The intelligence affairs analyst for the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Ronen Bergman, described the atmosphere that prevailed at the Munich Security Conference, held in recent days, due to the war on Gaza, as indicating that “Israel is at the peak of a transformation that is becoming more aggravated and intense, and is taking place at a rapid pace.” "At the end of it, it will be an isolated, outcast, boycotted and hated state."

He added that this impression transcended any platform, discussion, or side conversation in the corridors of the conference, and that the Israeli officials who attended the conference, led by the head of state, Isaac Herzog, were divided into two groups: “Those who suffer from deep depression, and those who believe that there is hope, are obligated to fight.” In all cases, they are obligated to show calm and immunity towards the outside, because someone has to be a little optimistic.”

Bergman quoted an Israeli official, whom he described as “very senior,” saying, “I wish someone from here, from Munich, would raise a red flag to try to explain the seriousness of the situation to the citizens of the State of Israel, and perhaps to its leaders as well.”

The same official added, "I am concerned because the transformations that we see here, in all the events at the conference, this erosion in the perception of us, the decline into the abyss, with the collapse of Israel's international standing, will turn into a free fall. This is how things are at the abyss. You see the tip of the cliff, and you make every effort." Great efforts are made to stop or at least delay getting there, and to cling to any stone or pile of dirt, down to the last speck of dirt, but if you do not succeed in stopping and reach there, then it is free to fall from there to the bottom.”

The Israeli official continued, "I fear that we are clinging to this grain of dirt, at the high point at the tip of the cliff, and if we do not stop here, then at the next Madrid conference we will look back and say that this year we took a big step forward, into the abyss of death."

Bergman pointed to a tweet posted by the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Karim Khan, that: “To all those involved: My office is vigorously investigating any war crime that appears to have been committed. Anyone who violates the law will bear responsibility.”

Commenting on Khan’s tweet, the senior Israeli official said, “This is a major warning to Israel before opening an investigation and perhaps before filing indictments. There is a comprehensive political collapse and it has begun to be expressed in the legal arena, through American and British sanctions, hints of declaring recognition of a Palestinian state, and a court decision in Netherlands bans arms sales to Israel, Italy stops arms sales, credit rating downgrades, and now plaintiff’s statement.”

Bergman quoted a senior European Union official as saying that he "expects that the Union will soon join, through its own blacklist," the American, British and French blacklists that impose sanctions on settlers. He pointed out, "From here, it will be a short way to include politicians and perhaps officers in the Israeli army as well on similar lists."

Bergman added that an important and well-known European leader who is supportive of Israel said to the senior Israeli official, “I truly stand by your side, and it is important that you defeat Hamas, but my pretexts are over. How will I be able to defend you while officials in your government want to return to settlement in Gaza, and are calling for "Genocide and war crimes, transfer and erasure of towns, and the prime minister does not say anything. If you do not change direction soon, you will find yourselves alone and at least in some areas you will be in a situation from which it will be very difficult for you to return and be a normal state."

Source: Sama News