Anti-Israel Sentiment Abounds: “But Is Anyone Listening to the Real Truth?’ asks Chris White

That anti-Israel sentiment and antisemitism in particular are being stoked throughout Europe is a constant theme in any discussion in Israel.

As politicians throughout the world anticipated this evening’s violent reaction by Iran to the events in Lebanon in recent days they should focus on the realities behind the conflict.

A week before the current conflict broke out in full force it was pointed out that Israel had no choice. Indeed numerous references in the media support the fact that after the October 7th Nova massacre the majority of citizens in Israel felt that their government “did not do enough”.

From a briefing given to journalists, Alma Institute, Tel Aviv.

As we reported my briefings in Israel amounted to the current strategy being the ‘least bad option’ for a country surrounded by terrorist ‘armies’ with destructive capabilities unequalled by countries in Europe and throughout the west.

On Monday a conference in Brussels organised by the Europe Israel Press Association featured experts whose views supported the fact that Iran is a threat to the EU, America, and also to the rest of the western world.

As Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defence Democracies, Behnam Taleblu, stated at the Brussels conference on Monday: “Hezbollah is the most successful export of the 1979 Iranian revolution, the ‘crown jewel’.”

While Israel’s conventional success against Iran may lead to long term nuclear challenges, Iran has been supplying Russia with drones and missiles, receiving cash, gold and even nuclear assistance.

In return Russia provides Iran with both “status and security”.

Other speakers warned that Iran and Russia pose a serious threat to Europe’s peace as “Iranian agents spread instability and radical propaganda across the continent.”

That Israel had little or no choice but to attack Hezbollah, and its leadership is clear.

That had Hezbollah used even a part of its enormous missile and drone arsenal much of Israel would have been destroyed with enormous numbers of deaths was the view of many members of the Tel Aviv public I questioned during my recent trip to the country.

The most significant comment that I heard came also from experts describing how, if Israel can succeed in creating a demilitarised zone in southern Lebanon, and, to quote, “reach and agreement with a Lebanese government, then that country could return to being the pleasant place it once was”.

The experts I met all recognised the risk of conflict with Iran which is an indicator to this reporter that there is little or no doubt that this has been built into a carefully planned strategy. General media reporting tends to suggest that much of what is happening and has happened in recent days is “high risk”. That is certainly true but it is risk that has been calculated.

As the experts in Israel repeatedly stated: “This country cannot continue with much of its northern region evacuated and with the constant threat of invasion by an enormous ‘terrorist’ army, as well as Hamas a terrorist organisation based in Gaza and supported by Hezbollah which supplies weapons to attack southern Israel.”

Touring the hot spots in a party of journalists from Europe and the United States it became clear that without an end to conflict and military strength Israel would be close to potential annihilation.

Addressing the Brussels conference John Spencer,West Point Academy urban warfare expert stated: “Israel faces an unprecedented military challenge with Hezbollah, a terrorist army of over 200,000 soldiers, disguising military sites as civilian ones in southern Lebanon”.

Politicians, including the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Sir Kerr Starmer emphasise the need for a two state solution. So did everyone – literally everyone – I spoke with in Israel but with one over riding condition: “Peace must be guaranteed”.