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The Myth of Shared Values: How Western Support for Israel Overlooks the Reality of Colonialism and Occupation

Western support for Israel has often been built on the idea that Israel, as a democracy in the Middle East, shares the same values as Western nations. This belief has shaped foreign policy and public opinion for decades. However, a closer examination reveals that these supposed “shared values” are more myth than reality. Israel’s policies toward Palestinians, particularly under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu, challenge the notion that Israel practices the same democratic principles and human rights standards cherished in the West.

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This article explores Netanyahu’s leadership as a strongman figure, comparing him to other authoritarian leaders in the region and highlighting how his approach diverges from the values that Western democracies claim to uphold. Furthermore, it delves into the origins of Western support for Israel, pointing to the colonial foundations of the Israeli state and the uncomfortable truth that the treatment of Palestinians under occupation starkly contradicts Western ideals like the rule of law, respect for human rights, and protection of life.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is often described as a “strongman” leader due to his centralized control over Israeli politics, his ability to outmaneuver rivals, and his strategic use of populist and nationalist rhetoric. His leadership has been characterized by strong security policies, firm stances on territorial disputes, and a willingness to sidestep democratic checks on power when needed to secure his political position. Below is an outline of how Netanyahu embodies strongman governance, contrasted with other leaders in the region and Western politicians, followed by a critique of the Western support for Israel and the misplaced belief in shared “Western values.”

Ultimately, this piece challenges the Western assumption that Israel embodies Western values, urging readers to reconsider their views in light of the realities on the ground in Palestine.

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Netanyahu as a Strongman Leader

Netanyahu has maintained his position at the top of Israeli politics for over 15 years, outlasting numerous opponents and consolidating power within his Likud party. He has weakened opposition parties and pursued policies that centralize decision-making in his hands, making him a strongman figure in Israeli politics. His long tenure has been sustained by unwavering Western support for Israel, which often overlooks his increasingly autocratic tendencies in favor of maintaining regional stability.

A key tool in Netanyahu’s leadership has been his use of nationalist and populist rhetoric. He has effectively used security concerns, particularly about Iran and Palestinian militants, to galvanize public support. He frames Israel as perpetually under existential threat, positioning himself as the staunch defender of the Jewish state against hostile forces. His hardline stance on settlement expansion and refusal to negotiate with Palestinian leadership has bolstered his appeal among right-wing and nationalist voters. Yet, Western support for Israel remains steadfast, with many Western governments justifying these policies as necessary for Israel’s security, even when they conflict with international law.

Under Netanyahu’s leadership, critics have accused him of undermining democratic institutions. His attempts to limit the judiciary’s power, particularly in recent efforts to overhaul Israel’s judicial system, have sparked mass protests. These moves are widely seen as attempts to weaken checks on his authority. Despite this, Western support for Israel has not significantly wavered, as many governments prioritize strategic alliances over concerns about democratic backsliding.

Another tactic Netanyahu employs is control of the media and information. He maintains tight relationships with influential media outlets, and his administration has been embroiled in corruption charges, including allegations of bribery for favorable media coverage. These controversies further reflect the strongman style of leadership, yet Western support for Israel remains largely intact, driven by the belief that Israel is a necessary ally in an unstable region.

Netanyahu’s governance also heavily relies on the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and intelligence agencies to maintain control in both domestic and foreign affairs. His leadership is inseparable from Israel’s security apparatus, with frequent military operations in Gaza and ongoing control of the West Bank central to his policies. This militarized approach is consistently reinforced by Western support for Israel, which frames these operations as necessary for self-defense, despite their devastating impact on Palestinian civilians.

When comparing Netanyahu to other regional leaders, similarities arise. Like Netanyahu, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has used nationalist rhetoric, populism, and centralized power to maintain control. Both leaders portray themselves as defenders of their nations against external and internal enemies, and both have pushed for reforms weakening judicial independence. However, Erdoğan’s relationship with the West is more contentious, while Western support for Israel remains relatively unwavering despite similar criticisms of democratic erosion.

Contrast with Regional Leaders

Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) of Saudi Arabia offers another point of comparison. While Netanyahu operates within a democratic framework, MBS exercises absolute control over Saudi Arabia, relying on strong military forces and suppressing dissent. Though MBS’s leadership is more overtly authoritarian, the underlying strategies bear similarities. However, Western support for Israel contrasts with the West’s more critical stance toward Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, highlighting an inconsistency in foreign policy.

In Western democracies, strongman leaders are generally viewed as antithetical to the core values of liberal democracy, which prioritize checks and balances, the separation of powers, and the protection of civil liberties. Western political systems are built to ensure that power is distributed across various institutions, such as the judiciary, the legislature, and the free press, to prevent the rise of autocratic rule.

