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On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization
The New York Times bestselling author of The War on the West explains how no less than the future of the Western World is at stake in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Douglas Murray, #1 international bestselling author and renowned cultural commentator, confronts arguably the most pressing question of our Why are Western supporters of Palestine unwittingly aligning with an evil empire?
The campus left frames the violent hostilities as white colonialists committing genocide. Yet only a third of Israelis are Ashkenazi Jews of European ancestry. Murray argues that the conflict is not a simple tale of oppressor versus oppressed, but a clash between a thriving multi-racial democracy and a death cult bent on its destruction.
Drawing from intensive on-the-ground reporting in Israel and Gaza, Murray presents a compelling case that places the latest violence in its proper historical context. He takes readers on a harrowing journey through the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, piecing together the exclusive accounts from victims, survivors, and even the terrorists responsible for the atrocities.
On Democracies and Death Cults illustrates how Israel's commitment to fundamental Western values—capitalism, individual rights, democracy, and reason—has made it a beacon of progress in a region dominated by authoritarianism and extremism. Murray contrasts Israel’s principles with the ideology of Hamas, which openly proclaims its love of death over life. If left unchecked, Murray argues, this misplaced Western sympathy could embolden forces that seek to undermine democratic values and perpetuate a culture of violence.
Deeply reasoned, clear-eyed, and grounded in fact, On Democracy and Death Cults is a gripping and essential read for all who seek to understand the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its implications for the future of democracy both here and abroad—and for the world itself.
Douglas Murray, #1 international bestselling author and renowned cultural commentator, confronts arguably the most pressing question of our Why are Western supporters of Palestine unwittingly aligning with an evil empire?
The campus left frames the violent hostilities as white colonialists committing genocide. Yet only a third of Israelis are Ashkenazi Jews of European ancestry. Murray argues that the conflict is not a simple tale of oppressor versus oppressed, but a clash between a thriving multi-racial democracy and a death cult bent on its destruction.
Drawing from intensive on-the-ground reporting in Israel and Gaza, Murray presents a compelling case that places the latest violence in its proper historical context. He takes readers on a harrowing journey through the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, piecing together the exclusive accounts from victims, survivors, and even the terrorists responsible for the atrocities.
On Democracies and Death Cults illustrates how Israel's commitment to fundamental Western values—capitalism, individual rights, democracy, and reason—has made it a beacon of progress in a region dominated by authoritarianism and extremism. Murray contrasts Israel’s principles with the ideology of Hamas, which openly proclaims its love of death over life. If left unchecked, Murray argues, this misplaced Western sympathy could embolden forces that seek to undermine democratic values and perpetuate a culture of violence.
Deeply reasoned, clear-eyed, and grounded in fact, On Democracy and Death Cults is a gripping and essential read for all who seek to understand the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its implications for the future of democracy both here and abroad—and for the world itself.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published April 8, 2025
1049 people are currently reading
3375 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Murray
34 books2,755 followersDouglas Kear Murray is a British neoconservative writer and commentator. He was the director of the Centre for Social Cohesion from 2007 until 2011, and is currently an associate director of the Henry Jackson Society.
Murray appears regularly in the British broadcast media, commentating on issues from a conservative standpoint, and he is often critical of Islamic fundamentalism. He writes for a number of publications, including Standpoint, the Wall Street Journal and The Spectator.
Murray appears regularly in the British broadcast media, commentating on issues from a conservative standpoint, and he is often critical of Islamic fundamentalism. He writes for a number of publications, including Standpoint, the Wall Street Journal and The Spectator.
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August 30, 2025
Easily Refuted Propaganda
— John H. Davis, The Evasive Peace: A Study of the Zionist/Arab Problem (1968)
In this book, Douglas Murray has written an eye-rollingly one-sided and historically inaccurate account of the Israel/Palestine conflict, with an emphasis on the violent events of October 7, 2023. To give you an idea of the childish absolutism you're going to be subjected to, he laments early in the book how society has become too sophisticated to accept simplistic notions of good and evil any longer. Yes, really.
In his view:
- All Palestinians are either active or incipient bloodthirsty terrorists with no legitimate grievances.
- Israel has never done anything wrong, ever, and is maligned for no good reason.
- College students demonstrating against Israel's characteristically atrocious misconduct are not idealists protesting a despicable injustice in which the American government is criminally complicit, but are actually latent Nazis in the service of Iran.
And so forth.
As a result, we get a biased polemic that could not possibly convince an undecided reader, but rather provides "preaching to the synagogue" constant affirmation for Zionist true-believers.
Pure British Cuckoldry
There is something particularly noxious about an Englishman like Murray writing this uninhibited paean to Zionism. If he's going to clutch his pearls about terrorist tactics, he ought to get his hands on a copy of J. Bowyer Bell's landmark 1977 book Terror Out of Zion: The Violent and Deadly Shock Troops of Israeli Independence, 1929-1949, or Bruce Hoffman's more recent study treading the same ground, Anonymous Soldiers: The Jewish Underground, the British Army, and the Creation of Israel. In them, he and anyone else can read about how Jewish terrorists in Palestine were once assassinating British soldiers, officials, and diplomats left and right in broad daylight, to the point where the word "terrorist" in the 1940s was synonymous with "Jew."
He can read about how those nice Jewish boys Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir were on the "Most Wanted" posters of the Palestine Police Force for being dangerous criminals. Evidently their sinister backgrounds as the fathers of modern terrorism did nothing to dissuade the Israeli public from one day electing them as Prime Ministers in "the only democracy in the Middle East." He can read about the 1944 assassination of Lord Moyne in Cairo, and about the 1946 terror bombing of the King David Hotel which killed 91 people at the hands of Begin's cadre of remorseless murderers who disguised themselves as Arabs. And he can certainly read all about that infamous apex of total barbarism in 1947 known as the Sergeant's Affair, in which two young British soldiers were abducted, flogged, murdered, and hung from eucalyptus trees, their corpses booby-trapped with explosives to inflict maximum damage on the discoverers of their grisly fate. (This last bestial outrage, by the way, is considered the final straw which precipitated Britain's withdrawal from Palestine, thus leaving the Palestinian Arabs at the mercy of the fanatical aliens who had poured into their country since 1917 against their pitiable protests, facilitated by the force of British bayonets in an unconscionable betrayal of their Great War allies)
We can also bring up the famous Hollywood screenwriter Ben Hecht taking out full page ads in the New York Herald Tribune and New York Post in May 1947 to gleefully declare that every time Zionist terrorists in Palestine blew up a British railroad, train, or army depot, robbed a British bank, or shot at British soldiers and officials, the Jews of America "made a little holiday in their hearts."
According to the Jewish terrorist who boasts of his murders in his 1959 Memoirs of an Assassin: Confessions of a Stern Gang Killer written under the pseudonym of "Avner," in the estimate of his organization, "an Englishman would always be a filthy Goy[1], who could be killed for this reason alone"; in the next sentence he emphasizes that this was a "biological hatred."
[1] A pejorative word used by Jews to contemptuously refer to non-Jews. Jewish journalist and academic Stephen Bloom explains:
If Douglas Murray acknowledged these disturbing facts instead of lying by omission, his readers would discover that Zionist terror was alive and well in Palestine long before anyone ever heard of Hamas. In fact, they'd probably clamor for a memorial to British victims of Zionist terrorism to be built. Come to think of it, that would be a great way to separate the wheat from the chaff, a litmus test to identify the real English patriots as opposed to mere charlatans aping patriotism for their own cynical purposes like the present author and his counterpart across the pond in America, Jordan Peterson.
