Would it make any difference if Israel “played nice”?
ISIsrael really on the verge of becoming a pariah state? Will international sanctions, boycotts, and threats of its leaders being arrested present serious impediments to its long-term security, its political stability, and its vaunted start-up economy?
If so, what did Israel and its leader, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, do to warrant the wrath, scorn, and constant attention of other nations that should be busying themselves with solving their own knotty problems?
To see what truly harsh sanctions look like and how they can destabilize a country, review the list of mandatory snapback sanctions the United Nations imposed on Iran two weeks ago for noncompliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, including a total arms embargo; financial restrictions such as freezing assets and revoking access to SWIFT, the international system for wiring funds; travel bans; and sweeping restrictions on oil sales and foreign trade.
Israelis are justified in worrying if that’s what the UN eventually has in store for them. When experienced, usually optimistic diplomats like Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon say Israel faces unprecedented diplomatic challenges, it pays to sit up and take notice.
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