FROM OUR PRINTED MARCH 2025 EDITION
Deconstructing and Debunking the Argument Against Israel’s Security Needs
by Josef Kay
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the word “complicated” are closely linked. This descriptor is appropriate for a geopolitical conflict that has evolved over the course of more than a century and elicits a host of competing narratives.
Unfortunately, the complexity of the conflict does not always prompt rigorous study of the region. Instead, sometimes recognizing nuances dissuades certain people from studying key dimensions of the conflict. In addition to a complex history, the media landscape is intimidating and requires significant time and energy to navigate.
This reality leads some people to be complacent with understanding the Middle East as just “complex.” A surface-level recognition of nuances risks the creation of an intellectual vacuum that makes even well-intended individuals susceptible to disinformation about the Middle East.
Too often, bad actors successfully present the David and Goliath illusion. In the Israeli-Palestinian context, this fallacy presents Israel as an invincible aggressor that oppresses Palestinians. It dismisses Israel’s security needs while conveniently overlooking the Iranian Regime’s terror network. To fully grasp the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it is crucial to understand how Iran and its proxy network influence and impact the conflict and region as a whole.
Proponents of the David and Goliath illusion justify their viewpoint by presenting metrics like Hamas-reported casualty numbers to create a narrative that is often misleading if not false. This strategy seeks to lay the ideological foundation for more people to reject Israel’s expressed security concerns.
Adopters of the David and Goliath illusion are prone to buy into conspiracies. Those who subscribe to this misleading narrative often claim the Jewish State’s security concerns are a facade to distract the world from unjustifiable behavior.
Aside from false evidence and conclusions, the David and Goliath illusion intentionally omits how other players in the region fan the flames of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Chief among these actors is the Iranian Regime.
Throughout the current war, Tehran has made tangible security threats against the Jewish State. Through its proxy network, Iran unleashed a multi-front war against Israel. In the last 15 months, the Jewish State has been attacked not just by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, but also by Iranian proxies like Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and terrorists in Iraq. The Regime has also directly attacked the entirety of Israel twice.
Meanwhile, Tehran can produce an atomic bomb within weeks. This capability warrants genuine alarm given the Regime’s history of espousing genocidal rhetoric against the Jewish State.
Subscribers to the David and Goliath illusion argue Israel has paid little to no price in defending itself. This claim is far from the truth. While the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has had some ingenious successes, many hostages are still held by terrorists in Gaza. Israelis are still grieving the 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals Hamas and its allies murdered on October 7, 2023. The Houthis continue to attack the Jewish State by firing ballistic missiles.
The Iranian Regime has also caused immense suffering for Iranians and Arabs throughout the region. Tehran faces serious economic challenges while it funds its proxies with hundreds of millions of dollars. In addition, the Regime has committed many human rights abuses that include the use of torture and unjustifiable cases of capital punishment. Due to these factors, it is no surprise that over 80% of Iranians oppose the Regime.
When in power, the Tehran-backed Assad regime murdered hundreds of thousands of Syrians. Yemeni activist Luai Ahmed notes how the Houthis “sank Yemen further into poverty and isolated it internationally” by hijacking the Arab Spring. Hezbollah has been violating Lebanese sovereignty. Tehran has strengthened the terrorist group Hamas, which has used Gaza’s civilian population as human shields.
While some anti-Israel activists wave the Hezbollah and Hamas flags, others do not openly embrace the Regime’s terror network. Whether they glorify or ignore the Regime’s violence, they undoubtedly support Tehran’s goals. Just read the Regime’s message from last May where the Supreme Leader welcomed anti-Israel activists into the “Resistance Front.”
Discussing Iran-sponsored terrorism will not likely change those who waive Hezbollah flags. However, to the bystander who suspects that the Middle East is complicated, but struggles to articulate this complexity, education on Iran’s proxy network is crucial to avoid falling for the David and Goliath illusion.
More generally, those who wish to be informed global citizens should avoid exclusively anchoring their conception of the Middle East in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Many countries are shaping the current reality in the region, including the destabilizing Regime. If one wants to reveal the true reality of the Middle East, the complicated dots between the many state and non-state actors must be connected. Scholars, journalists, and professors are responsible for understanding and communicating the interplay between these forces. Nonetheless, this work is possible for anyone who cares for a better and more peaceful future in the Middle East. ♦
Josef Kay is a sophomore at Brandeis University, studying international and Judaic studies, and a CAMERA on Campus fellow.
