“Countries that condemn and threaten sanctions will not influence our resolve. Gone are the days when Jews did not defend themselves.” —Israel’s Minister of Defense Israel Katz
Israel’s reputation has taken a horrible beating over the last two years, thanks to a constant drumbeat of egregious lies and false accusations by the media, NGOs, Western nations and other members of the “international community.”
Nevertheless, Israel’s cause and conduct during the war have been righteous and exemplary from Oct. 7, 2023, onward. The fact that Israel stands on the side of truth and continues to defeat forces of the global Islamist jihad—including, shortly, Hamas—positions the Jewish state to emerge soon as a hero despite libelous efforts to discredit and delegitimize it.
However, to be clear, Israel does not perform superbly for noble reasons simply because it seeks approval from its critics. Rather, the Jewish state is fighting for its very survival in the world’s toughest neighborhood, employing assets that are even tougher than its foes: world-class armaments, unsurpassed intelligence, brilliant war strategy, indefatigable fighting spirit ... and yes, a moral compass that makes it arguably the most ethical military on Earth.
We can trust that Israel’s eventual victory over one of the world’s most evil foes will silence many, if not most, of its critics. But if not, it will at least continue the 3,000-year survival of one of the world’s most successful peoples, an achievement in itself with sufficient rewards.
Media, NGOs, the United Nations and Western nations have attacked Israel relentlessly with five vicious lies:
- Israel is committing genocide. Fact: Israel’s war is with Hamas, not the Palestinians of Gaza. It has shown no intention or any effect of exterminating the Palestinians.
- Israel is intentionally starving the people of Gaza. Fact: Israel has allowed 2 million tons of humanitarian aid since the war started, an unprecedented largesse for a country to provide an enemy population. If Gazans go hungry, it’s because Hamas steals food deliveries.
- Israel is committing ethnic cleansing by forcibly transferring Gaza’s population. Fact: Israel issues warnings to civilians to evacuate to safer areas where they are less likely to be harmed by combat operations.
- Israel intentionally targets civilians. Fact: Israel targets terrorists, and only terrorists. Actual death toll numbers confirm Israel does not attack innocents and has achieved an astoundingly low civilian-to-fighter ratio of 1.5 to 1, historically low for modern urban warfare.
- Israel intentionally targets journalists. Fact: Journalism in war zones is inherently dangerous and life-threatening. Israel does not target journalists, but also does not spare terrorists masquerading as journalists. Many of the journalists killed in the Gaza war were affiliated with Hamas or other terrorist groups.
Slanderous lies have their cost: Israel has suffered severe damage to its reputation. Israel has been referred to the International Criminal Court, accused of genocide and war crimes. The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Nine countries, including Canada, Germany, Italy and Spain, have imposed arms embargoes on Israel. Ten more countries have recognized “Palestine,” and more countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Belgium, are planning to follow suit at the U.N. General Assembly later this month.
In addition, polls show many people believe the lies: One poll conducted last month showed that 50% of registered voters in the United States believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Likewise, globally, a Pew Research survey done in 24 countries earlier this year showed 62% of respondents had negative views of the Jewish state.
Despite fighting genocidal monsters, Israel’s military has maintained high ethical standards. Not only has Israel decapitated Hamas’s command and control, in the words of British war veteran and military expert Richard Kemp, “Israel is meticulous in following the laws of war while Hamas brazenly violates them.”
Indeed, while Hamas uses human shields to maximize civilian casualties, Israel has taken unprecedented steps to protect civilians, including warnings in advance of attacks, evacuation warnings, the use of precise munitions and delivering abundant humanitarian aid.
As Israel prevails militarily against the global jihad, its morale and economy remain world-class. In less than two years, Israel has laid waste to Iran’s network of jihad proxies—Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis. It has also laid waste to Iran itself, destroying much of that country’s missile and nuclear infrastructure. Israel has done all this with the steadfast support of the U.S government, and recent polling shows 74% of Americans backing the Jewish state against Hamas.
Likewise, Israel’s morale remains strong, with a survey by the Institute for National Security Studies showing 75% of the Israeli public continues to express high trust in the Israel Defense Forces, and 66% of Israelis believe that the IDF will win the war in Gaza.
Israel’s economy has also shown tremendous strength. For example, the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange has soared, emerging as the top-performing stock market in the Middle East, climbing an impressive ~80% in dollar terms since October 2023. Furthermore, the OECD forecasts 3.4% GDP growth in 2025, accelerating to 5.5% in 2026, noting Israel’s economic resilience and strong fundamentals.
All signs are that Israel will emerge a hero. The Jewish state has been vindicated (and later cheered) in the past after unpopular actions and global censure. For instance, after Israel bombed Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor in 1981, to prevent Iraq from obtaining nuclear weapons, it was almost universally denounced by the “international community.” The U.N. Security Council, including the United States, condemned the move, and President Ronald Reagan even suspended the delivery of F-16 jets to Israel. Later, however, especially after the 1991 Gulf War revealed Iraq’s nuclear ambitions, many reinterpreted the strike as a strategic success that prevented additional threats from Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Similarly, the same “international community” that now scolds Israel for its actions against Islamist forces in Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen will likely later praise the Jewish state for almost single-handedly vanquishing the global jihadists.
While tarnished reputations and demoralization can be difficult to repair, Israel’s global fortunes will be driven by decisive geopolitical victory over evil, its superior military prowess, its righteous war conduct ... and the power of truth over unconscionable slander.
Originally published by Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME).
