What Bernard-Henri Lévy Doesn’t Understand about Israel and Its Friends

Jan. 22 2025

Since the 1970s, Bernard-Henri Lévy has been one of France’s leading public intellectuals, and has distinguished himself for possessing moral clarity about subjects that usually provoke moral confusion, or worse, from French public intellectuals. Yet this perceptiveness does not make him correct about all particulars. Meir Soloveichik in 2017 dissented from the conventional wisdom about the Algerian-born Jewish philosopher’s The Genius of Judaism. Now he takes issue with Lévy’s post-October 7 book.

Bernard-Henri Lévy’s Israel Alone contains much truth, but its title is fundamentally false. And this means that as insightful and eloquent as the author of this volume often is about the threats Israel faces, his thesis reveals that there is much about the world, and the Jewish place within it, that he does not understand.

Lévy, in his book, tells us that the Jews are not only alone, they “are more alone than they ever have been.” In fact, the marvel of our present age is that Jews are less alone than they ever have been. Is the author unaware of this? In fact, for Lévy, the multitudes of Americans who support Israel are unworthy friends, whose friendship should be rejected.

Contra Lévy, American Christians do not consider Israelis “mere guardians of the holy sites who will be”; they see the story of the Jewish state as the ultimate sign of the fulfillment of God’s promises to the Jewish people. To say these many millions of evangelicals are not “Christians of integrity” is a calumny. And they are joined by millions of other American Christians who are not evangelical, and still support the Jewish state because of the bond between America and Israel: because they understand, as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once put it, that Israel, ancient and modern, and America, are the only examples of nations founded in conscious pursuit of an idea.

Read more at Washington Free Beacon

More about: Bernard-Henri Levy, Christian Zionism, Evangelical Christianity, U.S.-Israel relationship

Kuwait Should Be the Next Country to Make Peace with Israel

Feb. 13 2025

Like his predecessor, Donald Trump seeks to expand the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia. But there are other Arab nations that might consider taking such a step. Ahmad Charai points to Kuwait—home to the Middle East’s largest U.S. army base and desperately in need of economic reform—as a good candidate. Kuwaitis haven’t forgiven Palestinians for supporting Saddam Hussein during his 1990 invasion, but their country has been more rhetorically hostile to Israel than its Gulf neighbors:

The Abraham Accords have reshaped Middle Eastern diplomacy. . . . Kuwait, however, remains hesitant due to internal political resistance. While full normalization may not be immediately feasible, the United States should encourage Kuwait to take gradual steps toward engagement, emphasizing how participation in regional cooperation does not equate to abandoning its historical positions.

Kuwait could use its influence to push for peace in the Middle East through diplomatic channels opened by engagement rather than isolation. The economic benefits of joining the broader framework of the Abraham Accords are overwhelming. Israel’s leadership in technology, agriculture, and water management presents valuable opportunities for Kuwait to enhance its infrastructure. Trade and investment flows would diversify the economy, providing new markets and business partnerships.

Kuwaiti youth, who are increasingly looking for opportunities beyond the public sector, could benefit from collaboration with advanced industries, fostering job creation and entrepreneurial growth. The UAE and Bahrain have already demonstrated how normalization with Israel can drive economic expansion while maintaining their respective geopolitical identities.

Read more at Jerusalem Strategic Tribune

More about: Abraham Accords, Kuwait