I am not sure there is any need to list, point by point, the enormous price Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the State of Israel have made Western civilization pay.
According to a study we conducted on the relationship between Western civilization and democracy, particularly after 1960, the Western world increasingly came to define itself in terms of democracy, human rights, women's rights and environmental protection. It also succeeded in persuading the rest of the world to accept this as its defining position.
Indeed, whenever Western powers established economic dominance and diplomatic relations in a region – and even when they occupied a country – they would formulate the perception that they were bringing civilization and democracy to that country. Even if this narrative found little acceptance among the people subjected to occupation, it nevertheless became part of a broader perception that gained validity around the world.
Oct. 7, 2023, fundamentally changed the course of world history and, at the same time, the history of European democracy. Whatever democratic values, human rights and humanitarian principles Europe had spent two centuries building, Israel has brought crashing down.
Israel is a small state, and if it were acting entirely on its own, the massacres, killings and acts of genocide it has committed might simply be regarded as Israel's own responsibility. If, for instance, Israel were a country as powerful as the U.S. and had invaded Afghanistan, the consequences would perhaps have been seen as America's problem alone.
But Israel is a small state. Through the Zionist network it has built, it draws upon the power of the entire Western world, including the strength of European states. With the U.S. at the forefront, and Germany, Britain, France and numerous other European countries behind it, Israel has carried out its genocide and massacres by relying directly on this collective power.
During the Cold War, whenever human rights were violated in a country, those subjected to injustice tried to bring their problems to the attention of the European public. They hoped that Europe's democratic governments would react, putting an end to the oppression and anti-democratic practices taking place. But when Israel's massacres in Palestine exceeded all limits and began to cross every boundary, the world came to see that the United States and the major European powers were themselves either directly complicit in the genocide, supporting Israel through their media, supplying it with weapons or financial assistance or remaining silent in the face of the atrocities.
Netanyahu's conduct and Israel's genocidal policies have been condemned by at least half of the world's population. From Latin America to the Far East, countries across the globe have witnessed protests against Israel. Seeing the scale of this international anger, Trump sought to force Netanyahu towards a peace deal, even if the terms were far from ideal, in an attempt to silence the global reaction.
A phenomenon known in politics as the “Gaza effect” has since emerged. In American politics, those supporting Palestine have begun to gain prestige. One of the first examples was Zohran Mamdani, who competed against five candidates in the Democratic Party's race for the New York mayoralty. While his rivals declared that they would travel to the Holy Land, or to Tel Aviv, if elected – seemingly to send a message to Jewish lobby groups – Mamdani set himself apart with a simple response: “I am a candidate for Mayor of New York. If elected, I will stand alongside the people on the streets of New York.” He first won the primary and then defeated his rival to become mayor of New York.
Those who follow political science may recall that, during the presidential election campaign, Trump held a meeting with Syrians and Arab immigrants, at which an imam praised him. However, after the last election, a very different picture emerged. In Michigan, Abdurrahman Muhammad El-Sayed won both the Democratic primary and the subsequent Senate race. His victory was particularly meaningful given that the powerful Democratic candidate he had defeated in the primary – who had enjoyed the backing of Zionist groups – went on to endorse his Republican opponent in the general election, an extraordinary betrayal in American electoral politics.
The Democrats made substantial gains nationwide, winning a larger share of the vote than the Republicans in both Senate and House of Representatives races.
One of the main reasons for this defeat was the war Netanyahu had pushed the United States into against Iran. The U.S. became a party to the conflict, oil prices rose and the increase was passed on to consumers at the gasoline pump. Higher oil prices also drove up transportation costs, feeding into the cost of everyday life. When the American people began paying a heavy price for a war launched seemingly without necessity or provocation, they made Trump pay for it at the ballot box.
Netanyahu has not only damaged Europe's reputation around the world by undermining its credibility on human rights, democracy and the values it claims to defend. He has also pushed European civilization into a deep crisis that may be difficult to overcome.
By dragging the United States into the war he declared, Netanyahu has also made the American people bear its financial consequences. As the costs of the war continued to rise, American voters turned against those responsible for involving their country in the conflict, sending a clear message to both Netanyahu and Trump. They left Trump politically weakened and increasingly constrained in his ability to conduct war.
As the costs of the war climbed, American voters made their anger felt at the ballot box, sending a clear message to both Netanyahu and Trump.
Israel continues to make Western civilization lose and pay the price.
