BOOK REVIEW: On Democracies and Death Cults – Israel, Hamas and the Future of the West
Douglas Murray’s powerful new book dissects Hamas’ 7 October attack, global antisemitism and the West’s distorted response to Israel
Douglas Murray’s latest book is a painstakingly researched commentary on Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. Documenting not only that day’s horrific events, Murray contextualises the history that preceded 7 October and offers a disturbing analysis of the antisemitism that has underscored so much of the global response to both Israel and diaspora Jews that followed.
In a world of mainstream media and commentary that frequently fails to report Israeli affairs without a contemptuous bias, Murray cuts through the noise with a rare clarity. His arguments are rational, fact-based and dispassionate. As a non-Jew, Murray also brings “no skin in the game” whatsoever when he writes about the Jewish state.
Murray’s dispassion makes the book an emotional challenge. His documenting of the details of the 7 October massacres, drawn from numerous conversations with many of the day’s witnesses and survivors, makes harrowing reading. An outstanding interlocutor, Murray adds no sensationalism to his reporting, letting his subjects’ testimonies speak for themselves. There are moments in the book when the sheer inhumanity of that day’s barbarity defies comprehension, proving impossible for the reader not to weep.
The antisemitic hatred that has erupted across Western cities and campuses over the last 18 months is equally well documented, not least the evil duplicity of those nobly calling for “all women to be believed” unless, of course, they are Jewish women.
The book is bolstered by Murray’s depth of historical reference. He points to the scourge of radical Islamism having been sparked by the 1979 Iranian Revolution that saw the return to Tehran of Ayatollah Khomeini from his Paris exile and the subsequent banishing of Iran’s Shah. He reports the irony of Iran calling Israel a colonial outpost of the USA while simultaneously establishing its own colonial outposts in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and elsewhere.
Murray highlights the UN Conference in Durban, South Africa (of all places) in 2001 that was to provide the fallacious grounding for Israel being described as an “apartheid state”. We also learn that as early as 1964, some three years before Israel’s borders were redrawn following the Six-Day War, Yasser Arafat’s PLO was calling for the “liberation” of the “occupied territories” – ergo, the destruction of the State of Israel.
Murray’s research and travels have been extensive. He has visited most of the countries that border Israel and, since October 7 alone, has visited not only Israel but also Gaza, enabling him, unlike most contemporary commentators, to offer an evidence-based perspective. When Murray reports that Egyptian bookshops still stock numerous copies of Mein Kampf and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, believe him.
Douglas Murray writes of a tragic history that is still being written. His book makes for essential reading.
Available now from HarperCollins
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
