Nothing highlights the stark contrast between public opinion inside Israel and beyond its borders more than the reaction to the killing of the volunteers of the humanitarian aid organization World Central Kitchen (WCK). Regardless of the country, the volunteers' deaths have dominated headlines, social media discussions, public statements and street protests. However, in Israel, even before the announcement of the IDF investigation results and any subsequent developments, the issue began to fade from the spotlight, eventually pushed aside due to the Iranian threat.
While outside Israel the IDF investigation is generally seen as professional but insufficient, within our borders it's been accepted as a full explanation, attributing the tragic incident to serious deviations from unclear orders, command disobedience, faulty communication and mistaken identifications – a chain of errors that led to the tragic outcome. However, as the French say, in war accidents happen, as long as there is no malicious intent.
Yet, the killing won't fade from the global conscience, and the campaign against Israel won't cease, unless non-routine steps are taken. The Israeli public is unaware of the extent of the devastation in Gaza and the increasing global hatred toward Israel. Currently, the focus is on the claim that the IDF intentionally kills humanitarian aid workers to starve Gaza's residents.
The famine narrative is a new twist on the blood libel, and the explanations from official government and military sources in Israel will not prevent its adoption by tens or even hundreds of millions
The famine narrative is a new twist on the blood libel, and the explanations from official government and military sources in Israel will not prevent its adoption by tens or even hundreds of millions. What could be the resounding response? Not trying to explain what happened, but transparency and openness, are the means to counter the malicious allegation and minimize its spread. A significant step in the right direction could be Israeli consent to an independent investigation by the well-known and respected organization WCK, an agreement that won't even scratch our sovereignty as a nation.
IDF soldiers and officers will not be investigated by the FBI or by Polish prosecutors, but rather by personnel from an independent humanitarian aid organization, impartial and fair. There is no need to worry: the hair won't fall from the heads of those involved in the incident. This bitter pill is somewhat hard to swallow, but certainly not poisonous.
We can swallow it without danger; it's reasonable to assume that swallowing it might even improve our national health, even if it slightly affects our national pride. The price is reasonable. Israel does not have good relations with humanitarian organizations of their kind, so it is important to maintain those that have been established with WCK and its head, who are almost certain candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The increasing legitimization of Israel, which is no longer solely the concern of extreme anti-Israel factions, has reached a level that nullifies its very existence as a Jewish state, as determined by the UN's 1947 Partition Plan (Resolution 181). That historic decision is now presented in scholarly opinion articles as illegitimate because all Arab countries voted against it; it is not unthinkable that one day a general strike may be required to rescind it.
Even if we do not reach that point, actively confronting this toxic wave must be a central component of our comprehensive national strategy. We cannot afford to ignore it: it will not recede on its own.