Who Are the People of Gaza?
If memory serves me correctly, Murray does indeed have the effrontery to not provide background to contextualize the situation in Gaza and its suffering inhabitants, so let me briefly do that now.
After explaining that the Gaza Strip amounts to hardly 2% percent of Palestine's landmass, Israeli historian Ilan Pappé writes in his 2017 book Ten Myths About Israel:
Hamas fires rockets into Israel? Of course they do. People generally meet force with force. Since it was the Arabs who were victimized by Zionist force from the end of 1947 through 1948 and beyond, they naturally respond in kind. They want their homes, property, and country back from the usurpers who stole it from them and turned them into squalid wretches overnight. Who can blame them? You can disagree with the methods (which Jews both pioneered and introduced into Palestine about a century ago as explained above), as I do, but not the cause.
Islam or Injustice?
As for the "Islamic" aspect which Murray plays up considerably throughout this book, I contend that Hamas isn't actually even an Islamist group in the sense that the term is commonly understood in the West, any more than the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine was driven by the doctrines of Karl Marx. The concept is that the group is motivated by the religious tenets of the Islamic faith. In fact, Hamas is motivated by the fact that Jews (or Zionists, whatever) stole everything they ever owned and forced them into an open-air concentration camp. If Jews had done this to Christians, Buddhists, or Hindus, there would be a group identical to Hamas opposing them and using the corresponding religious regalia.
As Rosemarie M. Esber writes in her 2008 magnum opus Under the Cover of War: The Zionist Expulsion of the Palestinians, the single greatest book ever written about the Israel-Palestine conflict:
Notice the conspicuous absence of religion as a contributing factor.
What It Boils Down To
The bottom line is that the Zionists came to Palestine, uninvited and unwanted, and then did precisely what they promised they would never do: establish a Jewish state and violently expel the residents of the land who had inhabited it for centuries.
None of their flimsy apologias and circumlocutions can get around this basic indisputable fact. THAT is why they scream like banshees whenever the truth gets out.
To date, the Israel-Zionist super-national mechanism has largely succeeded in leading the world to believe that there is something abnormal about the Arabs in that they do not recognize her, have not ceased to be belligerent, and have not made peace. It is probable that history will record that the Arabs have reacted very normally to Israel, considering that their land was seized by force, most of the indigenous population expelled and exiled, the land settled by immigrants, and the indigenous people regarded as foreigners.
— John H. Davis, The Evasive Peace: A Study of the Zionist/Arab Problem (1968)
In this book, Douglas Murray has written an eye-rollingly one-sided and historically inaccurate account of the Israel/Palestine conflict, with an emphasis on the violent events of October 7, 2023. To give you an idea of the childish absolutism you're going to be subjected to, he laments early in the book how society has become too sophisticated to accept simplistic notions of good and evil any longer. Yes, really.
In his view:
- All Palestinians are either active or incipient bloodthirsty terrorists with no legitimate grievances.
- Israel has never done anything wrong, ever, and is maligned for no good reason.
- College students demonstrating against Israel's characteristically atrocious misconduct are not idealists protesting a despicable injustice in which the American government is criminally complicit, but are actually latent Nazis in the service of Iran.
And so forth.
As a result, we get a biased polemic that could not possibly convince an undecided reader, but rather provides "preaching to the synagogue" constant affirmation for Zionist true-believers.
Pure British Cuckoldry
There is something particularly noxious about an Englishman like Murray writing this uninhibited paean to Zionism. If he's going to clutch his pearls about terrorist tactics, he ought to get his hands on a copy of J. Bowyer Bell's landmark 1977 book Terror Out of Zion: The Violent and Deadly Shock Troops of Israeli Independence, 1929-1949, or Bruce Hoffman's more recent study treading the same ground, Anonymous Soldiers: The Jewish Underground, the British Army, and the Creation of Israel. In them, he and anyone else can read about how Jewish terrorists in Palestine were once assassinating British soldiers, officials, and diplomats left and right in broad daylight, to the point where the word "terrorist" in the 1940s was synonymous with "Jew."
He can read about how those nice Jewish boys Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir were on the "Most Wanted" posters of the Palestine Police Force for being dangerous criminals. Evidently their sinister backgrounds as the fathers of modern terrorism did nothing to dissuade the Israeli public from one day electing them as Prime Ministers in "the only democracy in the Middle East." He can read about the 1944 assassination of Lord Moyne in Cairo, and about the 1946 terror bombing of the King David Hotel which killed 91 people at the hands of Begin's cadre of remorseless murderers who disguised themselves as Arabs. And he can certainly read all about that infamous apex of total barbarism in 1947 known as the Sergeant's Affair, in which two young British soldiers were abducted, flogged, murdered, and hung from eucalyptus trees, their corpses booby-trapped with explosives to inflict maximum damage on the discoverers of their grisly fate. (This last bestial outrage, by the way, is considered the final straw which precipitated Britain's withdrawal from Palestine, thus leaving the Palestinian Arabs at the mercy of the fanatical aliens who had poured into their country since 1917 against their pitiable protests, facilitated by the force of British bayonets in an unconscionable betrayal of their Great War allies)
We can also bring up the famous Hollywood screenwriter Ben Hecht taking out full page ads in the New York Herald Tribune and New York Post in May 1947 to gleefully declare that every time Zionist terrorists in Palestine blew up a British railroad, train, or army depot, robbed a British bank, or shot at British soldiers and officials, the Jews of America "made a little holiday in their hearts."
According to the Jewish terrorist who boasts of his murders in his 1959 Memoirs of an Assassin: Confessions of a Stern Gang Killer written under the pseudonym of "Avner," in the estimate of his organization, "an Englishman would always be a filthy Goy[1], who could be killed for this reason alone"; in the next sentence he emphasizes that this was a "biological hatred."
[1] A pejorative word used by Jews to contemptuously refer to non-Jews. Jewish journalist and academic Stephen Bloom explains:
The world was split into two distinct halves: Jews and gentiles. Jews were always sought in business or social dealings over gentiles. A common expression used by Jews to describe a slow, dense person was—and still is—"He's got a goyisher kop," which literally means "He's got a gentile head" but figuratively means "slow-witted."
If Douglas Murray acknowledged these disturbing facts instead of lying by omission, his readers would discover that Zionist terror was alive and well in Palestine long before anyone ever heard of Hamas. In fact, they'd probably clamor for a memorial to British victims of Zionist terrorism to be built. Come to think of it, that would be a great way to separate the wheat from the chaff, a litmus test to identify the real English patriots as opposed to mere charlatans aping patriotism for their own cynical purposes like the present author and his counterpart across the pond in America, Jordan Peterson.
Who Are the People of Gaza?
If memory serves me correctly, Murray does indeed have the effrontery to not provide background to contextualize the situation in Gaza and its suffering inhabitants, so let me briefly do that now.
After explaining that the Gaza Strip amounts to hardly 2% percent of Palestine's landmass, Israeli historian Ilan Pappé writes in his 2017 book Ten Myths About Israel:
Indeed, [Gaza] is such a small part of the country that it has never existed as a separate region in the past. Before the Zionization of Palestine in 1948, Gaza's history was not unique or different from the rest of Palestine, and it had always been connected administratively and politically to the rest of the country.
[…]
The Strip was created in the last days of the 1948 war. It was a zone into which the Israeli forces pushed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the city of Jaffa and its southern regions down into the town of Bir-Saba (Beersheba of today). Others were expelled to the zone from towns such as Majdal (Ashkelon) as late as 1950, in the final phases of the ethnic cleansing. Thus, a small pastoral part of Palestine became the biggest refugee camp on earth. It is still like this today.
