The issue today is that from the desert fighting for its existence, Israel has emerged as a megapower…the world has a problem in accepting a Jewish state with such a crowning achievement!
No it doesn't That is delusional. There are loads of famous Jewish people and many with power. No one cares expect for some disgusting fringe idiots.
What the world cares about is seeing the day in day out crimes against humanity being committed by the Israeli army. And if you would really look, you would see it to.
Abuse, murder and torture is not a crowning achievement.
And Israel heavily relies on US funding! Another mega bully!
Great response! Sigh! You'll have to face it one day.
You can't hide behind fake accusations of antisemitism and fake history forever. Or evangelical support of Israel. As if God would condone any of this.
Even if Israel was some wonderful crowning achievement, would that excuse the destruction of Gaza and the pogroms in the West Bank? Of course not.
Idiot, Gaza brought all the destruction upon itself. I have zero sympathy for Gaza and Gazans will never work in Israel again, nor will they ever have access to the great Israeli medical facilities that so many of them have used in the past. They will live the rest of their lives virtually as cavemen. By the way, I don’t know if you’ve gotten the message, but Israel is a nuclear power which has about 80-120 nuclear weapons. They are not going anywhere and if they are about to be destroyed, they will without hesitation blow up the world, so tread carefully.
as I remind people, including in the recording of my upcoming podcast series "Israel Our Story", it was a left wing prime minister that could not achieve peace with Yasser Arafat. It makes no difference, left or right, you cannot make peace with anyone unless they want to meet you half way.
Yes, very true but worth noting that Prime Minister was killed by an Israeli---aligned with the current Prime Minister---for trying to do so. Part of the history, Shane. Can't tell half the story when you want people to meet you "half way."
I met a Jewish lady in Israel. They called him their beloved Bibi. He is a clever and educated man. He is not the reason the world is antisemitic. That came before Israel was reborn, before Netanyahu was born.
NDS is a variant of TDS. They cannot do anything right and are blamed for everything wrong. It may become dormant after they leave government but it will be resurrected every time anything happens that anything goes wrong and there’s a need to blame something- just like “long covid”. And the world turns ignoring us. So enjoy life - we are just passing through.
I have many times said to my Jewish friends who criticize Israel, "If you have such a strong opinion about the state of affairs in Israel, then please, do something more than just talking about it. You are a Jew. Make Aliyah. Become a citizen and vote for change. Otherwise, all of what you say is just hot air." Meanwhile, continue to methodically grind the enemies of Israel into dust.
I believe Benjamin Netanyahu is the most profound and the best leader ever. If they remove him it's strictly to weaken Israel which would be a disaster. The liberal indoctrinated world along with the Islamic terrorist organizations are pushing these narratives in order to weaken Israel.
Don't fall for this propaganda Israel. No other leader in history has protected their country better than Benjamin Netanyahu.
Yes - this! I also love it when people say “I don’t agree with Israel’s policies” and I ask them to specifically name one policy they disagree with. They have no clue, it’s another double standard that will always plague Israel.
I an a non Jew who supports Israel because Israel is the one country in the Middle East in which there is respect and support for freedom and individual rights. I know very little about Netanyahu (or Israeli politics in general), but based on what I have read, I think he can be criticized. In other words, he is a human being and therefore, not being perfect, makes mistakes. Similarly I voted for Trump three times and yet I criticize him for what I see as his errors as President. But I will speculate that at least some Jews who attack Netanyahu are experiencing a clash between their possible support for Israel and Judaism, and their left wing beliefs. Since in my view the left does not allow discussion or the slightest deviation, that is, the left now demands absolute blind unthinking obedience to every whim of the lefties at the top of that (my choice of words) vicious destructive political dung heap, all leftist Jews will have to choose between any support for Israel and remaining with the left.
"Hamas and Hezbollah would not become the Rotary Club." Great line. So did Bibi's critics think Rabin or Peres were more their cup of tea? Netanyahu was properly elected and since perfection is not on this Earth he's done a pretty good job leading Israel, no if, and, or buts about it. Drive on, Israel!
