I find myself once again reading about the Israeli government complaining that someone (in this instance, British punk-rap band, Bobby Vylan) is being mean to them. Of course, they don’t say mean, they say ‘antisemitic’, but it’s basically about someone being critical of the actions of the Israeli government and army. The offense here was leading the crowd in a chant of ‘Death, death to the IDF (Israeli Defence Force)’, as a response to the genocidal behavior the IDF has been unleashing all over Gaza. This is not the first such incident since Israel decided to invade the Gaza Strip in response to the horrific terrorist attacks of October 7th, 2023. At that time, they had dozens of the world’s governments on their side and appeared to have the moral high ground. How far we have come since then, and not in a good way for anyone.

While both the initial attack and the current status in Gaza are horrific, I will take the risk of sounding trite when I say it all boils down to a PR problem for the Israelis and the IDF that can be fixed with just ‘one simple trick’.

STOP KILLING CHILDREN!

The numbers:

Since the end of the ceasefire on 18 March (2025), 1,309 children have reportedly been killed and 3,738 injured. In total, more than 50,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured since October 2023.”
UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder 

Also:

One of the most shocking sights in Gaza’s war has been the thousands of children with amputated limbs from Israel’s bombardment. The U.N.’s humanitarian aid organization OCHA called it the “largest cohort of child amputees in modern history.
AP News

To quote a dear friend of mine, “Holly Fuck Balls!”. There is simply no justification for such atrocities. If you aren’t capable of protecting your people without the mass slaughter and mutilation of children, you should pack it in as a government and call it a day. Seriously.

I know there are a lot of other factors in play, but honestly, the Israeli government could improve its standing in the world if it would just stop the indiscriminate killing, STARTING WITH THE CHILDREN. By not doing so, not only are they committing war crimes and genocide, they are KILLING CHILDREN!!! That behavior isn’t going to make you many friends^{[Citation Needed]}, but it will make you millions upon millions of enemies. And the worst part, the behavior is so horrific that it is giving actual antisemites the cover they need to operate in the open and spread their hatred.

Unfortunately, the Israeli government, as well as many Jewish people living outside of Israel, have construed all criticisms of the war in Gaza as anti-Semitic attacks, and that is simply not true.  Yes, the same roster of known anti-semites has come out to join the criticism, but that doesn’t mean everyone being critical is racist. In fact, with as horrific as the numbers above and the pictures are, NOT speaking out against Israel’s actions is a shameful act. So, the second best thing the Israeli government can do for their reputation (after STOPPING THE CHILD KILLING!!!) is to quit labeling everyone who dares ask them to STOP KILLING CHILDREN an antisemite. Not only is it farcical on its face, but it also makes people dismiss those who say it, and one thing Israel doesn’t want (nor do I) is for them to become further isolated. So aside from all the lives lost, property destroyed, and the DEAD CHILDREN, Israel is risking becoming a pariah state to much of the world. This is much bigger than Irish and British rappers; it’s going global, and it shows no signs of stopping.

Meanwhile, the previously unthinkable has happened in New York, where a Muslim candidate, Zohran Mamdani, who is very vocal with his criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, won the democratic mayoral primary by 12% including a sizeable portion of the Jewish vote. He is pro-Palestine, supports the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement against Israel, and has committed to arresting the Israeli prime minister if he comes to New York on his open war crimes warrant for genocide from the International Criminal Court (ICC). If this doesn’t capture the attention of the leaders in Jerusalem and prompt them to reconsider their actions, I am unsure what will.

Please, Mr. Netanyahu, it’s time to stop KILLING CHILDREN and let your country’s sullied reputation start to heal. The alternative is the further degradation of your world standing and the empowerment of the forces that want Israel to cease to exist. And if the latter happens, the terrorists who attacked on October 7th will have gotten exactly what they wanted.