Watching France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia announce plans to recognize a Palestinian state is maddening. While 50 Israeli hostages, some alive and some dead, remain trapped in Hamas tunnels in the de facto Palestinian state of Gaza, these Western governments are sending a message: They are not with us.
They don’t seem to care about the hostages. They seem unmoved by footage of an emaciated Evyatar David, an innocent 21-year-old Israeli forced to dig his own grave in a tunnel in the coastal enclave. They ignore the truth that Israel’s war against Hamas is not about land, borders or statehood. These Western leaders are not bothered that the Houthis, from thousands of miles away, continue to fire rockets into Israeli land, despite having no territorial dispute with the Jewish state.
They must know that if the dispute between the Arab world and Israel were simply about borders, then it would have been resolved long ago.
Can French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese articulate where the so-called Palestinian state they want to recognize exists? Can they identify who governs it or where its borders are? These questions remain unanswered, but the mainstream media will not press world leaders on any of this. Why
Because much of the mainstream media agrees with these Western leaders and the more than 140 other nations that, CNN says, have or will recognize Palestinian statehood. Yet such recognition does not advance peace. Instead, it is a political slap in the face to Israel and the Jewish people in their home countries.
Many dismiss these recognitions as legally meaningless—a hollow gesture with no real-world impact—and so they don’t matter.
But they do. Not in the sense of changing facts on the ground but in continuing to shift the global climate against the Jewish state. These proclamations embolden our enemies and further isolate Israel diplomatically. And it serves as tacit support for the wave of antisemitism flooding the streets of their cities.
This last week or so has brought fresh reminders of that reality. In Clayton, Mo., an American who volunteered with the Israel Defense Forces woke up to find his family’s vehicles torched and “Death to the IDF” spray-painted on the pavement outside his home. In Montreal, an Orthodox Jewish man was beaten in broad daylight in front of his children for being Jewish. These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a relentless pattern of hatred, intimidation and violence aimed at Jews across the globe.
Debating appropriate political responses to this madness can feel overwhelming. Fighting against the tide is exhausting. The fatigue is real. The temptation to despair is real. But history teaches us something different. While there are times to take on the big fights, we must also remember to focus on what we can control. We must “sweat the small stuff” by strengthening our families, friends and community. Be sure that you and those around you remain anchored in truth and moral clarity.
No amount of biased New York Times articles can change the facts. Though many of the geopolitical battles are beyond our reach, the small actions that we take every day can build a foundation upon which the Jewish people and Israel can continue to stand proudly. Yes, we can and should speak out loudly when and where we can, but the quiet work matters, too. We must educate our children; protect our institutions; deepen our commitment to our people and Israel; and refuse to let the lies or apathy seep into our communities.
The Jewish people have never survived by controlling the tides of history or the headlines in a newspaper. We have done so by continuing our traditions and commitment to our peoplehood. The approval of others has never been, and is not now, a necessary component of the success of the Jewish people or the Jewish state.