Thank you for this very thoughtful and valuable article in Future of Jewish. You offer a perspective that I hadn’t considered and I found myself agreeing with just about everything you wrote. I especially appreciated your perspective about the democracy that is Israel and that only Israelis can make decisions regarding who leads their nation through the electoral process. And, even as important, changing the ruling political party will not change the surge of worldwide antisemitism. A new Israeli prime minister will not eliminate the constant threats to her security or the growing list of enemies who question Israel’s right to exist as the only Jewish state in the world. Nor will any change in the majority party diminish the anti-Zionist sentiments nor the extremist disdain for all things Israel. The history of the Jewish people, and the attempt to obliterate the entire Jewish population in the 1930s through the end of WWII, highlight how necessary having a homeland with a strong military is for the continued existence, and growth, of our people. Mr. Netanyahu’s role as prime minister serves that end whether the diaspora, or governments and citizens of other countries, agree with his policies or not. While there may be consequences for decisions made by any Israeli government, those must, and will, be taken into consideration by the voters of Israel and nobody else has the right to choose. The “I support Israel but not Netanyahu” is an excuse for hatred, and an insult to the only democracy in that part of the world. If any other country was held to that standard, just imagine what the standing of the United States would be.
Thanks for this. However, I do feel that it is important to distance oneself from Netanyahu for two reasons ( neither, by the way, with the purpose of winning people over to like Israel. I agree with you that that is pointless).
Firstly, because although the war was forced on us and most Israeli leaders would probably have taken the same actions as Netanyahu, what is clear is that unlike those leaders he will have taken certain actions simply to suit himself , personally, to keep his warped Government together at any price. An example of this is his approach to freeing some of the hostages. (Without pressure from Biden and then Trump many would still be languishing in captivity.)
Secondly, what Netanyahu has done to internal Israeli society just to stay in power is destructive beyond measure. Even if his Government is replaced in the next election it is hard to see how the fractures he has created and exploited will ever be healed!
For these reasons it is entirely understandable why defenders of Israel should still criticize him.
Those of us who live under Netanyahu's Government see daily the nasty effect he has introduced into our society. It hits us every day in the Press.
What I find interesting about your challenge is that it is selective presumably to justify your rude tone !
But most interesting is that you don't challenge my contentions that he has at times run the war to suit himself, nor do you challenge my referring to the " nastiness" of his Government.
Israel started as a Far Left experiment under Mapai and Ben Gurion. Every Kibbutz had a picture of Ben Gurion but also Josef Stalin on the wall. Israel, economically, was a basket case for decades.
Netanyahu destroyed Israel's Socialist economy and made it boom. More than any one person, Netanyahu was the driving force in this. He was brought up in Philadelpia (Cheltenham High School)- got two degrees from MIT and went to Harvard. Later he worked with Mitt Romney at Bain. He understood the reforms Irsael needed and implemented them. As Israel took off so did Start Up Nation and hence tax revenues. The tax revenues and the capitalist defense companies made Israel the military force it is today from the supply side poibt of view.
Jews by and large in America are Left Wing so it is no surprise they detest Netanyahu and what he has accomplished. They hate him for what he has destroyed: Israel's Leftist economy. It is gone. Done for.
I have a feeling Gadi Eisnkot will be elected. I also have a feeling The Left will like him. The rest of the Left Wing World and the Islamic World will still hate Israel after he becomes PM.
I propose an alternative to the "but": an "and". I support the right of Israel to exist and the right of a Palestinian state to exist, with both coexisting peacefully with one another. It's a pipe dream , sure. But it's also what I believe.
Yes, but there are 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. Either they need a state, or they are moved somewhere, or they become citizens of Israel if Israel annexes the West Bank. Which do you prefer?
That's true. But in the years since 1964, they have coalesced into one people-group, in part due to their own nationalism, in part due to their treatment by others. It is not possible to turn back the clock.
