Israel stands at the center of a growing storm. The threats it faces today are not limited to the battlefield but extend across the global stage in forms both overt and insidious. A powerful alignment of state actors, terrorist groups, and international organizations is lining up against Israel, threatening Israel's security, sovereignty, and even survival.

Some of Israel's enemies, like Hamas and Hezbollah, openly call for its destruction and commit unspeakable atrocities in their pursuit of that goal. On October 7, Hamas launched an assault on Israel that was one of the largest terror attacks in modern history, resulting in mass murder, rapes, kidnappings, and thousands of casualties. It was the opening salvo of a genocidal campaign. Hezbollah and other groups joined, unprovoked, and together they have rain 23,000 missiles on Israeli towns in just one year.

Iran funnels millions into these terror organizations, providing them with the resources and firepower to carry out their genocidal agendas. Iran’s goal is clear: the elimination of Israel through proxy wars and direct confrontation.

While the world condemns Israel for its attempts to defend itself, it fails to hold Hamas, Hezbollah, and their backers accountable for mass murder, hostage taking, the use of human shields, the indiscriminate firing of missiles at civilian populations, and many other blatant violations of international law.

However, it’s not just bullets and bombs that Israel is up against. A different, more subtle war is being waged through the delegitimization of Israel on the global stage. International organizations, human rights groups, media, college professors and even state governments present themselves as morally upstanding defenders of justice, yet they consistently apply double standards to Israel. While the world condemns Israel for its attempts to defend itself, it fails to hold Hamas, Hezbollah, and their backers accountable for mass murder, hostage taking, the use of human shields, the indiscriminate firing of missiles at civilian populations, and many other blatant violations of international law.

Geopolitical Realities: A Global Alignment Against Israel

Israel is not just facing war on five physical fronts - Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian terror groups in the West Bank, Yemen, and Iran - the war it faces extends into the realm of international diplomacy, media, and lawfare. While terrorists murder, kidnap, and launch thousands of attack drones and rockets at Israeli civilians, much of the world stands by, issuing condemnations not at the perpetrators, but at Israel itself for daring to defend its people.

Consider the hypocrisy in the way global powers treat different conflict zones. In the recent wars in Ukraine and Syria, 40 nations received more than 10 million civilian refuges, humanely allowing them to evacuate war zones. Yet, these same powers closed ranks in the Gaza war, refusing to allow Palestinian civilians to evacuate. As Gazans were pleading to be let out, and as Israel appealed for the same, the global community rose as one, declaring a new moral principle that was apparently created for a conflict that involved Jews, exemplified by Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s strange slogan, “No forcible displacement.”

This refusal not only reveals a staggering double standard but constitutes a clear violation of international law. Under the Geneva Conventions, civilians in conflict zones have the right to seek safety. The international community’s selective enforcement of these principles when it comes to Israel exposes their hypocrisy. As the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board observed, “Only when it can damage Israel does it become the liberal position to close the borders and keep refugees penned in a war zone.”

After abandoning the Palestinians to a war zone, these same global powers, media outlets, and international bodies obsess over Palestinian casualties, far more than they do over the deaths of Ukrainians, Somalis, or any other civilians caught in conflict. This selective outrage conveniently shifts blame onto Israel, and ignores both their own role in allowing the inevitable to happen and the role of terror groups like Hamas in strategically engineering these tragedies. When Israel strikes back, it is condemned for harming civilians—even though those civilians are being used by Hamas (and the international community) as human shields. Indeed, Hamas’ October 7 playbook took for granted that the world would react this way, which is the clearest revelation of the deep anti-Jewish bias at play, and the ultimate indictment of Western ‘moral standards’.

Instead of supporting Israel’s legitimate defense against the radical Islamist drive to annihilate it, global leaders pressure Israel to stop its military efforts prematurely, ensuring that Hamas and Hezbollah survive to attack again. The cycle repeats, all under the guise of "human rights" and "justice." But the double standards are glaring.

The United Nations’ Complicity

The United Nations, supposedly a neutral body committed to peace, has been complicit in this anti-Israel bias. UN facilities and employees have repeatedly been found aiding Hamas by allowing terrorists to use their buildings as launch sites or human shield zones. UNRWA, the agency tasked with aiding Palestinian refugees, operates under a unique and deeply flawed definition of refugee status—one that is applied only to Palestinians and passed down through generations. This double standard perpetuates their refugee status and ongoing misery, while being wielded as a political bludgeon against Israel. UNRWA has also been implicated in the radicalization of young Palestinians and in allowing its schools to be used for storing weapons. Yet, when Israel defends itself, it is Israel that is condemned, while the UN's role in sustaining both the conflict and Palestinian suffering goes largely unnoticed.

Resolution 1701 promised Israel the disarmament of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the cessation of rocket attacks. Yet today, Hezbollah has amassed an arsenal of over 150,000 missiles, and has fired 10,000 in the past 12 months right under the noses of 10,000 UN peacekeepers from 50 nations.

