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Ben Cohen. Credit: Courtesy.

Ben Cohen

Featured Columnist

Ben Cohen is a senior analyst with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) and director of FDD’s rapid response outreach, specializing in global antisemitism, anti-Zionism and Middle East/European Union relations. A London-born journalist with 30 years of experience, he previously worked for BBC World and has contributed to Commentary, The Wall Street Journal, Tablet and Congressional Quarterly. He was a senior correspondent at The Algemeiner for more than a decade and is a weekly columnist for JNS. Cohen has reported from conflict zones worldwide and held leadership roles at the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee. His books include Some of My Best Friends: A Journey Through 21st Century Antisemitism.

I feel a deep sadness at the fact that my father left us in the middle of this ghastly trauma and won’t be here to see how it resolves.
What we are dealing with here is not “criticism” of Israel’s policies, but outrage that Jews are even in a position where they can make policy!
The bond between Vojislav Šešelj and the terrorist group that has ruled the Gaza Strip is one of hatred, forged with the blood of those they loathe.
It’s painfully clear that the country’s well-meaning politicians are dealing with a genuine resurgence of antisemitism they cannot control.
Sadly, what I’ve come to realize is that too many of you are impervious to rational arguments and facts.
This is not an illusion. It’s a measure of how bad the situation has become.
The argument is one that the West is forced to make, regardless of its veracity, as without it, its commitment to providing humanitarian aid to Gaza becomes that much harder to justify.
I have finally lived on this earth during an actual pogrom—one that brought to life in sickening detail the stories I had read as a child.
A Moscow turn against Jerusalem, with echoes of the Cold War, cannot be discounted.
There is no excuse for downplaying history, even if it’s in the name of an ostensibly noble cause, like supporting Ukraine’s resistance to Moscow’s attempts to wipe it from the map.
In the Middle East, antisemitism emanates from the corridors of power, walking hand in hand with corruption, political repression, torture, racism and other reprehensible features of authoritarian rule.
Nearly 10,000 people have died in Morocco and Libya in a matter of days. Of course, it’s advisable to use the first-responder expertise of their regional Jewish neighbor.