, “The Detrimental Dynamics,” 112, 113, 115.
5. INSS-BICOM Workshop on BDS in the UK, Working paper for Roundtable #1.
6. INSS-BICOM Workshop on BDS in the UK, Working paper for Roundtable #3.
7. Geldenhuys, Isolated States, 17–18.
8. Ibid., 22–3.
9. Ibid., 11.
10. Schabas, “Gaza, Goldstone, and Lawfare.”
11. Inbar, “Israel is Not Isolated.”
12. Blank, “Finding Facts.”
13. Israeli and Hatuel-Radoshitzky, “Fighting the Boycott”; BDS Movement, “Palestinian BDS National Committee.”
14. Coalition against Israeli Apartheid, FAQ about Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, 71; Bakan and Abu-Laban, “Palestinian Resistance and International Solidarity,” 42.
15. Bakan and Abu-Laban, “Palestinian Resistance and International Solidarity.”
16. Inbar, “Israel is Not Isolated.”
17. INSS-BICOM Workshop on BDS in the UK, Working paper for Roundtable #2.
18. Vennesson and Rajkovic, “The Transnational Politics of Warfare Accountability.”
19. Berkowitz, “The Goldstone Report”; Blank, “Finding Facts”; Weizman, “Legislative Attack”; Steinberg, “From Durban to the Goldstone Report.”
20. Curtis, “The International Assault”; Gerstenfeld, “De-Legitimization Currents”; Bakan and Abu-Laban, “Palestinian Resistance and InternationalSolidarity.”
21. Eiland, “The Changing Nature of Wars,” 13–18.
22. Siboni, “The Changing Threat,” 4.
23. INSS-BICOM Workshop on BDS in the UK, Working paper for Roundtable #3.
24. Catignani, Israeli Counterinsurgency and the Intifada, 4–5; Meridor, “The Political Dimension of Military Decision,” 52–5; Brun and Valensi, “The Revolution in Military Affairs,” 117; Siboni, “The Changing Threat,” 4; Author interviews with Dan Meridor, February 24, 2013 and June 25, 2013.
25. Babbin and London, The BDS War Against Israel, 21–2.
26. Curiel, “Importance of Media Balance”; Savir, “As Israel Strikes Back”; Associated Press, “Dispute over Gaza Death Toll.”
27. Israeli and Hatuel-Radoshitzky, “Fighting the Boycott.”
28. Curtis, “The International Assault,” 351; Inbar, “Israel is Not Isolated”; Gilboa, “Public Diplomacy,” 724–5; Neuer, “The United Nations and Anti-Semitism,” 45; UNWatch, “2013 at the UN.”
29. UNWatch, “UN Adopts 20 Resolutions.”
30. Curtis, “The International Assault,” 351; Inbar, “Israel is Not Isolated”; Gilboa, “Public Diplomacy,” 724.
31. Arutz Sheva, “12 UN Security Council Resolutions.”
32. Lazaroff, “Israel Hopes to Reengage with UNHRC”; Curtis, “The International Assault,” 351; Gilboa, “Public Diplomacy,” 724–5.
33. UNWatch, “Updated.”
34. Lazaroff, “Israel Hopes to Reengage with UNHRC”; Curtis, “The International Assault,” 351; Gilboa, “Public Diplomacy,” 724–5.
35. UN Women, “Official Documents”; UN Economic and Social Council, “Situation of and Assistance to Palestinian Women”; Eichner, “Israel Only Nation Condemned.”
36. Reuters, “Israel accuses UN.”
37. Lederer, “UN Approves Accreditation.”
38. Agence France-Presse, “Sweden Officially Recognises.”
39. Black, “French and Irish Parliaments”; Castle and Rudoren, “A Symbolic Vote in Britain.”
40. Povoledo, “Vatican Formally Recognizes Palestinian State.”
41. Babbin and London, “The BDS War Against Israel,” ix.
42. Chandler, “Why SodaStream Will Disengage.”
43. Babbin and London, “The BDS War Against Israel,” 46.
44. Eichner, “EU Commission Approves.”
45. Zomer, Eichner, and Etzion, “The Global Boycott.”
46. Rakhmat, “The Quiet Growth.”
47. The Tower, “French Company.”
48. Anthony et al., “The Costs of the Israeli‒Palestinian Conflict.”
49. Kingkade, “UCLA’s Student Council.”
50. Hallward and Shaver, “‘War by other Means,’” 403; Bakan and Abu-Laban, “Palestinian Resistance and International Solidarity,” 42, 45; Gerstenfeld, “De-Legitimization Currents,” 394.
