How Ben Shapiro defends Israel

Columnist Ben Shapiro was interviewed ahead of his visit to Israel on Independence Day (which, if transsexual singer Dana International is attending, I won't be watching, unfortunately), and makes a point that facts matter:

Shapiro's uncompromising advocacy for Israel has earned him many enemies worldwide. This week, when it was announced he had been chosen to light a torch at the Independence Day ceremony, it surprisingly became apparent that he has critics in Israel as well. A vocal minority from the left attacked Shapiro and those who selected him, attempting to portray him as "controversial" – a familiar tactic used whenever Israel decides to honor someone who fights relentlessly for the country without self-pity or selfish calculation, but doesn't belong to the "correct" left-wing circles.

Shapiro remains unfazed by attempts to smear him as "backwards" regarding homosexuality, abortion, and transgender issues. "I've seen many attempts to distort my actual positions from many on the Israeli left, particularly in the media," he says in an exclusive interview with "Israel Hayom." "It's not particularly surprising – their way of distortion is well-known. I have never said homosexuality is a mental illness, nor do I believe that. Here are my actual positions: I believe in the traditional definition of marriage, and that the state should offer benefits to such marriages because it's in the state's inherent interest to support father-mother-children nuclear families. I do not believe in the regulation of same-sex relationships. I am entirely pro-life because I believe unborn human beings deserve to live. I believe men cannot become women, that there are only two sexes (male and female), and that men with gender dysphoria remain men."

But more than anything, he doesn't understand what connection his positions on these and other issues, whether someone likes them or not, have to the underhanded attempt to disqualify his selection to light the Independence Day torch – and along with him, the vast majority of Israelis don't understand either: "After all, even those who disagree with me on these issues should celebrate and honor the establishment of the State of Israel, which represents the fulfillment of God's promise to the Jewish people and stands as a bulwark against enemies of the West. While I'm always happy to discuss my views and do so daily – for instance on my podcast, which is listened to by millions of people – what's far more important, particularly at this time in history, is recognizing that despite all our disagreements, we must not undermine the unity of celebrating Israel's Independence Day."

In this unifying message, he is right. Few know better than he how to distinguish between the essential and the trivial, between allies and enemies. It's no wonder that due to his willingness to defend Israel in every forum and at all times, he's often called "Israel's defender."

"That label is a great honor for me," Ben Shapiro (41) acknowledges. "I'm certain every decent person should defend Israel in its war against genocidal and monstrous enemies like Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and their sponsor – Iran. Today, defending Israel simply means telling the truth about it – there are too many people willing to lie or hedge to avoid controversy. For me, that has meant using my platform to spread the truth about what's happening in Israel and the region, appearing in some of the world's largest media outlets to do the same, debating on behalf of Israel at Oxford and Cambridge, and so on. It has also meant launching a musical called 'We Will Rise' in Israel, with music and lyrics by my father, to demonstrate our love for Israelis during this critical time. And it has meant giving more charity, speaking more, writing more, arguing more."

You can read more at the article. I hope that, if he speaks with Dana International, Shapiro will ask that man in drag if he recognizes that what the Hamas did to the women they graphically raped murdered on October 7, 2023 is wrong even in the guise of transsexual surgeries. That said, it's a shame culture minister Miri Regev had to take a woke path and invite Dana to attend, because it won't change anti-Israelists' view of Zion, and it doesn't help Israel's moral image either. What helps is if actual women who support good causes are elevated to heroic statuses. That's what's important now, and even Shapiro, it can be said, is supporting that.

And I'm glad to see that, if anything, Shapiro isn't making the mistake of obscuring Islam's darkest parts this time, as he once did 2 years ago. That was entirely uncalled for.