(RepublicanJournal.org) – When Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7, murdering over 1,400 people, most Western nations were quick to support the Jewish state’s right to defend itself. Now, however, cracks are starting to show. Several countries have already called for a ceasefire that would only benefit Hamas. Now Bolivia has gone even further.
Support Is Fading
The October 7 atrocities committed by Hamas shocked the entire civilized world. As images of abused and murdered Israeli civilians filled the media, messages of support flooded in from governments across the West. However, now a left-wing backlash is building, with Muslim activists and Liberals criticizing Israel’s military response to the attacks. Large pro-Palestinian demonstrations are happening in major cities, and many of the protesters openly support Hamas. That’s putting pressure on governments — and it’s starting to have an effect.
Since mid-October, politicians have begun calling for a ceasefire, which would leave Hamas in power in Gaza and give the Iran-backed group breathing space to recover. So far, Ireland and Spain, along with the United Nations, are among the countries that have demanded Israel stop fighting back. On October 31, three South American nations escalated this. Colombia and Chile recalled their ambassadors for “consultations,” a step that’s usually seen as a diplomatic insult. Bolivia went one step further and formally broke off diplomatic relations with Israel.
In a statement, Bolivian deputy foreign minister Freddy Mamani said the move was a protest against Israel’s “aggressive and disproportionate” military operations. Bolivia also joined the other two countries in calling for a ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid. So far, Israel hasn’t responded to Bolivia’s move.
Bolivia Has Done This Before
Bolivia has a track record of anti-Israeli actions. In 2009, when Israel responded to Hamas rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, Bolivia broke off diplomatic relations for a decade. A centrist government restored them in 2019 after far-left leader Evo Morales — a pro-Iran extremist who described Israel as a “terrorist state” — lost power, but now the socialists are back in control, and they’ve jumped on an excuse to cut links with Israel again.
While Bolivia isn’t exactly a key overseas partner for Israel, this move will still worry the Jewish state’s leaders. With calls for a ceasefire growing it looks like the West, bombarded with Hamas’s ceaseless propaganda, is already forgetting why Israel is at war with Hamas. Even President Biden, who up to now has shown uncharacteristic strength in supporting Israel’s right to self-defense, is now calling for a “humanitarian pause” in its counter-attack. Israeli commanders will see their window of opportunity to defeat Hamas closing; if they’re going to win, they need to win fast — and hard.
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