Hamas fires rockets into Israel? Of course they do. People generally meet force with force. Since it was the Arabs who were victimized by Zionist force from the end of 1947 through 1948 and beyond, they naturally respond in kind. They want their homes, property, and country back from the usurpers who stole it from them and turned them into squalid wretches overnight. Who can blame them? You can disagree with the methods (which Jews both pioneered and introduced into Palestine about a century ago as explained above), as I do, but not the cause.
Islam or Injustice?
As for the "Islamic" aspect which Murray plays up considerably throughout this book, I contend that Hamas isn't actually even an Islamist group in the sense that the term is commonly understood in the West, any more than the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine was driven by the doctrines of Karl Marx. The concept is that the group is motivated by the religious tenets of the Islamic faith. In fact, Hamas is motivated by the fact that Jews (or Zionists, whatever) stole everything they ever owned and forced them into an open-air concentration camp. If Jews had done this to Christians, Buddhists, or Hindus, there would be a group identical to Hamas opposing them and using the corresponding religious regalia.
As Rosemarie M. Esber writes in her 2008 magnum opus Under the Cover of War: The Zionist Expulsion of the Palestinians, the single greatest book ever written about the Israel-Palestine conflict:
The Arab states' animosity toward Israel is rooted in the injustice inflicted by Zionists on the Palestinians during the 1948 war: the expulsion of the native Palestinian Arab population, the illegal seizure of their private property, and the continued expansion of the State of Israel on Arab land.
Notice the conspicuous absence of religion as a contributing factor.
What It Boils Down To
The bottom line is that the Zionists came to Palestine, uninvited and unwanted, and then did precisely what they promised they would never do: establish a Jewish state and violently expel the residents of the land who had inhabited it for centuries.
None of their flimsy apologias and circumlocutions can get around this basic indisputable fact. THAT is why they scream like banshees whenever the truth gets out.
April 15, 2025
Absolutely brilliant! It’s a painful read because it discusses trauma after trauma but the moral clarity, the integrity and the loyalty to truth that Douglas Murray shows the world is astounding. He is a great writer who handles really painful and dark situations with the respect they deserve. As an Iranian, I found the accuracy and lack of virtue signalling/ pandering refreshing.
April 8, 2025
Democracies are indeed death cults. No nation proves that more visibly than Israel.
April 12, 2025
A gay neoconservative with white supremacy leanings who fervently hates Islam spouting propaganda for Israel. How anyone with an ounce of integrity or introspection could take this “book” seriously and support his “arguments” is beyond me. If you’re a Zionist who believes Palestinians are subhuman and not deserving of life, this is perfect drivel for you and your ilk. Zero stars.
June 28, 2025
Douglas Murray captured the feelings of every Israeli with this thoughtful and insightful rendering of Jewish life post 10/7. He captured the anguish of the families whose loved ones were either killed or taken hostage. He met with soldiers and medical examiners who were responsible for sifting through the carnage wrought on the kibbutzim when Hamas breached the wall and killed indiscriminately. He met with leadership of IDF to understand the military strategies employed to address a multiple front war. He went into Gaza on many occasions to witness the complexity of fighting Hamas in such a difficult environment, tunnels, bobbie trapped buildings, hospitals posing as care giving with basements loaded with weapons and food for Hamas terrorists, and much more. He explored some of the history and more significant conflicts dating back to 1948, 1967, 1973, as a well as the recent Gaza conflict with Hamas over the past 20 years, as well as considering the West Bank and the roll of the Palestinian Authority. He pondered the meaning of all of it and the ideology of Hamas, putting the importance of death high in their belief system, citing the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, and his favorable reaction (a smile) upon learning that his two sons and several grandchildren were killed in a car by an israeli air attack, knowing that they were martyred for their profit. And finally, he wrote of the bravery of this generation of Israelis who were fighting this war and how proud all Israelis were that this generation stood up so forcefully against the enemy, putting life at their North Star.
Fast forward to end of June 2025. Hamas and Hezbollah have been destroyed. The Houthis have been several degraded. Assad is Syrian has fallen. Iranian nuclear sites have been destroyed and a ceasefire is in place. Civil unrest in Iran could be a sign of regime change. Several new Agreements under the Abraham Accords are expected shortly. A new dawn is rising in the Middle East for peace and economic prosperity. All because Yayah Sinwar chose to attack Israel on 10/7. Meanwhile, Bibi is sitting in a Court room, persecuted by the illiberal left in his Country for silly, petty charges.
Fast forward to end of June 2025. Hamas and Hezbollah have been destroyed. The Houthis have been several degraded. Assad is Syrian has fallen. Iranian nuclear sites have been destroyed and a ceasefire is in place. Civil unrest in Iran could be a sign of regime change. Several new Agreements under the Abraham Accords are expected shortly. A new dawn is rising in the Middle East for peace and economic prosperity. All because Yayah Sinwar chose to attack Israel on 10/7. Meanwhile, Bibi is sitting in a Court room, persecuted by the illiberal left in his Country for silly, petty charges.
Want to read
December 22, 2024Never have I ever clicked on 'pre-order’ so fast. This is going to a great birthday gift.
April 12, 2025
Inspirational and informative exploration of the events of October 7, 2023 in Israel and the aftermath. Murray writes with knowledge, wisdom, and compassion. A must read for those concerned about the truth of the current Middle East situation.
April 16, 2025
This book was difficult to read but not due to the author’s thorough understanding of the subject matter and astute references. When you talk about the death of 1200 young people and the debris of body parts being collected in bags, it sickens me. When you talk about the murder and rape of women and young children, it is disturbing to a deep level. When you talk about hostages including Americans being kept in tunnels, starved, beaten, raped and tortured for over a year and Americans not only turning their heads but celebrating it on college campuses, our country’s morality is gone. People are repeating the same antisemitism that went on prior to the Holocaust, and the denying their knowledge or participation in the behavior. I have included my notes from the book, and I am very aware of the media storm surrounding the publication of this book. I have read many of Douglas Murray’s books and I have nothing but utter respect for the author. Being an entertainer or podcaster or a comedian does not make you an expert on anything. If you don’t agree with my review, I don’t care so don’t waste your time or mine with negative opinions.
July 31, 2025
Douglas Murray and I have little in common. As a liberal atheist, I'm not aligned with his politics. This being said, we share some principles. First, we believe in the nation state, and that nations should defend their borders. We believe in the liberation and the equality of gay people, wherever they live. More importantly, we support the state of Israel, its right to exist, and its need to defend itself against threats, both foreign and domestic.
Mr. Murray wrote this book in response to what I call the October Massacre: the invasion of Israel from Gaza by thousands of Hamas terrorists. Eventually, the world would come to know the number slain: 1,200. It represents the greatest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. What should have caused uproar round the world was met with celebration or, perhaps worse, silence. With this book, Mr. Murray explains why.
He and I have another thing in common: we've both spent time in Israel and the Arab World. Whereas Mr. Murray has visited many Arab countries as a journalist, I lived in the Desert for almost four years in my mid-twenties. For this reason, he and I understand, to a great degree, the geopolitical forces that govern the region, inform its culture, and inspire its animosity towards the world's only Jewish state.
Mr. Murray also identifies a cultural problem in the West. Activists on the Far Left have decided the Arabs of Gaza and the West Bank, either side of Israel, should be seen as underdogs in a territorial, anti-colonial fight. As Mr. Murray makes clear (and as I confirm), the principles and goals of jihadi movements are opposed to all Leftist ideals. Alas, this goes largely unremarked in Western political discourse.
