In the October 7 massacre, the entire world was exposed to the atrocities committed by Hamas against the citizens and residents of Israel. For a moment, it seemed that this was the watershed: that this time they would understand and that the world would rise up against barbarism, stand up to the right of the State of Israel and stop questioning the right of the Jewish state to exist and defend itself. But in a matter of days, that hope collapsed and vanished—an ever-strong, radical wave of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel swept across the United States and the entire West—from campuses, workplaces, to the streets.
In Intifada Globalized, Ofir Dayan reveals the full story behind this collapse: When did the Jews and Israel turn from the underdog that everyone is in favor of to the privileged oppressors? How did the word Zionist become a curse and Israel an enemy of the liberal and educated youth? Why are calls for the murder of Jews context-dependent? Where do blood libels develop against Jewish students, lecturers and activists just because of their Jewishness? How does all this affect Jews and Zionists who are excluded from jobs, studies and social activities?
Intifada Globalized is a warning sign that calls on us to pay attention to the dramatic change in the way Israel is perceived by the West's youth and to understand the magnitude of the challenge we face. It is a wake-up call while still possible to make amends; It is a call spurring us to retell the story of the State of Israel in a way that will ensure continued international support for its existence.
Ofir Dayan, is one of the leaders of the struggle for Israel's name on extremist campuses as president of Students Supporting Israel - SSI and holds a bachelor's and master's degree in international relations from Columbia University. She is a reserve officer in the IDF Spokesperson's Office, a commentator for many media outlets in Israel and around the world and a researcher in the field of national security at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).
