Jewish leaders speak often about the need to combat anti-Semitism, and have invested considerably in efforts to do so. Even in the 18th century, a variety of Jewish intellectuals took up their pens to dispel various libels and malicious stereotypes, and in the 19th century organizations were founded for this purpose. Yet sometimes it seems that Jews are almost congenitally unable to defend themselves effectively. Andrew Fox, a non-Jewish British military veteran who, since the October 7 attacks, has been a brave defender of Israel and an astute commentator on the war, has some suggestions:

Instead of framing [rallies and demonstrations against anti-Semitism or support of Israel] as being in favor of Jewish or Israeli interests, frame them as a British issue—concern for public safety, rule of law, and national values. . . . We should use messaging that emphasizes British Jews as part of the broader British identity (e.g., “British Jews Stand Against Extremism”). Hammer home the point that British Jews are inextricably part of our national identity.

At protests, Israeli flags may reinforce out-group status. . . . Waving British flags instead of Israeli flags asserts belonging and aligns British Jews with national identity rather than foreign-policy disputes. I understand the desire to show solidarity with Israel, but in the context of fighting British anti-Semitism, Israeli flags are unhelpful. British flags move the protest from being a Middle Eastern problem to a British one.

While Fox’s point is sound, the enemies of the Jews wish to make everything associated with Israel or Zionism shameful, something not tolerated in public spaces. By proudly displaying the Israeli flag, British (and American) Jews can show that they are neither afraid nor ashamed, although there is no reason not to display it alongside the Union Jack. The masses of American and Israeli flags displayed by U.S. Jews at the rally on the National Mall in the fall of 2023 certainly made an impression, similar to what Fox describes here about a similar even in London in December:

The speeches and march were all very well, but the most powerful moment of the day was the march stopping at the Cenotaph, [England’s monumental memorial to its war dead], to sing “God Save The King.” What a striking juxtaposition with the shrieking Palestinian hate marches, who stand against all things British. This should have been the set of images that led all publicity after the march.

Addressing a recent meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Central Committee, Mahmoud Abbas criticized Hamas more sharply than he has previously (at least in public), calling them “sons of dogs.” The eighty-nine-year-old Palestinian Authority president urged the terrorist group to “stop the war of extermination in Gaza” and “hand over the American hostages.” The editors of the New York Sun comment:

Mr. Abbas has long been at odds with Hamas, which violently ousted his Fatah party from Gaza in 2007. The tone of today’s outburst, though, is new. Comparing rivals to canines, which Arabs consider dirty, is startling. Its motivation, though, was unrelated to the plight of the 59 remaining hostages, including 23 living ones. Instead, it was an attempt to use an opportune moment for reviving Abbas’s receding clout.

[W]hile Hamas’s popularity among Palestinians soared after its orgy of killing on October 7, 2023, it is now sinking. The terrorists are hoarding Gaza aid caches that Israel declines to replenish. As the war drags on, anti-Hamas protests rage across the Strip. Polls show that Hamas’s previously elevated support among West Bank Arabs is also down. Striking the iron while it’s hot, Abbas apparently longs to retake center stage. Can he?

Diminishing support for Hamas is yet to match the contempt Arabs feel toward Abbas himself. Hamas considers him irrelevant for what it calls “the resistance.”

[Meanwhile], Abbas is yet to condemn Hamas’s October 7 massacre. His recent announcement of ending alms for terror is a ruse.

Abbas, it’s worth noting, hasn’t saved all his epithets for Hamas. He also twice said of the Americans, “may their fathers be cursed.” Of course, after a long career of anti-Semitic incitement, Abbas can’t be expected to have a moral awakening. Nor is there much incentive for him to fake one. But, like the protests in Gaza, Abbas’s recent diatribe is a sign that Hamas is perceived as weak and that its stock is sinking.