Leaders like Germany’s Angela Merkel or Canada’s Justin Trudeau embody this commitment to liberal democracy. Merkel, throughout her long tenure as Chancellor, was known for her cautious, consensus-driven style of leadership. She was deeply constrained by Germany’s federal system, the coalition politics of the Bundestag, and the rule of law. Similarly, Trudeau’s governance in Canada is subject to a robust system of parliamentary accountability and judicial review, ensuring that decisions are made through a democratic process rather than concentrated in one leader’s hands.

Even more populist Western leaders, such as the United States’ Donald Trump or the United Kingdom’s Boris Johnson, operated within systems that held them accountable. Trump, despite his strongman rhetoric and attempts to undermine democratic norms, faced regular scrutiny from the media, legal challenges from the judiciary, and ultimately the democratic process itself in the form of elections. Similarly, Johnson’s leadership in the UK, marked by populism and a controversial push for Brexit, was constrained by the British parliamentary system and eventually cut short by internal party dynamics, showing that even populist leaders must contend with institutional checks.

In contrast, Netanyahu has succeeded in manipulating Israel’s democratic institutions to secure his tenure and consolidate power. He has pursued policies that weaken checks on his authority, such as his attempts to overhaul the judiciary, undermining one of the key pillars of democratic governance. His leadership style, which emphasizes the centralization of power, creates a political environment where his rule becomes synonymous with the survival of the Israeli state. This is a hallmark of strongman governance: presenting the leader as indispensable to the nation’s security and stability.

Interestingly, Western support for Israel remains largely intact despite Netanyahu’s erosion of democratic norms. This suggests that Western governments may be willing to overlook or compromise on their commitment to democratic ideals when strategic interests, such as maintaining a foothold in the Middle East, are at stake. Western support for Israel persists even as Netanyahu’s leadership increasingly diverges from the democratic principles that the West claims to champion. This contrasts sharply with how Western countries would likely respond to similar behavior in other allied nations.

Consider France’s Emmanuel Macron or New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern, both of whom represent a more contemporary, progressive vision of democratic governance. Macron, despite facing waves of protests over economic reforms and pension changes, operates within a political framework that ensures public accountability. His policies are debated in parliament, challenged in courts, and scrutinized by the French press. Similarly, Ardern’s leadership in New Zealand was marked by transparency, empathy, and a commitment to democratic ideals, especially in her handling of crises like the Christchurch mosque attack and the COVID-19 pandemic. In both cases, these leaders worked within the constraints of their institutions, ensuring that governance remained accountable and aligned with democratic norms.

Netanyahu’s leadership, by contrast, has consistently undermined democratic structures to consolidate his personal power, particularly through attempts to curtail judicial independence and media freedom. While Western politicians face accountability through elections, the press, and legal mechanisms, Netanyahu has been able to manipulate these institutions to fortify his political survival. This difference highlights a troubling inconsistency in how the West approaches its allies. While Western leaders are held to high democratic standards domestically, Western support for Israel often overlooks Netanyahu’s autocratic tendencies, revealing a willingness to turn a blind eye when it comes to strategic partnerships in volatile regions.

This divergence between Western values and Western actions reveals a deeper contradiction. Leaders like Merkel, Trudeau, Macron, and Ardern are celebrated for their adherence to democratic principles, whereas Netanyahu’s governance increasingly mirrors the very authoritarianism that the West claims to oppose. Yet, Israel continues to receive unwavering support, illustrating that Western support for Israel is based less on shared democratic values and more on geopolitical and strategic interests.

The Myth of Shared Values: How Western Support for Israel Overlooks the Reality of Colonialism and Occupation
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The Myth of Shared Western Values

There is a deeply ingrained belief in many Western countries that Israel, as a “democracy” in the Middle East, shares “Western values,” which has shaped foreign policy and public opinion in favor of Israel. This belief, however, is flawed and built on two main assumptions:

  1. Israel as a Western Colonial Project: The notion that Israel represents Western values implicitly recognizes that Israel was a colonial project from its inception, established by European settlers. Zionism, the nationalist movement that led to Israel’s founding, was shaped by European colonial ideologies, aiming to create a Jewish state in the historic land of Palestine. From this perspective, Israel’s policies toward Palestinians — including the occupation, settlement expansions, and segregation — reflect not shared values but the practices of colonialism. Western support for Israel has often masked these colonial origins, portraying the state as a natural outgrowth of democratic ideals rather than a settler-colonial project.
  2. Misplaced Assumptions about Western Values: Many in the West believe that Israel practices the same values they hold dear: democracy, rule of law, human rights, and respect for life. However, this belief ignores the reality on the ground. Israel’s policies toward Palestinians, including military occupation, unequal treatment under the law, and ongoing settlement activity in the West Bank, contradict the very values that Western democracies claim to uphold. The treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, where millions live under occupation with limited rights and freedoms, does not align with the principles of liberty, justice, or human rights that Western nations advocate. Despite this, Western support for Israel persists, driven by the assumption that Israel’s democratic identity supersedes the realities of its policies.

