A Tribute to Israel's Most Extraordinary non-Jewish Advocate
“I want to dedicate my acceptance of this award to the people of Israel who in the face of death, choose life.”
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This is a guest essay written by Rabbi Jeremy Rosen.
You can also listen to the podcast version of this essay on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, YouTube, and Spotify.
I do not think that there has been a better, more articulate or fearless non-Jewish supporter of Israel than Douglas Murray, the British journalist, author, and commentator.
Someone who on a wider scale has articulated the belief that the Western world has lost its soul and is in danger of terminal decline.
More than anyone else from outside of our community, he has helped keep our spirits high and reassured us that not all is lost to the doctrinaire ignorant venal voices that have all but overwhelmed us these past 10 months.
He is currently an associate editor of the conservative British political and cultural magazine, “The Spectator.” One of the last bastions of objectivity and honesty in the media today.
Of course, I am biased because he supports Israel in its battle for survival against Jihad and the Left-wing mania to which it is subjected. Just watch him on YouTube if nowhere else. I challenge you not to be impressed by his manner, his style, and his content. His opponents try their best to disparage and delegitimize him and he stands his ground magnificently.
Murray was born in London in 1979 and won scholarships to Eton College and Cambridge University. At 19, Murray published “Bosie: A Biography of Lord Alfred Douglas” that won him an award and launched his career as a gay journalist — followed by a play, “Nightfall,” about the Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg.
In 2017, Murray wrote “The Strange Death of Europe; Immigration, Identity, Islam.” It spent almost 20 weeks on The Sunday Times bestseller list in non-fiction. In it he argued that Europe is committing suicide by losing its faith in its beliefs and traditions.
Murray has also written controversially about identity politics in his 2019 book, “The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race, Identity” — which also became a Sunday Times bestseller in which he castigates “false narratives and the dishonest advocates or misguided popular causes of sexuality, anti-racialism pseudo-Islamophobia, identity, woke politics and cancel culture.”
In 2022, Murray published “The War on the West: How to Prevail in the Age of Unreason” which has only further infuriated his enemies.
Another controversial personality, Bernard-Henri Levy has said of Murray: “Whether one agrees with him or not” he is “one of the most important public intellectuals today.” Both Ayaan Hirsi Ali Hirsi (a Somali refugee, former Member of Dutch Parliament, and almost in hiding in the United States) and columnist Sohrab Ahmari — both staunch if critical and objective Muslims — have praised Murray’s work.
For his part, Murray has said:
“My first war in Israel was the 2006 Lebanon war. Since then, I have had an allergic reaction to a number of attitudes that crop up every time Israel is involved in a conflict.”1
“If you don’t believe that Israel has the right to stop a group that has proposed repeatedly since its existence that it wants to annihilate Israel, if you believe that Israel doesn’t have the right to try and stop this enemy, then of course you don’t believe Israel has the right to live. You believe Israel has the right to die.”2
In his speech accepting the Manhattan Institute’s Alexander Hamilton Award three months ago, Murray concluded by saying: “I want to dedicate my acceptance of this award to the people of Israel who in the face of death, choose life.”3
He added: “I’m deeply moved and inspired, really, by the young men and women of Israel. I think they’ve been absolutely remarkable. I think the question which every society that isn’t completely asleep always asks itself is, ‘Would we be what our fathers or grandfathers or forefathers were in the time of trial?’”4
He has also been frank in his relatively unbiased observations: “There are many misunderstandings about Israel in the international media, but one of the most bewildering is the suggestion that if it weren’t for the presence of Benjamin Netanyahu the war would end. It is one of those mistakes that at best mixes up hope with analysis, and at worst displays a dumbfounding ignorance.”5
And: “… when it comes to the question of security in the Western alliance, it is not Israel that is the weak link in the chain. It is almost everybody else.”6
Murray spent around six months in Israel following the October 7th attacks, visiting conflict zones and writing in defense of Israel’s actions. Murray has criticized anti-Israel protests and rhetoric in Western countries as being largely motivated by antisemitism and support for terrorism rather than genuine concern for Palestinians. He described some protests as “terrorist marches.”
Murray has argued that much of the criticism of Israel stems from either explicit antisemitism, anti-Western ideology, or ignorance about the realities of the conflict — all exploited by malicious actors. He has criticized the use of the term Zionism as a slur. He has also criticized the international media for being “focused not on the atrocities Hamas committed against Israel but on the response of Israel to the terrorists of Hamas” and not showing sympathy to Israeli victims.
In April 2024, he received an honorary award from Israeli President Isaac Herzog for being a “friend to the Jewish people and fighting the resurgence of antisemitism” due to his coverage of the recent attacks and massacres of civilians by Hamas fomented and financed by Iran. In the aftermath of the massacre of Israeli civilians, Murray has travelled to Israel and Gaza multiple times and has reported firsthand instead of relying on subjective secondhand sources.
Murray has also supported the Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor based in Israel that reports on international NGO activity from a pro-Israel perspective, founded in 2001 by professor Gerald M. Steinberg. He recently refused to debate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because the title of the debate was not neutral and already showed bias and pre-conception.
Of course, none of this implies that Israel has not made mistakes — whether military, politically, or ideologically. But the overwhelming weight of one-sided criticism only makes a peaceful resolution less likely (and irrational, hypocritical hatred only strengthens resistance to change).
What kind of person has the courage and the individuality to take such an unpopular stand?
Only someone who knows alienation because of his difference and what it is to feel prejudice and rejection. As he has and is, Murray is the epitome of a righteous non-Jew who deserves our support and gratitude.
He is a reminder that not everyone in the non-Jewish world is against us.
“The Easy Politics of Criticizing Israel.” Sapir.
“World attacks Israel but ‘just ignores’ terrifying rise of radical Islam.” The Daily Express.
“Douglas Murray: Choose Life, Not the Death Cult | FULL SPEECH.” Manhattan Institute, YouTube.
“Douglas Murray on Iran attack, anti-Israel marches, and Israel’s resilience.” The Jerusalem Post.
“Israel is running out of options.” The Spectator.
“The Easy Politics of Criticizing Israel.” Sapir.
Yes, the more we can support him the better! He is lecturing across the USA at the moment.
Yes ! And a few good ones are far better than a lot of fair weather lukewarm ones.