51. Summers, “Academic Freedom and Antisemitism.”
52. This was illustrated when, in the midst of BDS efforts to convince UCLA to boycott Israel, a Jewish student who had been nominated to the Undergraduate Students Association Council was asked if she could be ‘unbiased’ and had her qualifications to serve questioned because she was Jewish.
53. Summers, “Academic Freedom and Antisemitism”; Pink, “Three Arrested.”
54. Eichner, “UK Universities Umbrella Group”; Redden, “Backing the Israel Boycott”; Jaschik, “The Two Session Solution.”
55. Eichner, “British Academics Call for Israel Boycott.”
56. Eichner, “Italian Academics Call for Boycott.”
57. Redden, “Backing the Israel Boycott”; Jaschik, “The Two Session Solution.”
58. Redden, “Big Night for Boycott Movement.”
59. World Jewish Congress, “UK Local Authority.”
60. Beck, “Palestinians Drop FIFA Suspension Demand.”
61. Babbin and London, “The BDS War Against Israel,” 9; World Jewish Congress, “Film Festival in Norway.”
62. Babbin and London, “The BDS War Against Israel,” x; Thorpe and Helmore, “Former Pink Floyd Frontman.”
63. YNetNews.com, “Over 100 British Artists.”
64. World Council of Churches, “Statement on Israeli Settlements.”
65. United Church of Canada, “United Church of Canada Settlement Boycott.”
66. Paul, “UK Church to Boycott.”
67. Reuters, “English Anglicans Boycott ‘Occupation.’”
68. Petersson and Pour, “The Church of Sweden.”
69. Baltzer, “Breakthrough!”
70. United Church of Canada, “United Church of Canada Settlement Boycott”; Petersson and Pour, “The Church of Sweden.”
71. Algemeiner Staff, “United Methodist Church.”
72. Kaleem, “Presbyterian Church (USA)”; Protestant Church (USA), “Frequently Asked Questions.”
73. Jerusalem Post, “Three US Churches”; AP and Times of Israel Staff, “Foreign Ministry Slams US.”
74. Gladstone, “U.S. Church Puts 5 Banks.”
75. Brog, “The End of Evangelical Support”; Morgan, “Evangelicals Defend ‘Christ at the Checkpoint.’”
76. Brog, “The End of Evangelical Support.”
77. Tadeo, “Spain Freezes Military Exports.”
78. Reuters, “UK Says to Suspend”; Silver, “Britain Decides to Keep on Arming.”
79. Somberg, Amir, and Hashavua, “UK, France Decline.”
80. Palestinian BDS National Committee, “Nobel Laureates.”
81. Jerusalem Post, “Report.”
82. Williams, “U.S. Defense Aid to Israel.”
83. Steinberg, “From Durban to the Goldstone Report,” 376.
84. Vennesson and Rajkovic, “The Transnational Politics of Warfare Accountability,” 414–16; Shamir, “UN Report Shows”; Steinberg, “From Durban to the Goldstone Report,” 379–80.
85. Steinberg, “From Durban to the Goldstone Report,” 379–80.
86. Human Rights Watch, “Gaza”; Human Rights Watch, “Palestine/Israel”; Laub, “Israeli Strike Kills 18”; Steinberg, “The Goldstone Effect.”
87. Vennesson and Rajkovic, “The Transnational Politics of Warfare Accountability,” 419–20; Weizman, “Legislative Attack,” 11.
88. UNHRC, “Report of the United Nations”; Amnesty International, “Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories”; Human Rights Watch, “Israel.”
89. Vennesson and Rajkovic, “The Transnational Politics of Warfare Accountability,” 419–20; Weizman, “Legislative Attack,” 11; Amnesty International, “Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories”; Berkowitz, “The Goldstone Report,” 23–4; UNHRC, “5-21.”
90. Sterio, “The Gaza Strip,” 253; Berkowitz, “The Goldstone Report,” 18, 24, 28.
91. Human Rights Watch, “Israel.”
92. Seener, “Targeting Israelis via International Law,” 44, 47; Curtis, “The International Assault,” 353.
93. Bolgiano, “A Nationalist’s View of Lawfare,” 396; Curtis, “The International Assault,” 351; Ravid, “Foreign Ministry to Ambassadors”; Seener, “Targeting Israelis via International Law,” 50.