Surprisingly, 'On Democracies and Death Cults' ends with hope. Mr. Murray was inspired by the Israeli response to the October Massacre. (As a distant observer, so was I.) He writes with pride about the fortitude and the dedication exhibited by Israelis as they counter the existential threat to their country. His deepest desire is the response will encourage other nations to do likewise. With any luck, it will.
Mr. Murray wrote this book in response to what I call the October Massacre: the invasion of Israel from Gaza by thousands of Hamas terrorists. Eventually, the world would come to know the number slain: 1,200. It represents the greatest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. What should have caused uproar round the world was met with celebration or, perhaps worse, silence. With this book, Mr. Murray explains why.
He and I have another thing in common: we've both spent time in Israel and the Arab World. Whereas Mr. Murray has visited many Arab countries as a journalist, I lived in the Desert for almost four years in my mid-twenties. For this reason, he and I understand, to a great degree, the geopolitical forces that govern the region, inform its culture, and inspire its animosity towards the world's only Jewish state.
Mr. Murray also identifies a cultural problem in the West. Activists on the Far Left have decided the Arabs of Gaza and the West Bank, either side of Israel, should be seen as underdogs in a territorial, anti-colonial fight. As Mr. Murray makes clear (and as I confirm), the principles and goals of jihadi movements are opposed to all Leftist ideals. Alas, this goes largely unremarked in Western political discourse.
Surprisingly, 'On Democracies and Death Cults' ends with hope. Mr. Murray was inspired by the Israeli response to the October Massacre. (As a distant observer, so was I.) He writes with pride about the fortitude and the dedication exhibited by Israelis as they counter the existential threat to their country. His deepest desire is the response will encourage other nations to do likewise. With any luck, it will.
April 11, 2025
Hagiographically pro-Israel, nevertheless Murray presented a strong case on Israel's struggle as a representative of Western civilization against barbarism. I am one of those who is shocked to see so many people making pro-Palestine sentiments. Didn't these people know that whatever crime Israel might have been guilty of, Hamas is on a different order of magnitude higher? Some of the stories about survivors, soldiers' bravery etc. are moving and inspiring.
One thing I find lacking is a soul searching reflection on the crimes of Israel, such as settler violence and seeming lack of remorse about Palestinian casualties. Of the many trips that Mr. Murray went on, I would be curious if he visited one of the IDF bases in which the advanced AI systems did the calculus - how many Palestinian casualties is acceptable to finish a mission? Nevertheless, to accuse Israel of being bloodthirsty is a luxury you can only afford when you are comfortably watching the news in the luxury of your living room, as opposed to having been subjected to the most sadistic, evil, massacre since the Holocaust and trying not to get killed by various acts of terrorism every day.
A necessary book, although to read something more nuanced and revelatory, you might have to seek elsewhere.
One thing I find lacking is a soul searching reflection on the crimes of Israel, such as settler violence and seeming lack of remorse about Palestinian casualties. Of the many trips that Mr. Murray went on, I would be curious if he visited one of the IDF bases in which the advanced AI systems did the calculus - how many Palestinian casualties is acceptable to finish a mission? Nevertheless, to accuse Israel of being bloodthirsty is a luxury you can only afford when you are comfortably watching the news in the luxury of your living room, as opposed to having been subjected to the most sadistic, evil, massacre since the Holocaust and trying not to get killed by various acts of terrorism every day.
A necessary book, although to read something more nuanced and revelatory, you might have to seek elsewhere.
April 20, 2025
This book hit hard. Not because it's a tough read. Far from it. The author's storytelling is gripping, and the writing flows smoothly. But the subject matter and the insanity it exposes are brutal. I had to pause often, sometimes feeling sick, sometimes enraged.
The book deepened my appreciation for Israel's restraint, especially after the October 7th terror attack. I can't fathom how they've held back from wiping Palestine and Iran off the map long ago.
The West's response is utterly shocking. I can't see how anyone could support Palestine, join those protests, and not be evil. I could give them the benefit of the doubt and assume ignorance, but that feels too generous when the internet offers instant access to information. When Hamas supporters in the West torch cars, destroy property and occupy Ivy League universities while chanting "intifada," my only conclusion is evil.
This book makes you lose all hope in humanity.
The book deepened my appreciation for Israel's restraint, especially after the October 7th terror attack. I can't fathom how they've held back from wiping Palestine and Iran off the map long ago.
The West's response is utterly shocking. I can't see how anyone could support Palestine, join those protests, and not be evil. I could give them the benefit of the doubt and assume ignorance, but that feels too generous when the internet offers instant access to information. When Hamas supporters in the West torch cars, destroy property and occupy Ivy League universities while chanting "intifada," my only conclusion is evil.
This book makes you lose all hope in humanity.
April 23, 2025
This was the cheapest, most stupid, propaganda books i've ever read. The author really takes his readers as ignorant and uncapable of seeing through his lies. The fact that he was "one of few" reporters allowed to enter Gaza is byitself a telling on the israel occupations purpose on funding his visits.
While an overwhelming reaction to the book in social media debunks the storyline and the lies, I thought it would be good to document some of my own observations here for future reference.
1. The main argument throughout the book is that the "world" does not have empathy towards jews! This victimization would have worked in the past, but not anymore. The true jews of this world, a lot of them in the US, were amongst the most active voices against israel genocide in Gaza. No one really cares of someones religion when he conducts genocide. In fact, the author accusess the left in the West to be confused (because they support Palestinian right of independance!). This has been the argument throughout the book, which is an insult to the inteligence of the Western population!
2. The author continuously accuses Hamas of not following laws of war! He didnt mention the 50,000 civilians that were killed by israel, nor the bombing of schools, universities, mancupalities, mosques, churches, and other civilian infrastructure. He didnt mention any of these attrocities. But what would expect from a cheap propaganda tool?
3. He accuses all of Gaza population to be not innocent. Effectively justifying the genocide. I havent seen a cruelty that matches the equation of children with terrorism and justifying their killing. There was a lot of dehumization of the Palestinian population, which was sick.
4. In general, the book assumes that history started on the 7th of October. No mention of the long history of occupation, no mention of the dare situation the Gaza population was in prior to the 7th of October (in fact, he openly lies that the situation was good, as though being in a golden cage is something the free people of the world would accept).
5. Finally, the book was full of lies. A repeated lie was that Hamas leaders has billions of dollars hidden in their bank accounts and that they lived in palaces while the people of Gaza suffer. The courages leaders of Hamas were at the forefront of the resistance, their families were amongst the first to be killed, they didnt live in palaces, nor they had anything in their bank accounts. These lies were part of the israel propaganda to deligitimize Hamas infront of its supporters, something that will not happen because we know the difference between someone who fights for his people, and someone who fights his people to protect himself from accusations of corruption.
As I said, this was the cheapest propaganda book I have ever read. It made me sick how can someone lie and lie and lie without shame. But if you look at the history of the author, you will realize that he has always been that: a cheap zionist lapdog.
While an overwhelming reaction to the book in social media debunks the storyline and the lies, I thought it would be good to document some of my own observations here for future reference.
1. The main argument throughout the book is that the "world" does not have empathy towards jews! This victimization would have worked in the past, but not anymore. The true jews of this world, a lot of them in the US, were amongst the most active voices against israel genocide in Gaza. No one really cares of someones religion when he conducts genocide. In fact, the author accusess the left in the West to be confused (because they support Palestinian right of independance!). This has been the argument throughout the book, which is an insult to the inteligence of the Western population!
