Journalist Allister Heath said, “A nation this small should not be this strong. Israel has no oil. No special natural resources. A population barely the size of a mid-sized American city. They are surrounded by enemies. Hated in the United Nations. Targeted by terror. Condemned by celebrities. Boycotted, slandered, and attacked. And still, they thrive like there’s no tomorrow – in military, in medicine, in security, in technology, in agriculture, in intelligence, in morality, in sheer unbreakable will. They turn desert into farmland. They make water from air. They intercept rockets in mid-air. They rescue hostages under the nose of the world’s worst regimes. They survive wars that were supposed to wipe them out, and win.”

Indeed, when it comes to Israel, ironies, inconsistencies, and irrationalities abound.

Last year, Austria’s JJ Pietsch won EUROVISION, an international songwriting competition. Israel’s Yuval Raphael took second place. Saying that Raphael should not have been allowed to compete because she represented Israel, Pietsch complained that the Israeli singer came in second. Had he lost, he would’ve been considered a sore loser, but taking first place, he was a sore winner. You simply cannot make this stuff up.

Unfortunately, JJ Pietsch is not alone in his quest to boycott Israel. Holding every Israeli responsible for its government’s actions, many people around the world have boycotted Israeli-owned businesses, Israeli artists, musicians, and films. However, they would most likely find it inconceivable for people to judge all Americans based on the actions of President Trump. Imagine if people who support the Israeli boycott, actors such as Cynthia Nixon, Mark Ruffalo, Emma Stone, Javier Bardem, and Joaquin Phoenix, were boycotted because of the actions of the American government.

Moreover, ignoring the fact that the vast majority of Jews living outside Israel do not have Israeli citizenship and are therefore unable to cast a vote in Israeli elections, many people hold all Jews accountable for every action of the Israeli government. Conversely, in the last election the people of Gaza overwhelmingly voted for Hamas, a known terrorist organization. Those who blame all Jews for Israel’s defensive actions are the same ones who collectively absolve the people of Gaza for Hamas’ evil actions.

In order to fully appreciate the topsy-turvy nature of this type of illogic, one need only to follow the money.

Increasingly, people are opposing American funds going to Israel. However, 100% of aid to Israel is spent inside the U.S in manufacturing plants, providing jobs to Americans and producing defense systems that benefit our country. On the other hand, with far fewer benefits to Americans, the U.S. provides billions of dollars in aid for Jordan and Egypt, yet few voice disapproval.

Some complain about Jewish money influencing America yet are not concerned about the influence of money donated from foreign countries to U.S. universities. Qatar has paid $7.7 billion, China $6.4 billion, and Saudi Arabia $4.2 billion. These donations from oppressive countries steeped in inequality, misogyny, racism, and homophobia greatly impact campus policies and curricula in ironically the most liberal universities in our country.

Moreover, the international community is expected to donate between 70 and 120 billion dollars to reconstruct Gaza, while the billionaire leaders of Hamas, the terrorists who are responsible for the destruction, will contribute nothing. In addition, no country has agreed to help rebuild the Israeli communities that Hamas destroyed. Israel must shoulder the financial burden itself.

In the news, the disproportionate focus on Israel and the Jews should be called out.

When Arabs kill Arabs and Arabs kill Jews, little attention is given, but when Jews kill Arabs, the world not only takes notice but is enraged.

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) said, “It’s very peculiar, because this is not the biggest conflict in the world. From a humanitarian standpoint, from an economic standpoint, this is number six or seven, and most Americans couldn’t name number three, four, and five. But there we are, we’re on the front page. Jews make news.”

The strange and unfortunate truth is that antisemitism rises both when Jews are attacked and when Jews defend themselves. However, history has demonstrated our knack for turning setbacks into successes and tragedies into triumphs.

Born out of Israel’s unique security challenges, Israel’s required military service fosters connections that often lead to its phenomenal achievements. In March 2020 four people who met while serving in the same unit in the Israeli army started a cybersecurity company called Wiz. In March 2025, while fighting Hamas in Gaza, Israel announced that Google would purchase the startup company. In March 2026, while simultaneously fighting Iran and Hezbollah, Israel completed its largest deal ever, the sale of Wiz for the hefty price of 32 billion dollars.

This tendency to transform negatives into positives is nothing new. Comedian Mel Brooks wasn’t joking when he said, “The people who had the greatest reason to weep, learned more than anyone else how to laugh.” In the 1970s, Time Magazine reported that while Jewish people made up less than 3% of the U.S. population, approximately 80% of professional American comedians were Jewish.

Indeed, the story of the Jewish people epitomizes the saying: Truth is stranger than fiction. Our history is so remarkable that had the Jews never existed and someone created a work of fiction based on our story, it would seem too far-fetched and too contrived to be possible.

It has been said that the Jewish people are the ever-dying people. Nevertheless, we are also the ones who continue to say the words that have for so long sustained us: Am Yisroel Chai, the people of Israel – the Jewish people – live.

Some might find that paradox strange. However, for the people who turned desert into farmland and made water from air, the people who never lost hope of returning to their ancient homeland, the truth of the matter is that it is not strange at all.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)