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Posted on 08/18/2026 6:34:51 AM PDT by MtnClimber
The West’s selective hatred of Israel says less about Israel than it does about the values—and prejudices—of those who condemn it.
Hamas or Israeli Values?
Israel dominates the daily news in this 2026 midterm election year—almost always in a boring, fatiguing, negative light. Tens of thousands of innocents may be slaughtered, ethnically cleansed, butchered, and tortured by the world’s dictators, yet an overwhelming and obsessive abhorrence is reserved for tiny, democratic Israel.
Such perverse asymmetry is strange, since, at least privately, most Americans would concede that of the 18 Middle Eastern nations, only Israel is a genuine consensual democracy.
As far as tolerance goes, in the entire region, only in Israel is it legal to criticize political or religious figures. Only there can one choose to adopt an openly gay or trans lifestyle. Only there can an apostate renounce one’s religion or urge others to do the same. And only there can Christians establish a new church almost anywhere they choose.
Some of Israel’s fiercest feminist critics who wear miniskirts and halter tops, some of its most severe gay opponents, and some of its more virulent trans adversaries would in all likelihood be summarily arrested in most Middle Eastern countries if they dared to speak, act, or wear clothes as they do in the West—except, of course, in democratic and free Israel.
In terms of protest, scream publicly in Tel Aviv, “I no longer believe in the Jewish faith, and I hate the current government of Israel”—and there is little chance of being arrested.
Chant the same publicly in any Muslim country in the Middle East—“I no longer believe in Islam, and I hate our current government”—and the loud critic would be either jailed or beaten by a street mob or worse.
The New, Old Hatred
On the Left—whether that is defined
(Excerpt) Read more at amgreatness.com ...
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VDH ping
It’s notable, and shows the power propaganda has over a lot of people. I’m 65 and I’ve never seen the incoherent and irrational anti Israel sentiment like we see now.
The basic problem is thinking with feelings - like hate - vs thinking using reason and logic.
If you support Israel, the Liberty Daily rumble page will ban you from commenting. So much for liberty.
I think Hanson is a smart, insightful historian - especially regarding World War II and ancient Greece - but he is not that insightful on current events. This article is an example of that. The “critics hate Israel” theme is superficial and disingenuous. I have been a strong supporter of Netanyahu’s foreign policy for Israel since the 1990s but since Trump took office this term, Netanyahu has overplayed his hand and damaged the US-Israel relationship. Do I think that Israel “controls” US foreign policy? No. But they lobby harder than anyone else for their own interests and do things to get the US to advance Israel’s interests that, recently, have been against US interests. Did Israel “trick” the US into the Iran War? No. But Netanyahu’s government lobbied hard and gave Trump an overly-rosy picture of how the war would go knowing that the outcome depended 100% on the US. A lot of people who point that out don’t hate Israel. Some do, but some raise credible issues. Hanson painting with a sweeping brush about the “hate Israel” crowd makes me think less of him rather than agree with his arguments.
I am particularly disturbed those freaks are allowed here.
Jim would never have tolerated them.
The LD has long jumped the shark.
Every headline is rewritten to somehow blame the Jooooos.
Don’t blame Israel because others are worse? Yes, others are worse and should be held accountable but that does not shield Israel from criticism. And no, Israel is not a democracy. It is not a democracy when it excludes half the population from participation. It is indeed wonderful that Jews in Israel enjoy the benefits of democracy but half of the population under Israeli control is Arab and does not enjoy equal benefits. That is not a democracy.
Islam is not good at many things. Lying , however , is a specialty that it does better than almost anybody else . Over one billion deluded fools lured into its evil insanity and counting. Lying with a demonic fever as if their immortal souls depended on fooling everyone .
And that is one of the hallmarks of propaganda.
A friend who is a marketing major (and couldn’t stand working in it) hates that we seem to live in a marketing/propaganda bubble where everything is a sell job.
I think its conflating the modern state of Israel and the biblical one.
Is China an “apartheid state” for putting a million Muslim Uyghurs in veritable concentration camps? What about Qatar? Should not such an “apartheid” nation be condemned on American campuses for ordering Christians to worship only in a few officially registered Christian churches, physically segregated and confined to a single, patrolled government enclave, Mesaimeer?
Another excellent article from the Professor!
FR Index of his articles: Victor Davis Hanson on FR
Town Hall: Victor Davis Hanson on Town Hall
American Greatness: Victor Davis Hanson on American Greatness
His website: Victor Davis Hanson The Sword of Perseus
One of his sponsors' website: The Daily Signal
Please let me know if you want on or off this new VDH ping list.
