Basically every country, for the most part, wants to keep regular relations going with every other country. Doesn’t mean they agree with each other or really even engage in trade. They want to remain friendly and have open communications channels. Severing ties in this way means that there is no possible normal interactions between them again.

[–] PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml 44 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Good. Only ~215 countries to go. No one should have normal interactions with Israel or anyone who supports Israel.

[–] JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 year ago

Communication breakdowns and bargaining friction is how wars start.

[–] sparky@lemmy.federate.cc 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Being able to talk to a government is a far cry from supporting it or agreeing with it. Even if you dislike Israel, you should want there to be diplomatic relations - that is how other countries can exert influence and attempt to steer them off more radical courses, after all.

Case in point - if the West had no diplomacy with them, then the opening of the border crossing into Egypt would never have happened.

[–] lntl@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 1 year ago

Counter example: America doesn't negotiate with terrorists.

[–] sparky@lemmy.federate.cc 4 points 1 year ago

I agree. Having no diplomatic communications at all is a bad idea especially during times of crisis. Regardless of your feelings of the behaviour of a state, the phone line should always exist for governments to speak to each other. Whether we’re talking about Israel or Iran or Russia or North Korea or whatever. When your own citizens need help, or a crisis is ongoing, or a natural disaster occurs, or whatever, you want someone on the other end to pick up the phone.