2. The author continuously accuses Hamas of not following laws of war! He didnt mention the 50,000 civilians that were killed by israel, nor the bombing of schools, universities, mancupalities, mosques, churches, and other civilian infrastructure. He didnt mention any of these attrocities. But what would expect from a cheap propaganda tool?
3. He accuses all of Gaza population to be not innocent. Effectively justifying the genocide. I havent seen a cruelty that matches the equation of children with terrorism and justifying their killing. There was a lot of dehumization of the Palestinian population, which was sick.
4. In general, the book assumes that history started on the 7th of October. No mention of the long history of occupation, no mention of the dare situation the Gaza population was in prior to the 7th of October (in fact, he openly lies that the situation was good, as though being in a golden cage is something the free people of the world would accept).
5. Finally, the book was full of lies. A repeated lie was that Hamas leaders has billions of dollars hidden in their bank accounts and that they lived in palaces while the people of Gaza suffer. The courages leaders of Hamas were at the forefront of the resistance, their families were amongst the first to be killed, they didnt live in palaces, nor they had anything in their bank accounts. These lies were part of the israel propaganda to deligitimize Hamas infront of its supporters, something that will not happen because we know the difference between someone who fights for his people, and someone who fights his people to protect himself from accusations of corruption.
As I said, this was the cheapest propaganda book I have ever read. It made me sick how can someone lie and lie and lie without shame. But if you look at the history of the author, you will realize that he has always been that: a cheap zionist lapdog.
April 14, 2025
Douglas Murray’s On Democracies and Death Cults is not just a book—it’s a scalpel to the diseased moral relativism infecting modern discourse. In an age when nuance is flattened by ideology and moral clarity is dismissed as bias, Murray emerges as a voice of unflinching reason and rare courage.
With eloquence that recalls the great essayists of past generations, Murray takes direct aim at the disturbing trend—particularly among younger Westerners—to treat democratic societies and genocidal death cults as moral equivalents. He exposes the intellectual dishonesty and cowardice that allow such false equivalences to flourish, particularly in the context of Israel’s defense against Hamas. There is no moral parity here, and Murray is unafraid to say so, even when it’s unpopular—especially when it’s unpopular.
This book is not a polemic but a wake-up call, a moral compass for those adrift in a world that increasingly rewards appeasement and punishes truth. Murray reminds us that democracies, though imperfect, are fundamentally different from organizations like Hamas that glorify death, indoctrinate children, and celebrate atrocities. He does not indulge in simplifications, but he also refuses to contort reality in order to appease fashionable narratives.
What sets Murray apart—what makes him, perhaps, one of the most essential intellectuals of our time—is not just his erudition or his fearlessness, but his humanity. He writes with a clarity and empathy that cuts through the noise, drawing a line in the sand between civilization and barbarism. For many of us who have felt increasingly alienated by the moral inversion of our age, this book offers validation, direction, and resolve.
In On Democracies and Death Cults, Douglas Murray has not only written a brilliant essay—he has offered a moral lifeline. This should be required reading for anyone who still believes that the truth matters, and that defending it is worth the cost.
With eloquence that recalls the great essayists of past generations, Murray takes direct aim at the disturbing trend—particularly among younger Westerners—to treat democratic societies and genocidal death cults as moral equivalents. He exposes the intellectual dishonesty and cowardice that allow such false equivalences to flourish, particularly in the context of Israel’s defense against Hamas. There is no moral parity here, and Murray is unafraid to say so, even when it’s unpopular—especially when it’s unpopular.
This book is not a polemic but a wake-up call, a moral compass for those adrift in a world that increasingly rewards appeasement and punishes truth. Murray reminds us that democracies, though imperfect, are fundamentally different from organizations like Hamas that glorify death, indoctrinate children, and celebrate atrocities. He does not indulge in simplifications, but he also refuses to contort reality in order to appease fashionable narratives.
What sets Murray apart—what makes him, perhaps, one of the most essential intellectuals of our time—is not just his erudition or his fearlessness, but his humanity. He writes with a clarity and empathy that cuts through the noise, drawing a line in the sand between civilization and barbarism. For many of us who have felt increasingly alienated by the moral inversion of our age, this book offers validation, direction, and resolve.
In On Democracies and Death Cults, Douglas Murray has not only written a brilliant essay—he has offered a moral lifeline. This should be required reading for anyone who still believes that the truth matters, and that defending it is worth the cost.
April 13, 2025
Solid reporting and analysis from a journalist who has spent time in war zones from Ukraine to the Middle East. Highly recommend.
April 30, 2025
"Sometimes a flare goes up and you get to see exactly where everyone is standing..."
On Democracies and Death Cults was an excellent look into the topic. The title of the book is provocative on its face. But is this bold wording justified? The book lays out a pretty solid case that yes indeed it is. More below.
Author Douglas Murray is a British conservative political commentator, cultural critic, and journalist. He is currently an associate editor of the conservative British political and cultural magazine The Spectator, and has been a regular contributor to The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Sun, the Daily Mail, New York Post, National Review, The Free Press, and Unherd.
Douglas is one of my favorite public intellectuals. I have read two of his previous books, and enjoyed them both. I have watched and listened to dozens of his podcast appearances, as well. He's definitely a super sharp wit. He did a great job telling this story, too, and produced some more A-tier prose here.
Douglas Murray :
Murray opens the book with a great intro, effectively setting the pace for the rest of the book. He's an exceptional writer; IMHO. He writes with a natural easy and engaging style that not many of his contemporaries can pull off. It is a rare ability, even amongst those who write for a living.
He drops the quote at the start of this review at the beginning of the book, and it continues:
I will include a few caveats right up front. Firstly, this book contains many first-hand accounts of the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel on Oct 7th, 2023. Many (or even most) of these stories will likely shock and completely horrify the average reader of the book. It is difficult to comprehend the barbarity of the perpetrators who carried out these attacks. Reading these accounts was truly stomach-turning. This book is not for the faint of heart...
Secondly, the book is obviously a partisan take. The topic of Israel/Palestine relations is an extremely contentious and volatile one, no matter how you slice it. A quick glance at the top reviews here shows just how polarized opinions on this topic are. Most of these reviews are staunchly anti-Israel, and fervently pro-Palestinian. This is especially ironic, since the thesis of the book pretty much centers around how most of the Western world made apologetics for these atrocious terrorist attacks, if not turned a blind eye to the essence of their barbarity. A sentiment that many of these people also share.
As you can see for yourself here, the very existence of this book has triggered many of these same people to review bomb it, out of a sense of moral indignation. I would bet money that most of the 1-star reviews of this book are from people who didn't even read the book.
Personally speaking - I don't have a dog in the fight one way or another. I am not "pro" Israel, nor am I "pro" Palestine. And in war, I recognize that things are complicated. As well, my personal opinion of the situation is not really germane to this book's review. FWIW, I will drop a link here to a short video excerpt that summarizes a more nuanced view of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. One that also pretty effectively sums up any commentary I might have on the topic.
The book begins by telling the story of the attacks on Oct 7th, before talking about a brief history of the Israel/Palestine relations, since the country of Israel's creation in 1948.
