Antisemitism is rising and could tip the scales among Israel’s old friends and allies. The answer could be to look beyond Gaza and think of a future for ordinary Palestinians.
Israeli popularity in Europe and the West is rapidly slipping. Old friends, including Australia, Britain, Canada and France, will recognize a Palestinian state. The United States, bedrock and ultimate guarantor of Israeli security, shows startling polling.
According to The Economist, “The share of Americans who back Israel over the Palestinians is at a 25-year low. In 2022, 42% of American adults held an unfavorable view of Israel; now 53% do. A recent YouGov/Economist poll finds that 43% of Americans believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
“In the past three years, unfavorable views of Israel among Democrats over 50 rose by 23 percentage points. Among Republicans under 50, support is evenly divided, compared with 63% for Israel in 2022. Between 2018 and 2021, the share of evangelicals under the age of 30 who backed Israelis over Palestinians plunged from 69% to 34%. Pollsters think that shift has endured.”
Pro-Palestinian forces argue that Israel seeks the “genocide” of Palestinians, a message they reinforce with harrowing pictures of the Gaza ruins and the absence of a clear Israeli answer to a key question: What is the future for Palestinians?
Pope Leo has repeatedly urged Israel to care for the Palestinians, but it has offered no guarantees. It was an opening gesture to Israel. Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin negotiated and signed the historic establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Israel.
Communication also involves the lack of clear positions. If Israel doesn’t take responsibility for the Palestinians, Hamas will appear to be their only true representative.
Therefore, Hamas can present itself not only as a group of extremely bloodthirsty terrorists but as the genuine representatives of roughly 2 million Palestinians who are at risk of being wiped off the map – a narrative that can elicit humanitarian sympathy and potential solidarity from over 1 billion Muslims worldwide.
This becomes a convenient dynamic. In America and Europe, Muslim voters outnumber Jewish voters. Antisemitism—a taboo just a year ago—has resurfaced and it’s increasingly accepted in mainstream media.
Michel Korinman, in “Deutschland über alles. Le pangermanisme 1890-1945” (1999) makes a compelling case: Pan-Germanist expansionism initially relied on German-speaking Jews in Eastern Europe.
But Slavs were more numerous and intensely antisemitic. Eventually, Pan-Germanists decided they had to choose between the Slavs and the Jews, a decision that led to the extermination of German-speaking Jews in Eastern Europe.
It could soon be the same in the Western world, thanks to immigration and the increasing power and sophistication of Arab states. These states understand they don’t have to fund terrorists for their security – the US does that for them.
This means their voice is growing louder in Washington and reaching new, diverse sectors, many of which have a vested interest in becoming more influential than Israel.
The Vativan could be an ideal shield against resurgent antisemitism. But in Israel, there’s an old suspicion (Catholics were initially involved with the God-killing accusation) as well as dismissive skepticism (how many divisions does the Vatican have?). There is also a legitimate sense of being patronized: “We are fighting and dying, while you enjoy the view.”
But this may only be part of the issue. Rising pro-Hamas and anti-Israeli sentiments are sweeping through the West, undermining the tolerant and liberal fabric of society, which is gradually eroding pro-Israeli support in a vicious cycle.
Nonetheless, to counter this, coordination abroad is essential. Israel may also need to pay more attention to the broader landscape of antisemitism.
Israel has two souls: one rooted in the land, and another in an international diaspora of Jews and non-Jews who support Israel. These two nourish each other and are mutually essential. The land cannot afford to dismiss the diaspora.
The ongoing effort against Israel aims to undermine any military victory achieved in Gaza and transform it into a significant political loss.
The Soviets did it with the Vietnam War, and the anti-Israelis are doing it with Gaza. Hamas can then become a symbol even without Hamas. It could be a significant bonus for Russia, supporting the Hamas cause.
This can happen only if Israel fails to provide a clear path forward for Palestinians. It should state something like: “We want free, democratic Palestinians in Gaza just as we have in Israel.” Additionally, it must condemn the ultra-Orthodox for attacking Palestinians and any other non-Jewish people.
This goes to the core of Israeli politics, voting and the formation of government. But it also addresses bigger questions: the role of Jews and pro-Jews in the West, and the future of Israel in the region.
This article first appeared on Appia Institute and is republished with permission.