Nowhere is this hypocrisy more evident than in the UN’s failure to enforce its own resolutions, and then to use that very failure against Israel. Resolution 1701, passed in 2006 to end the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, promised Israel the disarmament of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the cessation of rocket attacks. Yet today, Hezbollah has amassed an arsenal of over 150,000 missiles, and has fired 10,000 in the past 12 months right under the noses of 10,000 UN peacekeepers from 50 nations. Until Israel responds, there is global silence in the face of these war crimes. When Israel responds, headline news begin, global concern pours in with calls for Israeli restraint and immediate diplomatic efforts for ‘ceasefire’. And just this week, when Israel requested the peacekeepers leave to avoid potential collateral damage, 40 countries refused, and these peacekeepers are transformed – again by the global community - from failed peacekeepers into this war’s convenient second batch of human shields.

The global response to Israel’s efforts to defend itself is marked by staggering hypocrisy. As journalist Daniel Greenfield characterized it, when Israel is involved, “rape is resistance and beepers are genocide”.

A Cynical Alliance Disguised as Morality

This global alignment of powers against Israel, dressed up in the language of human rights, is both cynical and immoral. They demand that Israel cease defending itself and negotiate with groups that openly seek its annihilation. They want Israel to stop fighting so that Hamas, Hezbollah, and others can survive—and strike again. All of this is done under the pretense of morality, but in truth, it is a coordinated effort to weaken and isolate Israel, leaving it vulnerable.

This is not a new phenomenon. It’s an age-old story, one that has been repeated throughout Jewish history. During World War II, the Nazis played the role of the murderers. The rest of the world either assisted them or turned a blind eye in silent acquiescence.

My birth country, Canada, famously said “None is too many” when asked how many Jewish refuges they were willing to save from the Nazi Holocaust. As George Steiner wrote in his haunting 1981 novel, The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H., where he imagines Hitler surviving the war and being captured in Argentina by the Israelis, Hitler's defense during a makeshift post-war trial includes a chilling claim: “When I turned against the Jew, no one came to his rescue. No one. France, England, Russia, even America, despite its large Jewish population, did nothing. They were glad the exterminator had come. They did not admit it openly, I grant you that, but secretly, they rejoiced.” (p 164-7)

A Prophetic Parallel

We have to ask why. Why, after centuries of persecution, does the world still only empathize with Jews when they are dying, and try to stop the Jewish people from building and defending their homeland? Why does the international community fail to see the blatant antisemitism driving these efforts?

Remarkably, what we are seeing today aligns with ancient prophecies found in the Torah that predict the events that will happen at the End of Days, many of which are read in synagogues during the upcoming Sukkot holiday. The prophet Zechariah (14:2) declared: "For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle." Ezekiel (38:14-16) also foretold a time when nations would converge against Israel: "You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land." While we may have envisioned Zecharia and Ezekiel speaking of physical armies, perhaps today we are seeing this prophecy take shape through diplomatic, economic, and ideological forms. The nations may not all send soldiers, but they are united in their desire to undermine Israel.

The global campaign against Israel is part of a deeper, more ancient struggle foretold in the Bible and played out across millennia.

Zecharia (12:3) also wrote, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a stone of burden for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it.” In today’s world, that battle is as much ideological and political as it is physical. The international community’s attempts to pressure Israel into submission through both military and diplomatic means reflect this prophetic warning. The battle is not only for the land but for the legitimacy of Israel's very existence.

The global campaign against Israel, veiled in the language of justice and human rights, is nothing new. It is part of a deeper, more ancient struggle foretold in the Bible and played out across millennia. As King David wrote, "See how your enemies make an uproar, and those who hate You have exalted themselves. They make shrewd plans against Your people... They have said, 'Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more'" (Psalm 83:2-4).

But just as Israel has survived every attempt to destroy it, so too will it withstand the current storm. Israel’s enduring strength and the survival of the Jewish people are a testament not only to their resilience but to the fulfillment of ancient promises.

The post The World Against Israel: A Global Alliance of Hostility Disguised as Human Rights appeared first on Aish.com.

As antisemitism surges across the globe, from the streets of Europe to college campuses in America, one cannot help but ask: why do people hate the Jews? This question, as old as the days of the Pharaohs – demands more than just historical or sociological analysis. It requires a deeper understanding of what truly drives this persistent animosity and, most importantly, how Jews—particularly young Jews—should respond.

My forthcoming book, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Jew? seeks not only to answer these questions but provide actionable steps one can take to combat this hatred effectively. By providing a framework for understanding the unspoken reasons behind Jew-hatred, we can, with greater clarity, face these challenges with strength, dignity, and resilience.

In the words of the late Professor Robert Wistrich, perhaps the world’s foremost historian of antisemitism, Jews must develop an "inner armor" to protect themselves both spiritually and psychologically from the barrage of hatred they may encounter.