The principle is right of course. 2 states side by side in peace. But it is alas a pipe dream. The education system of Muslims worldwide ( with very few exceptions) preaches Jew hatred, Israel hatred and teaches many historical lies. Until their education system is put right, and sustained for at least a couple of generations Im afraid there is no chance of a State for them!
It is delusional to believe in any world with or without Israel that the Palestinians would build a country and live in peace as a contributing country to the world
I respect the right of every human being to live in safety, dignity, and freedom. But for me, this is not ultimately about defending one religion, ethnicity, nationality, or political side. It is about defending humanity.
I would say the same thing whether the victims were Jewish, Muslim, Christian, or of any other faith; Israeli, Palestinian, or any other nationality. Innocent human life has the same value.
That is why I can condemn the killing of Israeli civilians and the taking of hostages, while also condemning the killing and displacement of Palestinian civilians, including children, women, and elderly people. One injustice does not make another injustice acceptable.
I also don’t believe terrorism belongs to any particular religion. A religion cannot be held responsible for the crimes of everyone who claims to act in its name. Terrorism is about what people do: when individuals or groups deliberately target innocent civilians, spread terror, or use violence to drive people from their homes or take their land, those actions deserve condemnation regardless of the perpetrator’s religion or nationality.
And this is where I respectfully disagree with the idea that defending innocent Palestinians somehow requires hostility toward Jews or Israel. It doesn’t. Likewise, defending Israeli civilians should never require us to be silent about innocent Palestinians being killed or displaced.
Humanity should not have a hierarchy.
A Jewish child hiding from a bomb deserves compassion. A Palestinian child hiding from a bomb deserves exactly the same compassion. An Israeli mother grieving her child deserves our humanity. A Palestinian mother grieving hers deserves the same.
We should not have to choose which innocent lives matter.
I don’t stand with a people against another people. I stand with innocent human beings against killing, hatred, terrorism, collective punishment, forced displacement, and the dehumanization of civilians—whoever they are and whoever commits it.
I respect your position, and I agree that Hamas’s killing of Israeli civilians and taking of hostages must be condemned. But Hamas does not represent every Palestinian, just as violent Israeli settlers do not represent every Israeli or every Jew.
The UN has documented ongoing settler violence against Palestinians, including children—for example, the reported killing of 14-year-old Aws Hamdi Naasan in April 2026.
My point is simple: I condemn the killing of innocent people regardless of who commits it. Israeli children and Palestinian children deserve the same humanity. We can condemn Hamas and also condemn the killing and displacement of Palestinian civilians.
That isn’t taking sides. It’s standing against hatred and the killing of innocent people.
I absolutely stand against anyone who wants to kill innocent people—that is exactly my position. I’m not defending Hamas or avoiding its Charter. If it calls for hatred or violence against Jews, I reject it completely. But Hamas does not represent every Palestinian.
And taqiyya has no place in my faith as an excuse to lie or deceive. I’m speaking honestly: I condemn Hamas’s attacks and hostage-taking, and I also condemn the killing and displacement of innocent Palestinians.
The whole world is actively seeing the truth and the suffering of civilians. I simply believe innocent Jewish and Palestinian lives have equal value. Condemning one injustice does not require ignoring another.
The issue today is that from the desert fighting for its existence, Israel has emerged as a megapower…the world has a problem in accepting a Jewish state with such a crowning achievement!
No it doesn't That is delusional. There are loads of famous Jewish people and many with power. No one cares expect for some disgusting fringe idiots.
What the world cares about is seeing the day in day out crimes against humanity being committed by the Israeli army. And if you would really look, you would see it to.
Abuse, murder and torture is not a crowning achievement.
And Israel heavily relies on US funding! Another mega bully!
Get back on your meds because you’re completely insane.
Great response! Sigh! You'll have to face it one day.
You can't hide behind fake accusations of antisemitism and fake history forever. Or evangelical support of Israel. As if God would condone any of this.