The Problem with Western Support for Israel

Many in the West support Israel, believing in a shared set of values, but when you look closely at the daily lives of Palestinians under Israeli control, it’s clear that these ideals are painfully absent. For those living in the occupied territories, the sanctity of life—something we hold so dear in the West—feels like a distant hope. Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank endure unimaginable hardships: military strikes, restricted movement, and an economic stranglehold that strips away the basic dignity of everyday existence. The violence that claims innocent lives, the grief of families torn apart, is often reduced to a political talking point. When we talk about self-defense, how often do we stop to think about the human beings paying the price?

The West prides itself on its unwavering commitment to human rights, but how can we say that with confidence when entire populations are subjected to systemic discrimination, displacement, and a denial of basic freedoms? Imagine not being able to leave your own neighborhood, not because you did something wrong, but because of who you are. This is the reality for so many Palestinians. And yet, Western support for Israel continues, as if these realities don’t exist—overlooked, excused, or simply ignored in favor of maintaining an alliance built on strategic convenience.

Then there’s the rule of law—one of the cornerstones of Western democracy. We believe in fairness, in justice, in holding everyone accountable. Yet Israel’s actions in the occupied territories, particularly the expansion of settlements, openly defy international law. These are not abstract legal principles; they represent the very values that we claim to stand for. How can we say we respect the law if we refuse to hold Israel accountable for its violations?

And perhaps most heartbreaking of all is the situation for children. In the West, we cherish and protect our children with every fiber of our being. But Palestinian children, too many of them, are growing up in a world where violence is the norm, where they face the constant threat of losing their homes, their families, their childhood. Some are even detained by security forces, scarred by experiences no child should ever endure. Their cries for help, their silent suffering, often go unheard by the same Western governments that claim to stand for the protection of the innocent.

When you think about it, Western support for Israel isn’t just a political stance—it’s a reflection of a profound moral contradiction. How can we, as people who value life, freedom, justice, and the innocence of children, continue to look away from the reality of what’s happening in Palestine? These are not just policy debates; they are real human lives at stake.

Final Thoughts on Western Values and Israel’s Colonial Apartheid Society

We’ve explored the complex reality of Western support for Israel and how it contrasts with the democratic values that Western nations often claim to uphold. While many in the West support Israel out of a perceived sense of shared values—like the sanctity of life, respect for human rights, the rule of law, and the protection of children—the day-to-day realities for Palestinians living under Israeli control sharply contradict these ideals. The harsh conditions in Gaza and the West Bank, the systematic discrimination and lack of basic freedoms, the expansion of illegal settlements, and the trauma inflicted on Palestinian children stand in stark opposition to the values that Western democracies hold dear.

We’ve examined Netanyahu’s leadership as a strongman who has manipulated Israel’s democratic institutions to maintain power and consolidate control, all while enjoying the unwavering support of Western governments. This backing continues, even as Israel’s policies defy international law and erode democratic norms, highlighting the uncomfortable reality that Western support for Israel often prioritizes strategic interests over moral and legal consistency.

In contrast to Western politicians who are bound by systems of accountability, Netanyahu’s leadership operates with fewer constraints, allowing for the entrenchment of his power. Despite this, the West largely overlooks the consequences of these policies, particularly the human cost they impose on Palestinians.

Ultimately, the argument is clear: Western support for Israel is based on a flawed perception of shared values, which are not reflected in the realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If we, as Westerners, truly believe in the values we hold—justice, freedom, and the protection of human life—then it is crucial to confront the contradictions in this support and acknowledge the deep moral implications of turning a blind eye to the suffering of Palestinians. Only by critically reassessing this relationship can we hope to align our policies with the very principles we claim to stand for.

Thank You for Reading!

I hope you enjoyed this post and found it insightful. If you did, feel free to leave a comment below, or share it with your friends and followers! Your feedback and engagement mean a lot to me, and it helps keep this community growing.

If you’re interested in diving deeper into topics like this, don’t forget to check out the Donc Voila Quoi Podcast, where I discuss these ideas in more detail. You can also follow me on Pinterest @doncvoilaquoi and Instagram @jessielouisevernon, though my accounts have been shut down before (like my old @doncvoilaquoi on Instagram), so keep an eye out for updates.

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Jessie Louise

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