Murray notes the scale of the attack in this quote:
The book continues with Murray talking about the many pro-Palestinian protests in the West, including ones that took over college and University campuses in the period directly after Oct 7th. Protestors chanted slogans that advocate for Jewish genocide, including “By Any Means Necessary," "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free!" and "Intifada." Murray says:
Murray also addresses what he feels are the root causes for the modern left's disdain for Jews and the state of Israel in a great bit of writing (edited for the sake of brevity):
Another central theme of the book is the examination of the virulent Jew hatred endemic to Gazans. Murray mentions that Arabic copies of Adolph Hitler's Mein Kampf were among the most popular books found in Gazan homes. He also talks about the extent of the elaborate network of underground tunnels that Hamas created:
He notes that Hamas has employed the strategy of placing their military fortifications, materiel, and weaponry amongst civilian homes, to maximize the propaganda effect if they should be targeted. He drops this quote:
Finally, Murray closes the book with a moving bit of writing. I'll include it here, but cover it with a spoiler:
********************
On Democracies and Death Cults was an excellent and detailed examination of a timely and contentious topic. Douglas Murray did a great job with this one. It should be required reading for young, impressionable minds before they succumb to the trappings of the modern leftist anti-Western Islamophilic sentiment that seems to be so en vogue these days.
I would definitely recommend it.
5 stars and a spot on my "favorites" shelf.
On Democracies and Death Cults was an excellent look into the topic. The title of the book is provocative on its face. But is this bold wording justified? The book lays out a pretty solid case that yes indeed it is. More below.
Author Douglas Murray is a British conservative political commentator, cultural critic, and journalist. He is currently an associate editor of the conservative British political and cultural magazine The Spectator, and has been a regular contributor to The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Sun, the Daily Mail, New York Post, National Review, The Free Press, and Unherd.
Douglas is one of my favorite public intellectuals. I have read two of his previous books, and enjoyed them both. I have watched and listened to dozens of his podcast appearances, as well. He's definitely a super sharp wit. He did a great job telling this story, too, and produced some more A-tier prose here.
Douglas Murray :
Murray opens the book with a great intro, effectively setting the pace for the rest of the book. He's an exceptional writer; IMHO. He writes with a natural easy and engaging style that not many of his contemporaries can pull off. It is a rare ability, even amongst those who write for a living.
He drops the quote at the start of this review at the beginning of the book, and it continues:
"...The morning of October 7, 2023, was just such a moment. That morning air-raid sirens went off all across Israel. This was no unusual thing in itself.
Certainly not in the south of the country that had for seventeen years been within rocket range of Hamas. Nor in the north of the country into which Hezbollah had fired rockets since the 1980s. But in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem the sirens sounded too. People woke up that Saturday morning to the realization that something very unusual was happening."
I will include a few caveats right up front. Firstly, this book contains many first-hand accounts of the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel on Oct 7th, 2023. Many (or even most) of these stories will likely shock and completely horrify the average reader of the book. It is difficult to comprehend the barbarity of the perpetrators who carried out these attacks. Reading these accounts was truly stomach-turning. This book is not for the faint of heart...
Secondly, the book is obviously a partisan take. The topic of Israel/Palestine relations is an extremely contentious and volatile one, no matter how you slice it. A quick glance at the top reviews here shows just how polarized opinions on this topic are. Most of these reviews are staunchly anti-Israel, and fervently pro-Palestinian. This is especially ironic, since the thesis of the book pretty much centers around how most of the Western world made apologetics for these atrocious terrorist attacks, if not turned a blind eye to the essence of their barbarity. A sentiment that many of these people also share.
As you can see for yourself here, the very existence of this book has triggered many of these same people to review bomb it, out of a sense of moral indignation. I would bet money that most of the 1-star reviews of this book are from people who didn't even read the book.
Personally speaking - I don't have a dog in the fight one way or another. I am not "pro" Israel, nor am I "pro" Palestine. And in war, I recognize that things are complicated. As well, my personal opinion of the situation is not really germane to this book's review. FWIW, I will drop a link here to a short video excerpt that summarizes a more nuanced view of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. One that also pretty effectively sums up any commentary I might have on the topic.
The book begins by telling the story of the attacks on Oct 7th, before talking about a brief history of the Israel/Palestine relations, since the country of Israel's creation in 1948.
Murray notes the scale of the attack in this quote:
"By late in the day on October 7, it was already clear that these acts included burning people alive, shooting innocent people, cutting off people’s heads, and raping men and women. Sometimes before killing them. Sometimes after.
Israel is a country with a population of just 9 million people. America is a country of some 333 million people. To put it in perspective, the death toll on October 7 was the equivalent of some 44,400 Americans being killed by terrorists on a single day. Or around fifteen 9/11s. The kidnap toll if it had happened by ratio in the US would have been almost 10,000 Americans taken from their homes as hostages. It would be the equivalent of some 5,000 Canadians being killed in a single day and a thousand taken hostage.
Or 8,400 French or British people being slaughtered in a single day and another 1,750 taken hostage..."
The book continues with Murray talking about the many pro-Palestinian protests in the West, including ones that took over college and University campuses in the period directly after Oct 7th. Protestors chanted slogans that advocate for Jewish genocide, including “By Any Means Necessary," "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free!" and "Intifada." Murray says:
"Intifada is not a neutral term, any more than “Sieg heil” is a phrase that simply means “Hail victory.” Since the 1980s, Palestinian leaders and clerics have twice called for an “intifada” against the Jewish state. The First Intifada (1987–93) and the Second Intifada (2000–2005) were among the bloodiest periods in Israel’s history. During those periods Israelis could not board a bus without wondering whether a Palestinian terrorist was going to detonate a suicide vest and turn the vehicle into a charnel house. Terrorist attacks against innocent civilians happened on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis for years. They often targeted people of the same age as those who spent the aftermath of October 7 calling for just such a thing."
Murray also addresses what he feels are the root causes for the modern left's disdain for Jews and the state of Israel in a great bit of writing (edited for the sake of brevity):
"...That early period of Western anti-Zionism is important for many reasons. One is the light it shines on what has happened in much of the West since October 7. But perhaps the best way to understand it is to go back to postwar Germany and the generation that grew up after 1945...
...the generation that grew up in Germany after World War II had pretty much only one guiding political principle by which to orient themselves. Essentially that was Don’t be Nazis. Don’t be like our parents’ generation...
...The German left that grew up in the 1950s and ’60s assumed that they were going to be able to hold fast to this principle. They were of the left, after all...
...the most interesting development was the movement’s adoption of the Palestinian cause. In the aftermath of the 1967 and 1973 wars in Israel, something crucial shifted in the international left’s attitudes toward the Jewish state. From 1948 until 1967, Israel had broad sympathy and support from the international left. In part this was because of the leftist origins of the state itself including the kibbutznik movement. Time spent working on a kibbutz in Israel was almost a rite of passage for leftists in those days...
...Leftists supported Israel for a number of reasons, but one that has often been a baseline of leftwing politics was support for the perceived underdog. From 1948 to 1967, Israel was the plucky underdog in the Middle East. Its neighbors had attempted to wipe it out but the Israelis had seen them off.
Then in 1967, and even more so in 1973, something changed. If Israel had been David up until this moment, a number of its supporters now saw it as having transformed into Goliath. The fact that Israel was still a tiny country with a tiny population in comparison with its neighbors was not the point. It now came to be seen by many as the overdog.
The change came about in part because Israel had won those two wars with relative ease...
...At the same time the idea grew that the Arabs who lived in Israel were not to be referred to as Arabs, like their brothers and sisters in Egypt, Jordan, or Iraq, but rather as “Palestinians” with a unique and long recognized identity of their own. With the turning of the Arabs into Palestinians it was now the Palestinians who were the beleaguered minority and the Israelis who were seen as the oppressive majority. So the Palestinians became the new Jews, with the Jews becoming the imperialist, brutish overlords..."
