Weekend Quotables: A seismic shift away from Israel support.
'This is not a momentary backlash. It’s a rupture.'
Amnesty International says “Israel is carrying out a deliberate campaign of starvation” in Gaza and is “systematically destroying the health, well-being and social fabric of Palestinian life”. — YeniSafak
For decades, support for Israel, both within its borders and across the West, was treated as sacrosanct. A bipartisan article of faith and moral obligation. But the Zionists’ genocidal war on Gaza, underwritten by the US, has blown up that consensus. What once seemed unshakable is now cracking and collapsing as the images of mass death, starvation, and global outrage flood social media.
Even within Israel, the war has become so odious that mass protests are tearing apart the nationalist consensus. Tens of thousands have taken to the streets—led by families of hostages still held in Gaza—demanding a ceasefire and a hostage deal. Highways are blocked. Politicians’ homes are besieged. The military itself is warning Netanyahu that his escalation plan will lead to further disaster.
Polls show only 28% of Israelis support the government’s plan to seize Gaza City. Over 70% want a hostage deal. The Zionist consensus, once built on white supremacy, fear, and unity, is hollowing out. And while right-wing factions still cling to settler-colonial assumptions, the cracks are undeniable.
Across Europe and the U.S., support for Israel has plummeted compared to even a year ago. The images from Gaza—starving children, bombed hospitals, mass graves—have pierced through decades of propaganda.
Younger American Jews are abandoning the pro-Israel line. The war is seen as a betrayal of Jewish ethics.
The PR machinery is broken, and global protests like the ones this past weekend have opened up space for those who are reluctant latecomers to sign on.
This is not just a shift in opinion. It’s a collapse of legitimacy. The Zionist project, long shielded by Western complicity and geopolitical convenience, is now exposed.
The question is no longer whether support for Israel is eroding. It’s whether the political structures built on that support can survive the growing political fire.
Weekend Quotables
Sarah Klein, NYU student, rally in Union Square, August 16, 2025
“We were told supporting Mamdani meant betraying our people. But what if it’s the opposite?”
Klein, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace and a former Birthright participant, spoke to a crowd of over 2,000, many of them young Jews disillusioned with institutional Zionism. Her words were met with chants of “Not in our name!” and “Jewish values = solidarity.”
Irwin Mansdorf
“Over 40% of Jews under 40 say Israel is guilty of war crimes. Nearly 30% believe it’s committing genocide.” — Jerusalem Post op-ed
Erika Guevara-Rosas, AI’s Director for Research, Advocacy, and Policy.
“The world cannot continue to pat Israel on the shoulder. — Amnesty International
Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats
Democrats can win in 2028. But we need to oust corporate candidates first. — Guardian
Brazilian Federal Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes
“There isn’t the smallest of possibilities of retreating even one millimeter,” Moraes said in response to Trump’s threats. — Washington Post
