Israel acts with a sense of impunity, without fearing significant international consequences. Within Western governments there are members of parliament, diplomats, and senior officials who have become advocates for Israel. Any criticism of Israeli government policies is then immediately portrayed as a new form of antisemitism.

Religious nationalism in Israel, commonly referred to as religious Zionism, is an ideology that combines Orthodox Judaism with Zionism and has become an increasingly influential force in Israeli politics, particularly among supporters of Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank.

Canada, one of Israel’s staunchest allies, appears primed to use its new hate crime laws against groups advocating for the virulently anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.