Another central theme of the book is the examination of the virulent Jew hatred endemic to Gazans. Murray mentions that Arabic copies of Adolph Hitler's Mein Kampf were among the most popular books found in Gazan homes. He also talks about the extent of the elaborate network of underground tunnels that Hamas created:
"Inside Gaza I visited the tunnels that Hamas had constructed during their eighteen years in power. One was a tunnel that had an opening within walking distance of the Erez crossing. It had been constructed by Sinwar’s brother and had become famous, in its own way, because of footage showing Sinwar himself traveling along the tunnel in a military vehicle.
When people think of a tunnel network many think of small scurry-holes. In fact, besides being longer than the entire London Underground, the network was also much more elaborate. In the 140 square miles of Gaza, Hamas spent its years in power constructing over 350 miles of tunnels, with around 6,000 different tunnel entrances. Many of these were hidden in civilian houses, mosques, hospitals, and other nonmilitary buildings. Like storing weapons in such places, this is a breach of the Geneva Conventions, which are meant to preclude an army hiding military infrastructure in civilian buildings. Doing such a thing obviously puts civilians at risk. But this was one of Hamas’s tools of war. Where most countries would seek to protect its civilians, Hamas always had a stated aim of using them as human shields. They knew that no country would be able to tolerate the buildup of rockets and other military infrastructure to be used against it, but they also knew that whenever Israel targeted a “civilian” facility in which Hamas had put its infrastructure, the world would condemn Israel."
He notes that Hamas has employed the strategy of placing their military fortifications, materiel, and weaponry amongst civilian homes, to maximize the propaganda effect if they should be targeted. He drops this quote:
"An American by birth, Major “Y” went to Israel immediately after the 7th to use his expertise. What he had seen in the months since the IDF went into Gaza had shocked even him. Stories that had already emerged in the international press about Hamas explosives being found smuggled inside children’s toys were just the start. By two months into the war his estimate was that somewhere between every two to every three civilian homes in Gaza had military weapons, including AK-47s, grenades, and rocket launchers, or tunnel entrances in them. From very early in the conflict he and his team had worked out where to search whenever they entered a civilian house. If they were looking for weapons, rockets, or tunnel entrances they no longer searched the main rooms, the kitchens, or the parents’ bedroom. They now went straight to the children’s bedrooms, since that was where tunnel entrances and weapons were generally located— including under kids’ cots. While Israeli families built safe rooms to protect their children from rockets, these Gazan families actually used their families to protect their rockets..."
Finally, Murray closes the book with a moving bit of writing. I'll include it here, but cover it with a spoiler:
********************
On Democracies and Death Cults was an excellent and detailed examination of a timely and contentious topic. Douglas Murray did a great job with this one. It should be required reading for young, impressionable minds before they succumb to the trappings of the modern leftist anti-Western Islamophilic sentiment that seems to be so en vogue these days.
I would definitely recommend it.
5 stars and a spot on my "favorites" shelf.
April 19, 2025
Douglas Murray remains unparalleled in his brilliance and clarity. He articulates so many complex issues in such beautifully simple ways that resonate strongly with the reader. Israel is lucky to have Douglas as an ally, and I am grateful to his contributions to the global discourse around Israel.
May 1, 2025
In my opinion this is one of the most important books of the last couple of decades! It rips apart the narrative of the left, and tears down every preconseption of the war against a death-worshipping Hamas and the obvious side effects of that war by putting the lies in the spotlight of his own eye-witness accounts! Brilliant book!
May 7, 2025
Prior to October 7, 2023, I knew little about the Israel and Hamas/Palestinian conflict. But that didn’t stop me from being perplexed by how the world responded in the hours and days following what was clearly an attack on a country by a terrorist organization. How were people reacting the way they were? How were nations condemning Israel before they even retaliated?
This confusion led me to start seeking answers. Thankfully, I didn’t have social media, so I turned to reading as many articles as I could find and listening to podcasts from both sides of the political spectrum. What I discovered deeply troubled me. Even more troubling were the conversations I had with friends and acquaintances. I heard, more than once:
“Sarah, it’s complicated.”
“Sarah, there’s a long history.”
“Sarah, Israel is committing a genocide”—though I’d note this would be the first genocide in history where the population has actually grown.
Over the past year and a half, in my search for truth, I’ve come across the work of Douglas Murray, among others.
His book is an incredible read on what is actually happening in Israel and Gaza. It is rooted in facts and firsthand accounts/reporting. It uses Hamas’s own words—and Iran's—to show exactly what they say they want to do. It highlights the utter hypocrisy of movements like “Gays for Gaza,” while noting that Iran’s Supreme Leader praised student protests abroad in 2024, even as his regime sentenced more students to death for protesting than ever before.
Along the way, I’ve also learned some disturbing truths about how people engage with issues today. I’ve learned that definitions no longer matter to those shouting the loudest. You can chant slogans without even knowing what river or sea you're referring to. You can take information directly from a terrorist organization and present it as fact—with little pushback. This erosion of meaning and truth is perhaps just as dangerous as the violence itself.
The book also reveals the moral depravity present in much of the world today, and how much of the media has relied on information provided directly by Hamas.
Anyone who wants to be more educated based on facts—not social media soundbites—should read this.
This confusion led me to start seeking answers. Thankfully, I didn’t have social media, so I turned to reading as many articles as I could find and listening to podcasts from both sides of the political spectrum. What I discovered deeply troubled me. Even more troubling were the conversations I had with friends and acquaintances. I heard, more than once:
“Sarah, it’s complicated.”
“Sarah, there’s a long history.”
“Sarah, Israel is committing a genocide”—though I’d note this would be the first genocide in history where the population has actually grown.
Over the past year and a half, in my search for truth, I’ve come across the work of Douglas Murray, among others.
His book is an incredible read on what is actually happening in Israel and Gaza. It is rooted in facts and firsthand accounts/reporting. It uses Hamas’s own words—and Iran's—to show exactly what they say they want to do. It highlights the utter hypocrisy of movements like “Gays for Gaza,” while noting that Iran’s Supreme Leader praised student protests abroad in 2024, even as his regime sentenced more students to death for protesting than ever before.
Along the way, I’ve also learned some disturbing truths about how people engage with issues today. I’ve learned that definitions no longer matter to those shouting the loudest. You can chant slogans without even knowing what river or sea you're referring to. You can take information directly from a terrorist organization and present it as fact—with little pushback. This erosion of meaning and truth is perhaps just as dangerous as the violence itself.
The book also reveals the moral depravity present in much of the world today, and how much of the media has relied on information provided directly by Hamas.
Anyone who wants to be more educated based on facts—not social media soundbites—should read this.
June 22, 2025
"Anti-Semitism is always a means rather than an end; it is a measure of the contradictions yet to be resolved. It is a mirror for the failings of individuals, social structures and State systems. Tell me what you accuse the Jews of---I'll tell you what you're guilty of."---Vasily Grossman
I'm not setting out, in this review, to say that I take one side or the other in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I'll start with that. I'm on the side of finding a solution that would mean no more killing and bloodshed, especially of innocent children. I am on the side of the average innocent civilian---Palestinian and Israeli alike---who simply wants to lead a normal life free from a constant fear of being shot at or bombed.
That said, it's pointless to say that one side or the other is completely blameless in this ongoing conflict, a conflict that has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian and Israeli lives lost to violence.
