I am no Bibistit—the Hebrew term for a devoted supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu.

I opposed his judicial reform initiative, which deeply divided Israeli society. I was disappointed when he formed a government with Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich after leading many voters to believe he would not. I was also troubled by what I viewed as his efforts to prevent the agreed rotation in the prime ministership with Benny Gantz from taking place. I believe he has been too slow to accept personal responsibility for the failures that led to October 7 and insufficiently present for many of the families whose lives were shattered by that day. 

Yet I find myself increasingly troubled by the way Netanyahu is discussed in some American political circles.

Many Americans, particularly on the political left, describe Netanyahu as uniquely evil, uniquely corrupt, uniquely racist, uniquely authoritarian, or uniquely responsible for instability in the Middle East. Some compare him to history’s worst leaders. Others speak of him as though he is among the world’s foremost human rights offenders.

This raises an obvious question:

The United States maintains close relationships with Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Their leaders receive American military assistance, intelligence cooperation, diplomatic support, and high-level meetings in Washington.

Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi presides over an authoritarian government that has imprisoned political opponents, journalists, and dissidents. Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman oversees a country without national democratic elections and whose record includes the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Saudi-led intervention in Yemen contributed to one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. Qatar hosted Hamas leaders and for years transferred funds into Gaza with the knowledge of multiple governments that hoped doing so would preserve stability. Jordan and the UAE are generally more moderate and stable than many of their neighbors, but neither approaches Israel’s level of democratic openness.

Yet none of these leaders seems to occupy the same place in the moral imagination of many American progressives as Benjamin Netanyahu.

In many of the political discussions I encounter, Netanyahu is mentioned more often than virtually any other foreign leader. Donald Trump may be the only political figure who receives comparable attention. Yet many of the people engaged in these discussions rarely mention Sisi, Mohammed bin Salman, Bashar al-Assad, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, or other leaders whose records on civil liberties and political repression are far worse. 

To be clear, democracies should be held to higher standards than dictatorships. That is entirely appropriate. Israel also receives substantial American aid, and Americans have every right to debate the policies of a close ally.

But holding democracies to higher standards is one thing. Reserving uniquely intense moral condemnation for the elected leader of the Middle East’s........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)