A few weeks ago, President Isaac Herzog together with the Minister of the Diaspora and the Fight Against Antisemitism Amichai Chikli held a special recognition event at the President's residence for journalist, writer and political commentator Douglas Murray. The two presented him with a special token of appreciation for his advocacy work on behalf of Israel since the events of October 7.
This is an excellent opportunity to get to know Douglas Murray a little more deeply. Murray was born in England to a Christian family 44 years ago. His ideological positions and political views are described by academics and journalists as conservative, extreme right-wing, and Islamophobic. He is known as a regular critic of immigration and Islam, and claims that there is an effort by the global left to "destroy Western civilization."
In relation to Islam, he claims, among other things, that the conditions for Muslims in Europe should be made more difficult, and calls for the continuation of an armed war against Iran, Syria, and any regime that supports terrorism.
Douglas is known for his great support for the State of Israel. He has visited Israel many times and defended the Jewish State during the various operations and wars it has faced over the years.
"Israel's reaction is completely proportional"
One of Murray's most memorable and poignant interviews was in the first days of the war on the British "Talk TV" network. During the interview, he was asked by an anti-Israeli host about the issue of proportionality. He answered her firmly:
"Proportionality almost never exists in a conflict, but if we were to decide that we have a hammer on the issue of proportionality, it would follow that in response to what Hamas did in Israel on Saturday, Israel should try to locate a music festival in Gaza, for example, and rape the same exact number of women that Hamas raped and killed. Exactly the number of young people that Hamas killed. Proportionality in the conflict is a joke and it is a very strange British concept that we have that only the Israelis are expected when they are in a conflict and when they are attacked to have a completely proportional response."
Murray has written thousands of articles over the years and published several books, two of which are very relevant to the current situation: "The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam" published in 2017 and "The War on the West: How to Prevail in the Age of Unreason" published in 2022.
Know that you are not alone
In the current war, Murray has become one of the prominent voices in support of Israel. He defends Israel in the international media, has visited Israel dozens of times since the beginning of the campaign, and fights for our good name and for justice wherever he can.
In an interview to the Mako website, he said, among other things: "I have been pro-Israel all my life. Perhaps following the extreme violence perpetrated against Israelis, people here feel more alone and I'm sorry to hear about that. Know that you are not alone. There are many people in the civilized world who stand by Israel." In an interview with Ynet, he said: "Since the massacre, I have been explaining to the West who the [real] perpetrators are."
A few days ago Douglas Murray received an award and recognition from the Manhattan Institute in New York and he dedicated his speech to the people of Israel and said, among other things: "I want to dedicate receiving this award to the people of Israel who, in the face of death, choose life." Douglas's love and support for Israel touches you every time you hear it.
Precisely in these days when antisemitism and hatred towards Jews around the world are reaching unprecedented heights, it is critical that supporters of the Jewish State be given center stage.