By Marina Rosenberg
In the days since Hamas’ massacre of more than 1,400 Israelis, the international responses are both better than expected and worse than expected.
The statements and actions of European governments have exceeded expectations. Not only did every European Union and non-E.U. Western European state issue a clear condemnation, most explicitly supported Israel’s right to protect its citizens from the ongoing threat of Hamas terrorism. Very few fell back on the European reflex of calling for de-escalation. As French President Emmanuel Macron said in his speech to the French nation on October 12, “We know that the only response to terrorism, the only possible one, is always a strong and just response, strong because it is just.”
European words have been matched with actions. Officials in Germany and France banned public demonstrations that show support for Hamas and sent police to enforce those bans when Hamas sympathizers gathered anyway. The Swiss government, which highly values its status as a globally accepted international mediator, decided that it was more important to add Hamas to its list of terrorist organizations.
The European Union, Germany and Austria have begun reviewing their development aid for the Palestinians to ensure that no funds could be diverted to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Despite the ongoing threat of Hamas missiles, German Chancellor Scholz, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, E.U. President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola flew to Israel to show solidarity. These acts of solidarity – coupled with the moving visit by President Joe Biden to Israel and the unprecedented support his administration and the U.S. Congress have demonstrated for Israel and the Jewish people – are telltale signs of genuine friendship and allyship.
Elsewhere in the world, there were other positive surprises. El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, tweeted strong condemnation, writing: “As a Salvadoran with Palestinian ancestry, I’m sure the best thing that could happen to the Palestinian people is for Hamas to completely disappear. Those savage beasts do not represent the Palestinians. Anyone who supports the Palestinian cause would make a great mistake siding with those criminals.”
But there are also those around the world who were worse than expected. There were many who celebrated the murder of babies, those who went into the streets in America, in Europe, in Australia, in Canada and elsewhere, and publicly justified the massacre of civilians as “resistance” and “legitimate self-defense.” We have also seen this on university campuses, in anti-Israel demonstrations, and with so-called “experts” interviewed on major media outlets.
The hatred of Jews around the world is on open display. In Sydney, Australia, anti-Israel protesters shouted, “gas the Jews.” In Berlin, Molotov cocktails were hurled at a synagogue and Jewish apartment buildings were painted with Stars of David. In London, Geneva, and in many other cities, there were chants about the “army of Muhammed” coming for “the Jews.” In Tunisia, an anti-Israel mob attempted to vandalize and burn down the historic al-Hamma synagogue. In Amsterdam, thousands screamed for the outright destruction of the State of Israel with the slogan, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The calls to “end the occupation of 75 years” referred to the Israel of 1948, not the West Bank and Gaza. To no one’s surprise, those who show no sympathy for murdered Jews have no sympathy either for a Jewish homeland.
The predicate for such hatred is demonization, and that was on display as well. For, if Israelis are “Nazis,” then every violence against them must certainly be allowed. That is the message of the vandalism of the Israeli embassy in Bogota, Colombia, where slogans that equated Zionism with Nazism, “Against Zionism” with the “s” converted to a swastika, and a Star of David equated with a swastika.
Leaders’ words matter; they set the tone for others to act. And we know when there are conflicts with Israel, Jews globally suffer as well. We’re already seeing Jewish communities around the world experiencing more antisemitic incidents. For example, France reported 1,000 antisemitic incidents in the first 48 hours after the massacre in Israel, and the UK reported a three-fold increase in antisemitic incidents.
The barbarity of the October 7 massacre brought out the best in some and the worst in others. To defeat the antisemitic evil that drove the terrorists, we must recognize these values. We need to hold up our friends’ unconditional support for Israel and Israel’s efforts to protect their citizens and rescue hostages. We must also expose the depravity of Hamas and their supporters, and make sure no one confuses their evil goal of killing innocent Israelis and destroying the Jewish state by any means necessary, including by using Palestinians as human shields, with the noble goal of dignifying the Palestinian right to statehood.
No matter how the narratives shift, these are the principles we must hold in our work to support Israel and the Jewish people internationally.
Marina Rosenberg is a former Israeli ambassador and Senior Vice President for International Affairs at the Anti-Defamation League.