Editor's note: Peter T C Chang is former deputy director of the Institute of China Studies, Malaysia. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of China Up Close.
US’s unwavering support of Israel is tainted by far-right ideology; the rest of the West must join the Global South to halt the genocide in Gaza and to prevent the crisis from escalating into a wider regional conflict.
Last week, in a dangerous escalation of the Middle East crisis, Israel launched what it described as pre-emptive strikes against Iran. This latest development has further inflamed global protests – including in Western cities – against Israel’s actions, particularly its ongoing blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The growing outrage over Israel’s actions is contributing to a rise in antisemitism. In the US, two recent attacks targeting Jewish individuals—one in Colorado and another in Washington—have left many in the Jewish community feeling increasingly vulnerable. The FBI Director Kash Patel has classified these attacks as acts of domestic terrorism. Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to combat antisemitism while reaffirming US unwavering support for Israel.
Evangelicals represent a core constituency of the US support for Israel. Their backing is rooted in the belief that the founding of Israel fulfills biblical prophecy and signals the anticipated second coming of the Messiah. Beyond supporting Israel, evangelicals are part of a broader movement. Through initiatives like the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, conservative groups aim to promote Christian nationalist values and, more broadly, reestablish Christianity as the foundation of Western civilization.
In February, J.D. Vance criticized European governments for suppressing conservative voices, framing it as an attack on freedom of speech. During Germany’s recent general election, Elon Musk openly endorsed the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a far-right political party. The involvement of American conservatives in European politics has sparked alarm – especially in Germany, given the country’s WWII legacy. In May, German authorities moved to ban the AfD, officially designating it as a right-wing extremist organization.
Here is a troubling contradiction in US support for Israel: While publicly denouncing antisemitism, Trump has been linked to figures such as Nick Fuentes, a known Holocaust denier and Nazi sympathizer. Equally disconcerting, the evangelical support for Israel is rooted in a theological worldview that envisions the eventual conversion of all people—including Jews—to Christianity.
This year, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. In its aftermath, the United Nations was founded with a solemn pledge: to prevent future world wars and ensure that atrocities like the Holocaust would never happen again.
Yet for many in the Global South, the ongoing suffering of Palestinians has made those pledges seem hollow. Early in the Gaza war, South Africa took the lead in charging Israel of committing genocide, filing a case at the International Court of Justice. Despite these efforts, the Global South’s attempt to stop the war proved futile as Western powers uniformly backed Israel’s military response to October 7 and its claimed right to self-defense.
However, two years into the conflict, it has become increasingly evident that Netanyahu may have broader, more maximalist territorial objectives—namely, the reoccupation of both the West Bank and Gaza as part of a vision for a Greater Israel. His strategy seems calculated to make Gaza utterly unliveable, creating conditions that would force Palestinians into mass displacement.
With its conscience finally stirred, Europe began a long-overdue reckoning with Israel, as countries including Ireland, Spain, and Norway publicly accused it of creating a “man-made humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza. The pressure intensified last week when five Western nations—including the UK, Canada, and Australia—took coordinated action, imposing diplomatic sanctions on two far-right Israel cabinet members.
The Gaza war has fractured the Jewish diaspora, exposing profound divisions. In the US, organizations like the Jewish Voice for Peace have not only denounced Netanyahu's policies but actively mobilized protests against Israel's military campaign. The dissent reaches even Israel's highest levels—former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert authored a blistering Haaretz op-ed declaring, 'Enough is Enough. Israel is Committing War Crimes.”
Since its founding, Israel’s paramount security objective has been to ensure that Jews never again experience a tragedy like the Holocaust. Tragically, Netanyahu's current military actions in Gaza are now being accused by the international community of committing atrocities akin to genocide. In a cruel historical irony, the nation born from persecution risks replicating the very patterns of oppression it was created to escape.
Another tragic irony lies in Netanyahu’s far-right coalition aligning with elements of the American extremist factions – the same white supremacist groups and Christian nationalist movements whose ideological forebears helped pave the way for the Holocaust.
Beyond risking a wider regional conflict and fueling a global rise in antisemitism, Israel’s latest strikes against Iran and its ongoing devastation of Gaza have severely damaged its international reputation.
Yet the greatest tragedy lies in the catastrophic humanitarian toll on the Palestinian people—a damming testament to the world’s failure to prevent yet another crime against humanity. Most alarmingly, the United States – which helped to establish the United Nations Charter precisely to prevent such atrocities, has become increasingly complicit under Trump-era policies that embrace far-right ideological agendas.
In July, the Hague Group—co-chaired by Colombia and South Africa—will convene an emergency ministerial meeting in Bogotá to address Israel’s ongoing alleged crime of genocide. The international community must act decisively: it is time for the rest of the West to step up and join the Global South in working to end the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and prevent the crisis from spiraling into a broader regional war.
About the Author
Peter T C Chang is trained in the field of comparative philosophy and religion. In recent years, Chang’s research is focused on analyzing the new lease of life ancient philosophical and religious traditions are relishing in modern China. The project looks at how a rejuvenated Confucianism could shape the evolving character of the Chinese milieu and in turn impact the global community. Multidisciplinary in scope, the study covers subjects ranging from social-political reform to inter-civilizations engagements, and bioethical issues to environmental concerns.
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Trump's MAGA base of supporters are beginning to see the apostasy of their cult leader who promised Ending the Endless Wars.
Will they revolt or wait until gasoline prices skyrocket and they cannot refuel their Big Mac trucks and SUVs?? Recall the 1970s oil shortage and long lines for gas.
It's pretty hilarious to see Chinese nationalists criticizing Israel for defending themselves against Islamic terrorists. What do you guys think of your own government's actions in Xinjiang?