Even if Israel was some wonderful crowning achievement, would that excuse the destruction of Gaza and the pogroms in the West Bank? Of course not.
Idiot, Gaza brought all the destruction upon itself. I have zero sympathy for Gaza and Gazans will never work in Israel again, nor will they ever have access to the great Israeli medical facilities that so many of them have used in the past. They will live the rest of their lives virtually as cavemen. By the way, I don’t know if you’ve gotten the message, but Israel is a nuclear power which has about 80-120 nuclear weapons. They are not going anywhere and if they are about to be destroyed, they will without hesitation blow up the world, so tread carefully.
Shiri, Ariel. and Kfir Bibas must be avenged!
as I remind people, including in the recording of my upcoming podcast series "Israel Our Story", it was a left wing prime minister that could not achieve peace with Yasser Arafat. It makes no difference, left or right, you cannot make peace with anyone unless they want to meet you half way.
Yes, very true but worth noting that Prime Minister was killed by an Israeli---aligned with the current Prime Minister---for trying to do so. Part of the history, Shane. Can't tell half the story when you want people to meet you "half way."
We all condemned the man Yigal Amir who killed Rabin and still do.
I met a Jewish lady in Israel. They called him their beloved Bibi. He is a clever and educated man. He is not the reason the world is antisemitic. That came before Israel was reborn, before Netanyahu was born.
NDS is a variant of TDS. They cannot do anything right and are blamed for everything wrong. It may become dormant after they leave government but it will be resurrected every time anything happens that anything goes wrong and there’s a need to blame something- just like “long covid”. And the world turns ignoring us. So enjoy life - we are just passing through.
I have many times said to my Jewish friends who criticize Israel, "If you have such a strong opinion about the state of affairs in Israel, then please, do something more than just talking about it. You are a Jew. Make Aliyah. Become a citizen and vote for change. Otherwise, all of what you say is just hot air." Meanwhile, continue to methodically grind the enemies of Israel into dust.
I believe Benjamin Netanyahu is the most profound and the best leader ever. If they remove him it's strictly to weaken Israel which would be a disaster. The liberal indoctrinated world along with the Islamic terrorist organizations are pushing these narratives in order to weaken Israel.
Don't fall for this propaganda Israel. No other leader in history has protected their country better than Benjamin Netanyahu.
Yes - this! I also love it when people say “I don’t agree with Israel’s policies” and I ask them to specifically name one policy they disagree with. They have no clue, it’s another double standard that will always plague Israel.
I an a non Jew who supports Israel because Israel is the one country in the Middle East in which there is respect and support for freedom and individual rights. I know very little about Netanyahu (or Israeli politics in general), but based on what I have read, I think he can be criticized. In other words, he is a human being and therefore, not being perfect, makes mistakes. Similarly I voted for Trump three times and yet I criticize him for what I see as his errors as President. But I will speculate that at least some Jews who attack Netanyahu are experiencing a clash between their possible support for Israel and Judaism, and their left wing beliefs. Since in my view the left does not allow discussion or the slightest deviation, that is, the left now demands absolute blind unthinking obedience to every whim of the lefties at the top of that (my choice of words) vicious destructive political dung heap, all leftist Jews will have to choose between any support for Israel and remaining with the left.
"Hamas and Hezbollah would not become the Rotary Club." Great line. So did Bibi's critics think Rabin or Peres were more their cup of tea? Netanyahu was properly elected and since perfection is not on this Earth he's done a pretty good job leading Israel, no if, and, or buts about it. Drive on, Israel!
