1 in 193: Can you explain this disproportionate focus?
Image Credit: DAL-E
This essay regards what I will call AZD, or Attention to Zionists Disorders. That is when the Kurds, Ulghyers, Syrian Civil War, cannibalism in Haiti, Millions displaced in Afghanistan, genocide in Congo, Somalia and Sudan, doesn’t get attention, but every news channel covers a stubbed toe in Jerusalem.
In a world of 193 UN member states, Israel finds itself uniquely spotlighted despite not holding any extreme rankings in global measures. It stands as the 153rd largest country in size [World Population Review]. In terms of population, Israel ranks 99th, far from the populous giants of the globe [Worldometer]. Established in 1948, near-ish to the establishment of Jordan and the Koreas, Israel is approximately the 20th newest nation, with at least 19 countries having gained independence after it [List of Countries by Independence Date]. If these unremarkable rankings do not justify the intense focus, what does?
Maybe it’s the “Zionist” wealth and greed, so commonly criticized by self-described anti-Zionists? We certainly hear claims that Zionists control politicians, media, banks, the entertainment industry and other sectors of the economy. Where’s the evidence? For example, in 2024, Israel's total GDP ranks it as the 31st largest economy in the world, with a GDP of approximately $530 Billion [Wikipedia]. That’s considered a “mid-sized” economy. Israel currently stands as the 19th richest state in terms of GDP per capita, below Luxemburg, Ireland, Singapore, Qatar and San Marino (to name a few) [Forbes]. Did you even know San Marino is a state?
In recent years, the lobbyist AIPAC have become a way anti-Zionists describe “Jewish dark money.” In 2024, AIPAC spent approximately $3 Million. That sounds like a lot! Until you contextualize it. In that same period, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent near $70 million, the National Association of Realtors spent $52 Million, and the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) spent around $27 Million [OpenSecrets]. Christian lobbying groups in the U.S. collectively spend just under $400 million annually to influence lawmakers on more than 300 issues [OpenSecrets]. Meaning, despite the endless complaints about AIPAC spending, realtors spent 17+ times more and Christian org spent 133+ times more, as just two examples. [Note: CAIR doesn’t release information on their spending. Strange that isn’t ever called “dark money” by the same people obsessed with calling out AIPAC.]
We often hear about Zionism being “white.” So maybe the issue is diversity? Like wealth, diversity can be measured in different ways (ethnicity, religion, color, thought). Israel is 18.1% Muslim and 74% Jewish (including non-white secular, African, Ashkenazi, Mizrahi and Sephardic Jews). That makes it far more diverse than Nordic States, most of Eastern Europe and Ireland (Ireland being 94.1% white [Diversity Abroad]). Compared to its Asian neighbors, Israel is highly diverse. There are 22 states that are more than 90% Muslim, 0% Jews, not limited to: Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Comoros. The Maldives are nearly 100% Muslim. So it’s clearly not about whiteness or diversity, nor the faux-woke DEI experts who refuse to acknowledge Mizrahi Jews, Bedouins and Druzim are not Arab. [Note: I think we all agree the average Palestine Supporter knows what Assyrian, Copts, Druzim, Kurds etc are.]
Hmmmm, I can’t think of other big rankings. But there must be a motivation for people going out their way to establish some sort of Palestinian state in place of (not so big, not so rich, highly diverse, highly obsessed over) Israel. They could champion “Free Kurds” or “Free Tibet,” but for some reason they choose Palestine.
Palestine has historically been associated with strict Sharia Law, permitting honor killings and spousal abuse, to say the least. Its short history is marked by intense civil war between now defunct parties. Palestine’s current civil wars include Fatah vs H@mas, H@mas vs PIJ, H@mas vs ISIL, the people vs PA/Fatah, the people vs PLO, and Ra’am (Israel’s Muslim Party) vs Fatah/PA/PLO. Of course, many University students fantasize of Palestine as an Anarcho or Marxist heaven. It doesn’t really matter which, since this is just fantasy. Maybe the disproportionate focus is based on the fantasies of Israel’s biggest haters, which would explain the inability to discuss current events in a mature or productive manner.
