For decades, supporters of Israel have pointed out a glaring inconsistency in how the world treats the Jewish state. We meticulously document the double standards, catalog the biased resolutions at the United Nations and highlight the disproportionate media coverage. We note how the streets of Western capitals fill with protesters angry at Israel’s actions while remaining empty when other conflicts claim far more lives—like the ongoing tragedy in Sudan, where hundreds of thousands have perished in recent months.
These observations are correct, but they’re ultimately futile. We keep playing a game we cannot win, trying to hold the world to the standards it has shown time and again will not apply to Israel. We argue for equal treatment while facing institutions, like the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which seem to operate under different rules when it comes to Israel. We appeal to universal principles while watching the international community apply situational ethics.
Perhaps it’s time to ask ourselves: What if this isn’t a bug in the system, but a feature? What if Israel’s treatment isn’t something to be fought against but a reality to be understood and even embraced?
This isn’t a call for resignation or acceptance of injustice; it is an invitation to shift fundamental questions. Instead of, “Why aren’t we treated like everyone else,” we should be asking, “What does our unique position enable us to be?”
The answer lies neither in becoming a purely religious state nor in reducing Israel’s role to that of a humanitarian aid provider, though both are important aspects of Israeli society. What, then, is Israel’s distinctive contribution to humanity meant to be?
This is where the conversation becomes more challenging and interesting. Israel’s status, however unfair it may seem, could be viewed as an opportunity. It pushes us to define ourselves not in relation to other standards but in terms of the Jewish people’s vision and purpose.
Consider how Israel has turned other limitations into advantages: a lack of natural resources spurred innovation in technology and agriculture; regional isolation led to breakthroughs in defense technology and cybersecurity; and the need for water conservation made the Mideast nation a world leader in desalination and irrigation techniques.
What if we approached our diplomatic and moral position with the same innovative spirit? Instead of exhausting ourselves trying to fit into a framework that consistently excludes us, we could focus on developing new paradigms for national identity and international relations that embrace our distinctive role.
This isn’t about abandoning the fight against genuine antisemitism or accepting unfair treatment. It’s about recognizing that our energy might be better spent defining and pursuing our own path, rather than constantly reacting to double standards we’re unlikely to change.
The challenge for Israel and the Jewish people is to articulate a vision that transcends the religious-secular divide and the perpetual defensive posture we’ve thus far maintained. We need to ask what Israel could become if it focused less on fitting in and more on standing out. How can we transform our exceptional status from a source of frustration into a source of purpose?
These are the questions the pro-Israel camp should be grappling with. Asking these questions and finding solutions is harder than pointing out double standards, but it will ultimately be more productive. It will move us from a position of perpetual defense to one of proactive purpose-setting and from trying to meet others’ standards to defining our own.
It’s time to stop asking why the world won’t treat us like everyone else and start asking what we can achieve because we are different. The answer to that question might open new pathways for Israel’s future and its relationship with the world. Maybe it will lead countries that hate us to realize they are better off because of Israel’s existence. We need to bring together our deep connection to spirituality, our genius for innovation and technology, and our passion for helping humanity to build an integrated society that can be a true beacon to the world.