Thank you for this very thoughtful and valuable article in Future of Jewish. You offer a perspective that I hadn’t considered and I found myself agreeing with just about everything you wrote. I especially appreciated your perspective about the democracy that is Israel and that only Israelis can make decisions regarding who leads their nation through the electoral process. And, even as important, changing the ruling political party will not change the surge of worldwide antisemitism. A new Israeli prime minister will not eliminate the constant threats to her security or the growing list of enemies who question Israel’s right to exist as the only Jewish state in the world. Nor will any change in the majority party diminish the anti-Zionist sentiments nor the extremist disdain for all things Israel. The history of the Jewish people, and the attempt to obliterate the entire Jewish population in the 1930s through the end of WWII, highlight how necessary having a homeland with a strong military is for the continued existence, and growth, of our people. Mr. Netanyahu’s role as prime minister serves that end whether the diaspora, or governments and citizens of other countries, agree with his policies or not. While there may be consequences for decisions made by any Israeli government, those must, and will, be taken into consideration by the voters of Israel and nobody else has the right to choose. The “I support Israel but not Netanyahu” is an excuse for hatred, and an insult to the only democracy in that part of the world. If any other country was held to that standard, just imagine what the standing of the United States would be.
Thanks for this. However, I do feel that it is important to distance oneself from Netanyahu for two reasons ( neither, by the way, with the purpose of winning people over to like Israel. I agree with you that that is pointless).
Firstly, because although the war was forced on us and most Israeli leaders would probably have taken the same actions as Netanyahu, what is clear is that unlike those leaders he will have taken certain actions simply to suit himself , personally, to keep his warped Government together at any price. An example of this is his approach to freeing some of the hostages. (Without pressure from Biden and then Trump many would still be languishing in captivity.)
Secondly, what Netanyahu has done to internal Israeli society just to stay in power is destructive beyond measure. Even if his Government is replaced in the next election it is hard to see how the fractures he has created and exploited will ever be healed!
For these reasons it is entirely understandable why defenders of Israel should still criticize him.
You use use lots of hyperbole, but show no facts. How has BIBI ruined Israeli society?
Try supporting what you say with objectivity, and it might be believed!
Those of us who live under Netanyahu's Government see daily the nasty effect he has introduced into our society. It hits us every day in the Press.
What I find interesting about your challenge is that it is selective presumably to justify your rude tone !
But most interesting is that you don't challenge my contentions that he has at times run the war to suit himself, nor do you challenge my referring to the " nastiness" of his Government.
Israel started as a Far Left experiment under Mapai and Ben Gurion. Every Kibbutz had a picture of Ben Gurion but also Josef Stalin on the wall. Israel, economically, was a basket case for decades.
Netanyahu destroyed Israel's Socialist economy and made it boom. More than any one person, Netanyahu was the driving force in this. He was brought up in Philadelpia (Cheltenham High School)- got two degrees from MIT and went to Harvard. Later he worked with Mitt Romney at Bain. He understood the reforms Irsael needed and implemented them. As Israel took off so did Start Up Nation and hence tax revenues. The tax revenues and the capitalist defense companies made Israel the military force it is today from the supply side poibt of view.
Jews by and large in America are Left Wing so it is no surprise they detest Netanyahu and what he has accomplished. They hate him for what he has destroyed: Israel's Leftist economy. It is gone. Done for.
I have a feeling Gadi Eisnkot will be elected. I also have a feeling The Left will like him. The rest of the Left Wing World and the Islamic World will still hate Israel after he becomes PM.
You couldn't carry Eisnkot's left ball sack.
So you sucked him. Way to go, Ahabal.
I've had someone comment to me that Netanyahu isn't even Jewish, he's secular. The stupidity of the hate on full display.
I propose an alternative to the "but": an "and". I support the right of Israel to exist and the right of a Palestinian state to exist, with both coexisting peacefully with one another. It's a pipe dream , sure. But it's also what I believe.
The ‘palestinians’ already have a state.
It’s called jordan.
Yes, but there are 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. Either they need a state, or they are moved somewhere, or they become citizens of Israel if Israel annexes the West Bank. Which do you prefer?
And as I said, they’ve already got one. If they don’t like that, they could always go back to where they really originated from. And it wasn’t Israel.
And they are not one people group - many were refugees from Egypt, some from Syria and other places
Not refugees, economic migrants that turned up when the Jews started to return and began to make Israel what it is today.