94. Winer, “Livni Dodges War Crimes Arrest”; Seener, “Targeting Israelis via International Law,” 54; Curtis, “The International Assault,” 351.
95. Abrams, “Israel – Cleared but in the Dock.”
96. Rabkin, “Lawfare”; Pressman, “Israeli Unilateralism,” 363.
97. Rabkin, “Lawfare”; Pressman, “Israeli Unilateralism,” 363; Lynk, “Down by Law,” 6.
98. Lynk, “Down by Law,” 15.
99. Aceves, “Litigating the Arab‒Israeli Conflict,” 314.
100. Seener, “Targeting Israelis via International Law,” 47, 49; Aceves, “Litigating the Arab‒Israeli Conflict,” 314–15.
101. Seener, “Targeting Israelis via International Law,” 47, 52; Cohen and Cohen, “Israel and International Humanitarian Law,” 16.
102. Vennesson and Rajkovic, “The Transnational Politics of Warfare Accountability,” 421; Sterio, “The Gaza Strip,” 252; Rudoren and Sengupta, “U.N. Report on Gaza.”
103. Steinberg, “From Durban to the Goldstone Report,” 382; Rudoren and Sengupta, “U.N. Report on Gaza.”
104. Reuters, “Madrid Court Shelves.”
105. Genç, “Turkish Gov’t Puts Pressure.”
106. Steinberg and Shaviv, “Palmer vs Goldstone.”
107. Berkowitz, “The Goldstone Report,” 10; Buchan, “The Palmer Report,” 266.
108. Bob, “Rule of Law.”
109. Nichols, Charbonneay, and Escritt, “U.N. Confirms Palestinians.”
110. Shabad, “Lawmakers Warn Palestinian Actions.”
111. Toameh, “Palestinian Authority Presents File.”
112. Reinl, “Palestinians Sue Pro-Israel Tycoons.”
113. Geldenhuys, Isolated States, 11.
114. Barghouti, “Relative Humanity”; Marshall, “The Truth about the Boycott.”
115. “Boycott Divestment Sanction Israel,” YouTube; Wertheim and Ryvchi, “The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Campaign”; Marshall, “The Truth about the Boycott.”
116. BDS Movement, “Palestinian Civil Society Call.”
117. Mustafa, “‘Boycotts Work’”; Barghouti, “Why Israel Fears the Boycott”; Marshall, “The Truth about the Boycott.”
118. Abunimah, “Why Israel Won’t Survive”; Swisher, “Book Review”; Keinon, “Abbas”; Erekat, “The Returning Issue.”
119. Moor, “BDS is a Long Term Project.”
120. Loewenstein and Moor, After Zionism; Moor, “My Rights, My Remedy.”
121. Rosen, “What is the Real BDS Endgame?”
122. Steinberg, “Lessons Learned?”; Inbar, “Israel is Not Isolated”; Lappin, “Israel‒Indian Missile System.”
123. Marshall, “The Truth about the Boycott”; Rashty, “Despite Gaza War”; Rakhmat, “The Quiet Growth.”
124. Fogel, “Truth vs. Myth.”
125. “Israel Needs Cultural Bridges.”
126. Eichner, “Swedish Supermarkets Back Out.”
127. Kershnerjune, “French Telecom Company Orange.”
128. Dershowitz, “Harvard’s President Stops.”
129. “Boycott and Sanction’ Power.”
130. Weinthal, “BDS Events in Vienna.”
131. Ruebner, “Congress Encouraging US States”; “Florida becomes 5th State”; Jewish Telegraphic Agency, “Indiana Senate Passes Anti-BDS”; Gladstone, “Israel’s Allies in the US”; Kontorovich, “Illinois Passes Historic Anti-BDS”; “State Lawmakers Refuse to Support”; Wilner, “South Carolina Becomes First.”
132. i24News, “US Congress Passes Anti-BDS.”
133. Stoil, “State Department Backs Away.”
134. Ruebner, “Congress Encouraging US States.”
135. GlobeScan, “Views of China and India Slide.”
136. Gerstenfeld, “De-Legitimization Currents,” 390.
137. Marshall, “The Truth about the Boycott.”