As a reminder, Professor Hanson has asked that we do not post the full article of his writings. Thank you for following the link to finish his article.
Content created by the Center for American Greatness, Inc. is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a significant audience.
Israel is widely considered a major hub for LGBTQ+ culture and rights-—
-—known as the “gay capital of the Middle East.”
Israel is a gay destination-——gay-friendly in large areas like Tel Aviv and Haifa. Tel Aviv features vibrant gay pride events, prominent community centers, and high social visibility.
Having no Christian values, Israel’s Anti-discrimination laws protect gay individuals in employment.
LGBTQ+ people serve openly in the military and government.
Foreign same-sex marriages are legally recognized by the Israeli state.
Thanks for the VDH ping!
Critics sometimes accuse the Israeli government of “pinkwashing”———using its LGBTQ+ policies to deflect from broader geopolitical and human rights conflicts.
Unlike authentic democracies such as the US, Jewish religious authorities hold exclusive jurisdiction over important Israeli areas———marriage, divorce, and personal status———through a state-recognized system of Jewish religious courts.
Israel likes to pretend it is a democracy to get US foreign aid tax dollars, but the Jewish religion plays a prominent formal role in its public and legal life and in its government.
Do israeli Arabs have equal rights with israeli Jews?
Answer below from Grok:
“Yes, Israeli Arabs (Arab citizens of Israel) formally have equal individual rights under Israeli law as Jewish citizens. They are full citizens with the same civil, political, and legal rights, including voting, running for office, free speech, access to courts, and protection under the Basic Laws. Israel is a parliamentary democracy in which Arab citizens participate at every level of government and society.
Disparities exist in outcomes and some policy areas, but these do not negate formal legal equality.
Legal and political equalityArab citizens (roughly 21% of Israel’s population, primarily Muslim with Christian and Druze communities) hold Israeli citizenship and passports. They vote in national and local elections on equal terms and are represented in the Knesset (parliament).
Arab parties and individual Arab MKs have sat in the Knesset since Israel’s founding; coalitions have included Arab parties (e.g., Ra’am in 2021–2022). Arabs have served as ministers, deputy ministers, Supreme Court justices, and senior civil servants.
The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that discrimination on the basis of ethnicity or religion is illegal. Arabic has official-language status in practice for many government services, education, and signage, even after the 2018 Nation-State Law emphasized Hebrew as the state language and Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. That law does not strip individual rights from non-Jews.
Freedom of religion, association, and expression apply. Arab citizens run newspapers, political parties, NGOs, and universities. They are not subject to the personal-status or mobility restrictions that apply to non-citizen Palestinians in the West Bank or Gaza under Palestinian Authority or Hamas rule.”
Jihadist Islam was a nothing 50 years ago. 50 years ago Israel just existed and was widely admired. Now that Jihadist Islam has so much access to oil wealth, modern weapons (Iran just ordered 600 manpads from China), modern communications, modern bot influencing on X and other social media by Qatar and other wealthy Arabs. Jihadist Islam is on the ascendent. In Iran especially.
If there was no Israel, Jihadist Islam would be 10% less. Its prime directive is to take over Western democracies, as seen in UK and Europe. In Michigan and NYC. They have been infiltrating Europe for a few decades. They are commanded to immigrate to infidel lands by the doctrine of Hijrah https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijrah - Yeah that Joni Mitchell album had the same title
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China reportedly supplies Iran with hundreds of MANPADS air defense missiles to counter US air strikes.
1 Aug, 2026 - 18:36
Defense News Army 2026
Iran is expected to receive an initial delivery under a contract of 300 to 400 Chinese-manufactured QW-12 and FN-16 man-portable air defense systems, according to a Reuters report on July 29, 2026. The acquisition seeks to address operational vulnerabilities in Tehran’s static air defense network exposed during military engagements with the United States and Israel. By deploying highly mobile, infrared-guided shoulder-launched missiles, military planners intend to establish dispersed low-altitude defense coverage across strategic infrastructure, missile bases, and nuclear facilities.
The reported defense procurement agreement is valued between $60 million and $70 million, establishing an average unit cost of $150,000 to $233,000 per launcher kit. Operating within engagement ranges up to 6 km and altitude ceilings under 4 km, the QW-12 and FN-16 systems utilize dual-band optical seekers to target low-flying aircraft, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles without emitting detectable radar signatures.
“”Lying , however , is a specialty that it does better than almost anybody else .””
But everyone knows it is LIES so how successful can it be?
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