The West Must Start Fighting for Democracy
“What’s next?”
That is the question the State of Israel has begun to ask ever since the tragedies of October 7 and one it will inevitably have to answer in the not-so-distant future. When answering this question, one thing is clear: Israel cannot continue to live alongside the genocidal terrorists with whom they have shared a border for far too long.
While Israel has shown tremendous resilience in fighting Hamas, the rest of the world has failed to join in on the true essence of this fight, one that is very much their own: defeating the Islamic Republic of Iran. This regime’s fundamentalist ideology is rapidly spreading throughout Western society, which itself has done nothing to fight it off. By battling to defeat Hamas, the Israeli army is fighting what should be a global war by themselves to ensure the survival of the free world from radical Islam.
It is time that the rest of the world joins them in this fight.
Walking into the Menachem Begin Heritage Center last June 30 evening, these words were prominently displayed on a poster outside the auditorium, the silhouettes of Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers radiating beside them.
The second annual Pulse of Israel conference, which featured a range of speakers, centered around this question. While the answer will play an important role in determining Israel’s future, “What’s next” isn’t just about what is happening in Israel. It applies to the rest of the world too.
The Pulse of Israel conference included a dialogue between Len Khodorkovsky, Senior Adviser to the Chairman of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, and Alex Traiman, CEO of Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), which brought to light the importance of asking this question. “We are here to talk about what I think everybody understands is the principal threat to the State of Israel and one of the principal threats to the entire free world at this time, which is the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Traiman began in his conversation with Khodorkovsky.
The Israeli people should not have to endure the ‘normalities’ of living alongside Hamas or any other Iranian proxy. Running to bomb shelters at the sound of rocket sirens should never be normal for anybody. Sending one’s child off to the army to fight in wars should not be typical. Constant notifications of terrorist attacks on one’s phone should not be a part of the everyday routine. Learning to “manage” these direct attacks is no longer an option for Israel.
It never should have been in the first place.
As someone who worked in the American government, Khodorkovsky provided unique insights on how the U.S. fails to act when it comes to defeating Iran. “America is not going to solve this for you,” Khodorkovsky said to the crowd. “No matter how staunch we proclaim our solidarity with the Israeli people… the United States is not going to act first, and it’s certainly not going to act first when it comes to this issue.”
Just because Iran and its proxies are not yet directly launching rockets into America does not mean that the regime is not a danger to Western Civilization. Iran’s fundamentalist ideology has found itself embedded in the minds of many Americans today. On your streets and college campuses, Americans tore and burned American flags on Veterans Day and the Fourth of July, passed out pamphlets with the slogan “Death to America,” and continue to call for the annihilation of Israel by chanting “Long live the Intifada.” The Supreme Leader of Iran even praised the actions of pro-Hamas college students.
Not only is the Iranian government and its ideology a threat to the future of democracy, but the American people who preach these radical viewpoints are as well. By fighting Hamas, Israel is fighting a battle that the entire Western world should be fighting. If Americans truly believe that the future of their country is worth fighting for, they must engage in this battle too.
Alongside Khodorkovsky and Traiman, this conference featured many panelists who exemplify what it means to stand up for Israel, including Michael Rapaport, who was awarded the Brave Leadership of Zion Award.
Rapaport, who traveled from New York, questioned whether the actions of his fellow American citizens truly reflect the democratic values of their country. “There has been so many embarrassing moments in New York City since Oct. 7,” Rapport said. “It really did make me ask is New York the greatest city because it doesn’t feel that good right now, but Israel really does.”
The Israeli people will go to lengths that citizens of no other country will to ensure the safety of their brothers and sisters as well as that of their future. “I am so comfortable in Israel,” Rapaport said. “This is home. It feels like home.”
Jews and Christians around the world are thankful that Israel is fighting for their futures, especially when their own governments fail to do so, by pursuing the complete defeat of Hamas and ultimately, the Iranian regime. Israel is the home that many in the world are lacking at this time, and feel a strong connection to despite being so far away.
It is crucial that those outside Israel continue to ask these questions, especially if they wish to feel at home again. The only way to ensure the eternal victory of good over evil globally, and not just in Israel, is to rid our homes of the terrorist ideology that has penetrated into society.
So maybe the question on the poster should not have been, “What’s next [for Israel]?” I am confident that the Israeli people will do exactly what they have to do to ensure they come out of this war with a victory for their country.
Perhaps the question should have been, “What’s next [for the rest of the world]?” I am not as confident in the West’s ability to answer that question.
I hope to be proven wrong.
Emily Goldberg is a summer intern at Israel365. She is going into her senior year of college double majoring in media studies with a concentration in journalism and studio art. She is extremely passionate about writing and reporting and is very excited to continue to learn about this field while spending her summer in Israel this year.
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