The Myth of Israel’s Peril

Ever since the state’s founding, Israeli leaders have trotted out phrases like “a villa in the jungle”, “tough neighbourhood” or, perhaps most tiresomely, “only democracy in the Middle East”. The function of this propaganda has been to persuade their audience - both the domestic Israeli electorate, and the leaders and citizens of Israel’s allied states in the Global North - that the country is an island of civilisation in a sea of barbarism. They suggest that despite its sweeping victories in most of the wars it has fought, its region-leading military backed by unlimited US aid, and its nuclear arsenal, Israel is in fact at continuous risk of being overrun by Arab, Iranian and Muslim hordes, and its people “driven into the sea” - just as, in fact, Jewish militias drove Palestinian refugees into the sea in 1948.

This myth has had a powerful, malign impact. It has provided a moral cover for Israel’s long history of settler colonialism, military occupation, and systematic human rights abuses against the Palestinian people. It has also enabled Israeli leaders to justify their country’s aggressive military interventions in the region, from Lebanon to Gaza, on the grounds that they are necessary to protect Israel from an existential threat.

However, in recent years, this myth has begun to show signs of wear and tear. The Israeli military’s disastrous war with Hamas in Gaza in 2024, which resulted in widespread destruction and thousands of civilian casualties, exposed the myth of Israel’s military invincibility. The subsequent war with Lebanon, sparked by a botched Israeli military operation, further undermined the myth of Israel’s strength.

The current conflict with Iran, which has seen Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets in Syria and Iraq, has brought the myth to the brink of collapse. Despite Iran’s significant military capabilities, Israel’s military has struggled to achieve any meaningful gains, and the conflict has instead become a war of attrition, with both sides trading blows and neither able to gain a decisive advantage.

The Myth’s Origins

The myth of Israel’s peril has its roots in the early years of the state’s existence. In the 1940s and 1950s, Israeli leaders, including David Ben-Gurion and Moshe Sharett, used the threat of Arab and Muslim hostility to justify the country’s military interventions and human rights abuses against the Palestinian people. They depicted Israel as a tiny, vulnerable state surrounded by powerful enemies, and themselves as the only defenders of the Jewish people against the forces of anti-Semitism.

This narrative was further reinforced by the country’s military victories in the 1950s and 1960s, which solidified Israel’s position as a regional military power. However, the myth of Israel’s peril continued to be used to justify the country’s aggressive military interventions, including the 1967 Six-Day War, which resulted in the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The Rise of the “Only Democracy in the Middle East” Myth

In the 1970s and 1980s, Israeli leaders began to use the phrase “only democracy in the Middle East” to describe Israel. This phrase was designed to contrast Israel’s supposed democracy and human rights record with the authoritarian regimes of the Arab world. However, in reality, Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, its systematic human rights abuses against the Palestinian people, and its treatment of Arab citizens within Israel itself as second-class citizens, have consistently undermined this claim.

Despite this, the phrase has remained a staple of Israeli propaganda, used to justify the country’s military interventions and to deflect criticism of its human rights record. However, in recent years, this myth has begun to show signs of wear and tear, as the international community has become increasingly critical of Israel’s human rights abuses and its military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The Consequences of the Myth

The myth of Israel’s peril has had a profound impact on the region and on the global stage. It has enabled Israeli leaders to justify their country’s aggressive military interventions, including the wars with Lebanon and Gaza, and has provided a moral cover for Israel’s long history of settler colonialism and human rights abuses against the Palestinian people.

However, the myth has also had a malign impact on Israeli society, creating a culture of fear and paranoia that has legitimized the country’s most extreme right-wing elements. It has also contributed to the rise of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in Israel and around the world, as people become increasingly polarized and scapegoat minority groups for their own problems.

Reactions and Implications

The current conflict with Iran has exposed the myth of Israel’s peril to the brink of collapse. The Israeli military’s struggle to achieve any meaningful gains has raised questions about the country’s military strength and its ability to protect its citizens. The conflict has also highlighted the international community’s failure to address the root causes of the conflict, including Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and its human rights abuses against the Palestinian people.

The implications of the myth’s collapse are significant. If the Israeli public and international leaders are no longer convinced of Israel’s existential threat, then the country’s aggressive military interventions and human rights abuses may become increasingly difficult to justify. The Palestinian people, who have suffered under Israeli occupation for over 50 years, may finally see some relief from the constant violence and oppression.

Forward Looking

As the conflict with Iran continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether the myth of Israel’s peril will finally collapse. However, one thing is clear: the international community must finally address the root causes of the conflict, including Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and its human rights abuses against the Palestinian people. The world cannot continue to stand by and watch as Israel continues to justify its aggression and human rights abuses on the grounds of an existential threat that no longer exists.