That's true. But in the years since 1964, they have coalesced into one people-group, in part due to their own nationalism, in part due to their treatment by others. It is not possible to turn back the clock.
The principle is right of course. 2 states side by side in peace. But it is alas a pipe dream. The education system of Muslims worldwide ( with very few exceptions) preaches Jew hatred, Israel hatred and teaches many historical lies. Until their education system is put right, and sustained for at least a couple of generations Im afraid there is no chance of a State for them!
I agree.
It is delusional to believe in any world with or without Israel that the Palestinians would build a country and live in peace as a contributing country to the world
I respect the right of every human being to live in safety, dignity, and freedom. But for me, this is not ultimately about defending one religion, ethnicity, nationality, or political side. It is about defending humanity.
I would say the same thing whether the victims were Jewish, Muslim, Christian, or of any other faith; Israeli, Palestinian, or any other nationality. Innocent human life has the same value.
That is why I can condemn the killing of Israeli civilians and the taking of hostages, while also condemning the killing and displacement of Palestinian civilians, including children, women, and elderly people. One injustice does not make another injustice acceptable.
I also don’t believe terrorism belongs to any particular religion. A religion cannot be held responsible for the crimes of everyone who claims to act in its name. Terrorism is about what people do: when individuals or groups deliberately target innocent civilians, spread terror, or use violence to drive people from their homes or take their land, those actions deserve condemnation regardless of the perpetrator’s religion or nationality.
And this is where I respectfully disagree with the idea that defending innocent Palestinians somehow requires hostility toward Jews or Israel. It doesn’t. Likewise, defending Israeli civilians should never require us to be silent about innocent Palestinians being killed or displaced.
Humanity should not have a hierarchy.
A Jewish child hiding from a bomb deserves compassion. A Palestinian child hiding from a bomb deserves exactly the same compassion. An Israeli mother grieving her child deserves our humanity. A Palestinian mother grieving hers deserves the same.
We should not have to choose which innocent lives matter.
I don’t stand with a people against another people. I stand with innocent human beings against killing, hatred, terrorism, collective punishment, forced displacement, and the dehumanization of civilians—whoever they are and whoever commits it.
For me, that isn’t taking a side.
That is choosing humanity.
You show ignorance in displaying your Palestinian position.
Palestinians ONLY want dead Jews!
Read their charter, foolish apologist!
I respect your position, and I agree that Hamas’s killing of Israeli civilians and taking of hostages must be condemned. But Hamas does not represent every Palestinian, just as violent Israeli settlers do not represent every Israeli or every Jew.
The UN has documented ongoing settler violence against Palestinians, including children—for example, the reported killing of 14-year-old Aws Hamdi Naasan in April 2026.
My point is simple: I condemn the killing of innocent people regardless of who commits it. Israeli children and Palestinian children deserve the same humanity. We can condemn Hamas and also condemn the killing and displacement of Palestinian civilians.
That isn’t taking sides. It’s standing against hatred and the killing of innocent people.
Again, regardless if there are good Palestinians in Gaza, their Charter specifically calls for killing Jews!!
Stop lying, or avoiding what literate people know!!
We know of those who use Taqiya!!
I absolutely stand against anyone who wants to kill innocent people—that is exactly my position. I’m not defending Hamas or avoiding its Charter. If it calls for hatred or violence against Jews, I reject it completely. But Hamas does not represent every Palestinian.
And taqiyya has no place in my faith as an excuse to lie or deceive. I’m speaking honestly: I condemn Hamas’s attacks and hostage-taking, and I also condemn the killing and displacement of innocent Palestinians.
The whole world is actively seeing the truth and the suffering of civilians. I simply believe innocent Jewish and Palestinian lives have equal value. Condemning one injustice does not require ignoring another.
Learn the truth!!
Then stand AGAINST THOSE WHO WANT TO KILL OTHERS !!!!!!
💯! Thank you!!