Back in reality, not the anti-Capitalist fantasy, The Economist Intelligence Unit ranks liberal values with their Democracy Index, which classifies Israel, and no other state in MENA, as a “flawed democracy.” This is based on Israel’s modern electoral process and pluralism. Despite The Economist having an anti-Israel bias, even they recogniz it is far more progressive than 3/4 of the world. Abortion access came to Israel before the US. Israel famously had a female PM, and famously has a Muslim Party mixed in with its coalition. But the people touting themselves as Gaza’s saviors aren’t pushing for Gaza to be annexed by a liberal democracy, which already has secular, gay and women’s rights, so real politics must not be their motivation either.
If the reason for this obsession is not clear from world rankings or politics, maybe it’s Israeli behavior. After all, anti-Zionists so often claim that all “Zionists” are pigs. In the regular news cycle, Israel is often portrayed as an exceptional aggressor for actions that are far from unique on the world stage. Since 1948, each war Israel was involved with was instigated by Arab states. That apparently doesn’t absolve Zionists of blame.
Remember, the emphasis of this essay is not to determine the justification of Israeli actions, but to explore why similar actions by other states do not attract similar condemnation. This pattern suggests a selective standard applied to Israel, which prompts a deeper inquiry into the motivations of its critics.
In the realm of defense and military engagements, the scrutiny on Israel is especially pronounced. USA, for example, has conducted numerous drone strikes across various countries, some of which mistakenly targeted hospitals, resulting in civilian casualties. These incidents, while grave, have not elicited a response 1/1000th as fierce as the criticism leveled at Israel for its military actions, which are often part of its self-defense against immediate threats. Does anyone remember encampments across University campuses because of the Afghanistan or Iraq Wars? What about global protests over an incident blamed on a state, despite all evidence pointing to it being fake news? For perspective, it’s estimated that modern wars have higher than a 8:1 militant to combatant death ratio, where as the current war between Israel and various militant groups is estimated at being less than 1:1.
Consider the tragic incidents involving the World Central Kitchen (WCK)… in Ukraine, where Russia's military actions resulted in the deaths of eight aid workers in separate incidents. There has been no justification provided by Russia for these attacks. Why isn’t there a distinct Wiki page attempting to expose Russia for deliberately bombing WCK, like there is for Israel’s accidental killing of WCK workers? What is even the point in discussing that H@mas rode the WCK trucks in densely populated Rafah (as videos suggest), if at the end of the day, Russia wasn’t even questioned for similar actions, over a longer period of time, in a war they instigated? Similarly, while Israel was accused of pink-washing throughout the war, Russia shut down all their gay clubs with minimal international attention. The disparity in global reaction is stark—Russia’s actions, which lack any stated defensive pretext, have not drawn the same level of sustained international outrage as Israel’s actions, which are part of its stated self-defense against terrorism.
In 2015, India shut down Al Jazeera’s operations without a parliamentary vote, over an offensive map. Go try to find an article about that event. Good luck! In contrast, Israel's confrontations with Al Jazeera during conflict, with far more examples of AJ’s deliberate manipulation of facts, result in vigorous global criticisms. Again, this differential treatment begs the question of whether the international community is holding Israel to a standard not applied to others. Nevermind the fact it took six months for Israel to get rid of a known agent of chaos, while it took India and other states less than one day. [Note: Al Jazeera is also banned in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.]
Those were just two examples. There’s infinite more. We could discuss the way borders are treated. Saudi Arabia’s construction of a massive border barrier for security reasons was hardly criticized. The need for safety is understood, except when it comes to Israel. Or we could discuss a reason Israel is often labeled an apartheid state: the lack of ability for non-citizens to vote. Do you know a single other country that was criticized because non-citizens, most of which want to destroy that country, can not vote? But hey, in the US 2.27% of the total U.S. voting-age population, approximately 5.2 million Americans, are disenfranchised due to felony convictions, including felonies for non-violent crimes. Can you explain why there is more ire for the lack of rights of violent, non-citizens of Israel over non-violent, citizens of US?
In conclusion, ranking Israel and the unique magnification of Israel’s actions in the media and global discourse, when compared to similar actions by other states, raises profound questions about the fairness and underlying motivations of its critics. If one cannot provide a clear and consistent rationale for this disparity, it compels us to consider whether the root of this intense focus is not the actions themselves but the nature of the state—specifically, that it has Jews, and anti-Zionists do not like Jews.