The Problem Beneath the Surface

Antisemitism has often been described as a "virus," a term used by Professor Wistrich and scholars and thinkers throughout history. It mutates, appearing in different forms across different eras. In medieval times, it was religiously driven. During the 20th century, racial and nationalist ideologies fueled its flames. Today, it frequently disguises itself under the guise of political critique, particularly of Israel.

As Wistrich articulated to my film team in what was likely his final interview, this hatred often emerges unconsciously as a projection of the hater’s fears, insecurities, and biases. It manifests subtly, often under the guise of social justice or political critique, but is unmistakably aimed at the Jewish people – who they are and what they represent. Therefore, these double standards and veiled resentments reveal something much more profound than mere political disagreement—they are in fact unambiguous manifestations of Jew-hatred.

The key to fortifying oneself from within is taking pride in one’s Jewishness, grounded in deep study, knowledge, and commitment to Jewish identity.

In the face of this growing challenge, young Jews must recognize and understand the root cause of the external threats and fortify themselves from within. The key to doing this, as Wistrich emphasized, is taking pride in one’s Jewishness—not a hollow or chauvinistic pride, but one grounded in deep study, knowledge, and commitment to Jewish identity. Only through such a profound connection to their heritage can young Jews develop the inner armor they need to stand strong against the hatred directed their way.

The Call for Inner Armor and Moral Self-Confidence

Ruth Wisse, a renowned scholar of Yiddish literature and Jewish political thought, echoes Wistrich’s words, calling this fortification "moral self-confidence." Wisse has long argued that Jews must reclaim the narrative of Jewish strength rather than Jewish victimhood. This means understanding not only why antisemitism persists but also why Jews have endured and thrived despite it.

Wisse's idea of moral self-confidence is not about ignoring the threats but confronting them from a place of deep-rooted strength. To be morally self-confident as a Jew is to understand that Jewish values, traditions, and identity offer the tools to stand firm against adversaries. It is not merely a defensive posture; it is an assertive embrace of what it means to be Jewish in a world that often challenges that identity.

Why This Matters Now

This call for inner armor and moral self-confidence is more important today than ever. In recent years, we have seen waves of antisemitism that transcend national borders, political ideologies, and social classes. From the blatant hatred seen in attacks on Jewish communities to the more insidious forms of Jew-hatred that manifest in intellectual circles and on college campuses, young Jews are under siege from all sides.

Yet many Jewish students are unprepared for these challenges. Too few have the "inner armor" necessary to protect themselves from the psychological and spiritual damage that antisemitism inflicts. They are left feeling isolated, vulnerable, and unsure of how to respond, or worse, internalizing the hatred aimed at them.

This is why the central message of my book, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Jew? is a call to action for Jews—especially young Jews. It’s a call to rediscover and take pride in Jewish identity, to study it deeply, and to understand what it truly means to be part of a people who have faced down hatred for millennia. Once we realize that the reason we are hated is in fact the raison d’etre of our very existence, we can finally stop apologizing and averting our gaze from our true purpose and inner strength.

Reclaiming the Jewish Narrative

For too long the narrative surrounding the Jewish people has been one of victimhood. Of course, the Jewish experience is deeply marked by suffering—from slavery in Egypt to the pogroms of Eastern Europe, from expulsion across Arab lands to the Holocaust, from fighting wars for our very existence to intifadas, and now even enduring assaults and persecution across every major Western university campus. But this is not the whole story.

Jewish history is also one of triumph, creativity, and resilience. The Jewish people have survived and thrived, contributing disproportionately to fields ranging from science and medicine to literature and politics – each contribution another indelible thread in the moral and ethical fabric of the civilizations we have touched.

We must reclaim this narrative of strength. Jews, particularly young Jews, need to understand that they are part of a proud heritage, one that is not defined by the hatred of others but by the internal richness of their own identity. The antidote to antisemitism is not simply fighting hatred externally but fortifying oneself internally—building that inner armor and cultivating the moral self-confidence Wisse so passionately advocates. Likewise, allies of the Jewish people can harness their moral confidence to stand on the right side of history and fight alongside us.

A Path Forward

The solutions to antisemitism will not come from external forces alone. They will emerge from within the Jewish community itself. When Jews are proud of their heritage, when they understand their history, and when they have the confidence to stand tall in the face of adversity, they will be able to withstand even the fiercest waves of hatred.

In this time of rising antisemitism, the answers lie not only in external strategies but in cultivating a deep connection to Jewish identity. My book, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Jew, and accompanying film, Tragic Awakening, offer a path to understanding the roots of Jew-hatred, but more importantly, it provides a path to reclaiming Jewish strength and resilience.

The world may continue to ask why Jews are so often and intensely hated, and we must answer with pride: it is because we are a people who have been tasked to carry the torch of our faith and serve as a guiding light for the world. We endure, innovate, and thrive despite all the terrors and traumas leveled at us.

With that knowledge, young Jews today should raise their heads high and wear the inner armor needed to confront the challenges of tomorrow.

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