Israel: What Went Wrong? Expert Calls It Moral Decline

A new book by historian Omer Bartov traces Israel’s moral and political decline over decades, from a celebrated democracy to a state accused of war crimes. Israel’s recent attack on Iran is the latest example of a nation that has strayed from its founding ideals, according to Bartov’s review. The author points to actions including the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, genocide in Gaza, the invasion of Syria, and the relentless bombardment of Lebanon. The United States’ participation in the “illegal war” confirmed for many in the region that Israel is a western imperialist outpost, the book argues. Founded 77 years ago after the Holocaust, Israel once received unprecedented international sympathy. Many saw it as a democracy in an authoritarian region. Its Declaration of Independence promised equal rights for all citizens, regardless of race, creed, or sex. For decades, the West viewed Israel as a liberal, progressive, and egalitarian society. Bartov’s work asks what went wrong.