Rising antisemitism: Israel and global hypocrisy

The aftermath of Hamas’s brutal assault on October 7, 2023—resulting in over 1,200 Israeli deaths and leaving the nation shaken—has exposed a concerning global trend. Israel, defending itself against an existential threat, finds itself under fire not only from adversaries but also from nations that have long been considered allies.

A troubling shift in rhetoric and policy reveals a prevalent bias against Israel, calling into question the commitment of Western democracies to principles of fairness and justice.

Across Europe, protests and political narratives blur the distinction between valid criticism of Israeli tactics and outright bigotry. The United Kingdom has seen over 100,000 people march in pro-Palestinian rallies since the October attacks.

While these events often claim to advocate for Palestinian rights, chants such as “From the river to the sea”—a call for Israel’s destruction—are alarmingly common. London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has refrained from condemning such slogans despite growing concerns from Jewish communities about a surge in antisemitism.

France has seen a similar spike in bigotry, with hundreds of antisemitic incidents reported in the past year alone. Jewish schools and synagogues have been targeted, further alienating Jewish citizens.

Meanwhile, in Spain, prominent left-wing politicians like Ernest Urtasun have framed Israel as the aggressor while failing to condemn Hamas’s war crimes. Selective outrage, as seen in Spain, underscores a troubling trend in Western Europe, where anti-Israel activism often spills over into antisemitism.

In the United States, a historical stronghold of support for Israel, cracks are appearing, particularly within the Democratic Party. Numerous Democratic lawmakers have pushed for ceasefires without acknowledging Hamas’s use of civilians as human shields.

Figures like Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib have refused to condemn Hamas’s atrocities, focusing their criticism entirely on Israel. College campuses, including prestigious institutions like Harvard University and Columbia University, have become antisemitic breeding grounds, with some faculty and student groups openly supporting attacks and censorship of Jewish students. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), antisemitic incidents in the U.S. increased by 360% in the past year, a rise closely tied to anti-Israel propaganda.

Beyond individual nations, international institutions like the United Nations have amplified this bias. Since 2015, the UN has passed over 140 resolutions targeting Israel, compared to a mere handful addressing human rights abuses by Hamas or Hezbollah. These resolutions, framed as calls for accountability, fail to acknowledge Hamas’s deliberate targeting of Israeli civilians and its documented use of human shields.

The ICC has exhibited similar bigotry towards Israel. The complementarity principle states that the court only has jurisdiction when a country is unwilling or unable to prosecute crimes within its judicial system. Israel, as a democratic state with an active judiciary capable of investigating alleged crimes, must be shielded from ICC involvement, per this principle. Hence, the court’s criticism of Israel is politically motivated and not legally justified, given Israel’s established legal mechanisms for addressing war crimes allegations.

Additionally, the ICC’s jurisdiction in this case is absent due to Israel’s non-membership in the Rome Statute. While Palestine, recognized by the ICC as a state party, has referred alleged crimes to the court, Israel contends that its status as a non-party to the statute and its disputes over Palestinian statehood raise significant jurisdictional issues. The ICC’s actions violate the statute’s limitations, which require clear jurisdictional grounds.

The hypocrisy of Western democracies has far-reaching consequences. In the Netherlands, synagogues and Jewish cultural centers have been targeted with vandalism, including graffiti laced with anti-Israel rhetoric. Authorities in Amsterdam face growing challenges in balancing the right to protest with the need to combat hate speech, forcing the Netherlands to take stricter action against anti-Israel protests.

Meanwhile, in the United States, the Biden administration faces mounting pressure from progressive lawmakers to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, even as Hamas diverts billions into terror infrastructure instead of civilian needs.

Bigotry against Israel extends to economic measures, with support for boycotts, divestments, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel growing across Europe. These campaigns attempt to systematically undermine Israel’s economy and erode its international standing, often disregarding the oppressive regimes and terrorist organizations that perpetuate the conflict.

Israel’s battle is not only against terrorism but also against an international narrative infused with hypocrisy and bias. Nations that claim to foster human rights must recognize the security needs of the world’s only Jewish state. Defaming Israel undermines its right to defend its citizens and fails to respect a democratized nation.

The international community must move beyond its selective outrage and hold all parties accountable. Criticizing Israel while ignoring Hamas’s atrocities is not advocacy for peace—instead, it is continuing the cycle of violence.

In this climate of rising hostility, Israel stands not only for its survival but for the principles of truth, justice, and the universal right of every nation to defend itself against terror. The world must resist promoting bias and uphold democratic values before the damage to Israel becomes irreparable.