The editorial is a serious mistake for the Journal and for the Jewish community. Framing the Nobel Prize to Navi Pillay as little more than proof of hatred for Israel avoids the real question: whether current Israeli policies are actually protecting long-term security. Lasting safety for both Israelis and Palestinians has to rest on international law, not the priorities of interest groups in Washington, and that means confronting root causes instead of open-ended war.
Israel faces genuine threats, including from Hamas. At the same time, Netanyahu’s government has chosen settlement expansion, prolonged campaigns with high civilian costs, and the rejection of any serious political path. These choices have deepened isolation and failed to deliver lasting safety; they often look more like they serve other agendas than the interests of ordinary Israelis. Genocide scholars such as Omer Bartov have warned that the present course risks irreversible harm.
Endless war does not protect Jewish communities in Israel or the diaspora. It raises costs at home, hardens enemies, and turns legitimate defense into a political slogan. A better approach would combine firm deterrence against Hamas and Iran-backed groups with clear limits, real accountability for violations of humanitarian law by all sides, and support for Palestinian self-governance that renounces violence.
Sanctions and diplomatic pressure can work alongside security cooperation. The United States and others should press both sides toward a settlement that secures Israel’s existence while granting Palestinians genuine sovereignty. Everyone must answer for their actions; the law cannot be applied selectively. Only then does peace have a realistic chance.
Please read the article and the accompanying comments by Turki Faisal Al Rasheed, Riyadh.
A Nobel Prize for Hating Israel
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/navi-pillay-nobel-peace-prize-israel-hamas-south-africa-523efb07?st=g6Lk5v&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
