There's no point in denying it. What appeared to be a series of localized, unrelated incidents, is growing into a tsunami that is washing over Israel.
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No, we aren't talking about another message of condemnation or a call by a has-been artist or a union of a handful of frustrated professors to boycott Israel. Handfuls of pro-Palestinians can be found in any capital in the world, even in Tel Aviv – and they will always find time, between battling globalization and promoting a rewriting of human history to address Israel, too. But rather than looking at the trees, it would be better to see the whole forest.
Take, for example, a report a few weeks ago about Israeli Ambassador to Britain Tzipi Hotovely having to be "rescued" from pro-Palestinian activists, mostly Arabs and Palestinians, at the end of a lecture she delivered at the London School of Economics. This is an institution known as a hotbed of political activists who take advantage of the fact that the vast majority of students there simply focus on their work and keep away from politics in order to promote their own agenda, which is anti-British and anti-Israel.
On the other hand, a recent decision by the British government to declare Hamas a terrorist organization and hold anyone who supports Hamas or flies its flag criminally liable garnered very little attention. The decision was approved by the British Parliament, meaning it is not a mere whim of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's, who is known for his support for Israel – it is a decision that the British public's elected officials have backed. Last month Australia designed all branches of Hezbollah terrorist organizations, making it illegal to transfer it money or donate to it.
The support for Israel in mainstream western society, as opposed to the delusional fringes on both the Right and the Left, is nothing new. But these fringes are getting deeper, and more and more states are hesitant to express pro-Israel stances clearly and openly.
A few Arab media outlets attempted to remind people that the British decision was made close to the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration and accused the British of "betraying" them. But the truth is that even the Arabs aren't against us anymore. Yes, Arabs who emigrated to the West still cling to their hatred of Israel, which is the lowest common denominator that united them, and which in their view gives them significance and an identity. In contrast, the Arab world is opening its gates to Israel, and most Arab states maintain ties with Israel, some close and flourishing.
After the 1967 Six-Day War, the late satirist Ephraim Kishon his famous "So Sorry We Won," in which he said that Israel's victory had caused it to lose the support of the world because it liked us weak and beaten. But it turned out that Kishon's insight is no longer relevant. The world wants Israel strong and admires its achievements. This is true not only of the western world and now the Arab world, but the Far East, as well, and parts of the world that are still under authoritarian rule like China and Russia.
So in short, zealots notwithstanding, Israel must continue on its current path, winning and sure of itself, and ignore the fringes that will always oppose us, not because of the settlements or the situation in Gaza, but simply because we're on the map.
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