Israel targets international diplomacy

Dr. Dalal Saeb Erekat

In Jenin, the Israeli occupation forces' bullets targeting a European diplomatic delegation were not an isolated incident or an individual mistake. Rather, they were a clear and deliberate message: no one is immune, even those supposedly enjoying the privileges of international diplomatic immunity. Israel is no longer content with shedding the blood of civilians; it now views any international presence on Palestinian soil as a threat to its fabricated narrative, and works to suppress it with unjustified violence.
The message Israel sought to convey through this attack was complex and intricate: it is not only a deliberate affront to international diplomacy, but also a declaration that it is above the law and that it is continuing its colonial project regardless of the consequences or international scrutiny. Israel is well aware that the absence of serious deterrence and strict accountability is what has allowed it to transform its practices into official policy. When it targets European diplomats, it is in effect testing the limits of international patience and examining the world's willingness to defend the principles it claims to embrace: human rights, respect for international law, and the immunity of diplomatic representation. This incident is not merely an attack on a state or a diplomatic representative; it is an attack on the entire international system and a blatant challenge to all the rules governing relations between states. When a diplomatic delegation is targeted with bullets, the message is directed at everyone: there is no immunity for anyone, and there is no place for justice or law under the hegemony of military force. Israel has demonstrated, time and again, that it views every international humanitarian or political effort as a direct threat, and therefore resorts to intimidation and violence to obstruct any monitoring or documentation. It is waging an open war on the truth, seeking to monopolize the narrative and suppress evidence, in an attempt to avoid international accountability.
This week, Israel prevented the entry of an Arab diplomatic delegation—including the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, and Turkey—from the occupied Palestinian territory. This move represents a blatant rejection of any joint Arab action that restores the Palestinian cause and an attempt to isolate the Palestinian leadership and prevent it from receiving political and diplomatic support. This ban is not merely a security measure; it is a clear political message confirming that Israel rejects any form of Palestinian sovereignty, even symbolic ones, and fears the formation of a regional Arab axis capable of exerting pressure to revive the Palestinian political process.
The decision is considered:
• A flagrant violation of international diplomatic and legal norms.
• An indication of Israel's failure to secure real regional support despite the normalization agreements.
• A dangerous indicator of the fragility of the normalization process with Saudi Arabia, as preventing the entry of its foreign minister reflects a deep crisis of confidence between the two sides.
Preventing the delegation is part of a systematic occupation policy aimed at undermining the Arab presence in Palestine. However, it also weakens Israel's position regionally and confirms to the world that Israel does not believe in political solutions and continues to build walls of isolation and conflict. Israel is saying it clearly: There is no room for diplomacy, no sovereign state for the Palestinians, and no peaceful solutions.
What is required now is not just condemnation, but a decisive response that restores respect for international law. The countries represented by this diplomatic delegation must declare a clear position, beginning with the recall of Israeli ambassadors and the imposition of a state of diplomatic tension, and extending to a reassessment of their political and military relations with Israel. The continuation of this culture of impunity means allowing Israel to expand its terrorism under the banner of "security," targeting not only Palestinians but all those who approach the truth or attempt to support rights.
The occupation's crimes no longer threaten only the Palestinians, but also the future of the international order. When treaties and conventions are violated, immunities are targeted, and ambassadors are attacked, the foundations of the global order are crumbling before the eyes of the international community. If an attack on foreign diplomats in an occupied territory is not sufficient reason to reconsider dealings with Israel, when will the world act? Is the loss of diplomats required to achieve even the minimum level of deterrence?
We need to redefine our relationship with the Israeli occupation, not from a position of hostility, but rather from a position of respect for law and justice. Israel must be prosecuted in international courts, political and economic sanctions imposed, and cooperation with it halted until it adheres to international law and human rights. The occupying state's persistence and condescending treatment of everyone is a result of its repeated impunity granted by members of the international community!

The occupation's crimes no longer threaten only the Palestinians, but also the future of the international order. When treaties and conventions are violated, immunities are targeted, and ambassadors are attacked, this means that the foundations of the global order are crumbling before the eyes and ears of the international community.