Israel Faces 'Eighth Front' in Soft War of Delegitimization

The article discusses the concept of delegitimization, drawing on the work of the late Professor Ehud Sprinzak, who studied the phenomenon in Israel. Sprinzak described advanced stages of delegitimization where a political entity or its representatives are no longer seen as legitimate partners in discourse but rather as clinically insane. This perspective is applied to the current international discourse surrounding Israel, particularly in the context of the war in Gaza.

The author argues that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the UN, while praised by some as a concise explanation of Zionism, is dismissed by many in the West as irrelevant because he is perceived as being in a state of "clinical insanity" by various institutions, including The New York Times, Haaretz, UN bodies, the EU, and Hamas's Shura Council. This perception is contrasted with a recent open letter from 6,000 leaders, intellectuals, and rabbis denouncing the accusation of genocide against Israel as a "blood libel." Holocaust researcher Deborah Lipstadt is quoted comparing those accusing Israel of genocide to Nazi propagandist Josef Goebbels, stating that repeating a lie often enough leads to belief.

The film "Nezah" (a Hebrew acronym for "no chance") is presented as a contemporary example of this delegitimization campaign. The article contends that the film, despite its detailed arguments, serves to advance two core principles of delegitimization: the transition from delegitimization to dehumanization, and the denial of Israel's right to self-defense. This is further illustrated by the reception of Israeli and Jewish voices, who are increasingly denied a platform or their testimonies are dismissed as false or irrelevant, akin to patients in a mental institution.

The article posits that the revelations regarding warnings Prime Minister Netanyahu received before the October 7th Hamas attack are being used to obscure Hamas's culpability and shift blame to the IDF and the Israeli government. The author suggests that the narrative being pushed is that Netanyahu is responsible for not preventing the attack and for not appeasing Hamas's demands, leaving them no choice but to commit atrocities.

Drawing parallels to historical antisemitism, the article notes that copies of Hitler's "Mein Kampf" are frequently found in Palestinian homes during military operations. It quotes Judge Hadassah Ben-Atto, who warned decades ago about the world preparing to hate Jews and delegitimize them, making them targets for persecution. The article concludes by proposing the establishment of a state-run body to manage a "soft war" against Israel, which it argues is being waged effectively by adversaries using civilian, legal, and digital tools. This new body would identify and counter actors working to harm Israel, aiming to cut off funding and challenge narratives that legitimize violence and genocide.