It's pointless to say that the very founding of Israel was done with the blessing of the misplaced Palestinians. The 1948 Nakba (an Arabic term meaning "catastrophe"), or official "displacement" of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers, resulted in hundreds of Palestinian casualties and Palestinian cities being wiped out. This is history, but it's history that is still white-washed or even denied by some Israelis.
It's pointless to say that some Palestinians, radicalized from an early age by terrorist groups like Hamas, haven't committed atrocities against the Israeli people. The October 7, 2023 Hamas-led terrorist attacks were a blatant Anti-Semitic and anti-Israel genocidal campaign which led to the brutal massacre of innocent men, women, and children.
It's pointless to say any of this, unfortunately, because we live in such odd times, where what we say is so easily misinterpreted and twisted based on where one stands, politically. Being critical of Israeli policy is not Anti-Semitic. Recognizing the horrific atrocities committed by Hamas against Israelis in the terrorist attacks of October 7 and feeling heart-sick for the Israelis killed is not anti-Palestinian. A longing for peace---or, at least, an end to war and bloodshed---does not equate to the elimination or genocide of an entire people.
And yet, the insidiousness of Anti-Semitism is endemic to the Middle East. This is nothing new. It is as insidious in the 21st century as it was after the Second World War, when some Middle Eastern leaders collaborated with Hitler. But Anti-Semitism in contemporary Middle Eastern countries has mutated into something far worse, according to journalist Douglas Murray in his book "On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization".
The first part of Murray's book is descriptive. He writes in gut-wrenching and tear-jerking detail about the events, and the aftermath, of the October 7 terrorist attacks that initiated the Israel-Hamas War. It is difficult to not be disgusted by the brutality of the Anti-Semitic terrorists who viciously raped and murdered unarmed citizens, many of them women and children. It is difficult to not be moved by the stories told by survivors of that day.
So, why has the international backlash been against Israel and not the perpetrators of the attacks? Murray makes the convincing case that it is due not so much to an Anti-Semitic but rather an Anti-Life philosophy that has swept through many Middle Eastern countries, a philosophy that campaigns for the complete destruction of Jews in Israel along with anyone else who sides with Israel. These terrorists, much like ISIS, are so ruthless that they are not opposed to using human shields of thir own women and children. They stockpile weapons and bombs in innocent civilian homes. They bomb their own people and celebrate their deaths as sacrifices to the cause.
But they are also smart in their PR campaigns, as they fund, internationally, groups that utilize and manipulate gullible groups---such as college students---to stage protests against the "imperialist" and "colonialist" policies of Israel. Many of these students have no clue that they are dupes of terrorist groups. They are simply pawns of Anti-Semitic organizations such as Hamas that have ingenuously tapped into the "Woke" generations.
How do you fight against an enemy that has no interest in peace? How do you fight an enemy that will see no option other than the complete annihilation of an entire population of people?
Murray offers no answers to these existential questions. Well, no good answers anyway.
I'm not setting out, in this review, to say that I take one side or the other in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I'll start with that. I'm on the side of finding a solution that would mean no more killing and bloodshed, especially of innocent children. I am on the side of the average innocent civilian---Palestinian and Israeli alike---who simply wants to lead a normal life free from a constant fear of being shot at or bombed.
That said, it's pointless to say that one side or the other is completely blameless in this ongoing conflict, a conflict that has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian and Israeli lives lost to violence.
It's pointless to say that the very founding of Israel was done with the blessing of the misplaced Palestinians. The 1948 Nakba (an Arabic term meaning "catastrophe"), or official "displacement" of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers, resulted in hundreds of Palestinian casualties and Palestinian cities being wiped out. This is history, but it's history that is still white-washed or even denied by some Israelis.
It's pointless to say that some Palestinians, radicalized from an early age by terrorist groups like Hamas, haven't committed atrocities against the Israeli people. The October 7, 2023 Hamas-led terrorist attacks were a blatant Anti-Semitic and anti-Israel genocidal campaign which led to the brutal massacre of innocent men, women, and children.
It's pointless to say any of this, unfortunately, because we live in such odd times, where what we say is so easily misinterpreted and twisted based on where one stands, politically. Being critical of Israeli policy is not Anti-Semitic. Recognizing the horrific atrocities committed by Hamas against Israelis in the terrorist attacks of October 7 and feeling heart-sick for the Israelis killed is not anti-Palestinian. A longing for peace---or, at least, an end to war and bloodshed---does not equate to the elimination or genocide of an entire people.
And yet, the insidiousness of Anti-Semitism is endemic to the Middle East. This is nothing new. It is as insidious in the 21st century as it was after the Second World War, when some Middle Eastern leaders collaborated with Hitler. But Anti-Semitism in contemporary Middle Eastern countries has mutated into something far worse, according to journalist Douglas Murray in his book "On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization".
The first part of Murray's book is descriptive. He writes in gut-wrenching and tear-jerking detail about the events, and the aftermath, of the October 7 terrorist attacks that initiated the Israel-Hamas War. It is difficult to not be disgusted by the brutality of the Anti-Semitic terrorists who viciously raped and murdered unarmed citizens, many of them women and children. It is difficult to not be moved by the stories told by survivors of that day.
So, why has the international backlash been against Israel and not the perpetrators of the attacks? Murray makes the convincing case that it is due not so much to an Anti-Semitic but rather an Anti-Life philosophy that has swept through many Middle Eastern countries, a philosophy that campaigns for the complete destruction of Jews in Israel along with anyone else who sides with Israel. These terrorists, much like ISIS, are so ruthless that they are not opposed to using human shields of thir own women and children. They stockpile weapons and bombs in innocent civilian homes. They bomb their own people and celebrate their deaths as sacrifices to the cause.
But they are also smart in their PR campaigns, as they fund, internationally, groups that utilize and manipulate gullible groups---such as college students---to stage protests against the "imperialist" and "colonialist" policies of Israel. Many of these students have no clue that they are dupes of terrorist groups. They are simply pawns of Anti-Semitic organizations such as Hamas that have ingenuously tapped into the "Woke" generations.
How do you fight against an enemy that has no interest in peace? How do you fight an enemy that will see no option other than the complete annihilation of an entire population of people?
Murray offers no answers to these existential questions. Well, no good answers anyway.
April 14, 2025
Long time followers of Murray will know that he is one of the few Israel advocates in the media. He has amped up his dedication to this unfashionable cause considerably since the barbaric acts of October 7th. Now, he dedicates a book to the topic, drawing from familiar stories regarding what went on during that day and the global reaction. Along the way he will expose double standards, the inconsistencies of the protestors, the gap in ethics between democracies and death cults etc.
He argues that without the continued war effort, Israel wouldn’t have rescued the hostages they retrieved or killed the corrupt mastermind Yahya Sinwar. This runs contrary to the international demand for an earlier ceasefire.
Ultimately it is an intractable problem. The demographic destiny of two rapidly expanding populations fighting over a finite space of land.
He argues that without the continued war effort, Israel wouldn’t have rescued the hostages they retrieved or killed the corrupt mastermind Yahya Sinwar. This runs contrary to the international demand for an earlier ceasefire.
Ultimately it is an intractable problem. The demographic destiny of two rapidly expanding populations fighting over a finite space of land.
April 11, 2025
I enjoyed this book more than I thought because it doesn’t bother faking objectivity—it just dives in with strong opinions and zero fucks.
If you want to read Douglas Murray’s opinion on Israel and Islam, go for it. If that does not sound appealing to you, I would not bother.
I am not endorsing or denouncing any of the statements of the book, so don't @ me.
If you want to read Douglas Murray’s opinion on Israel and Islam, go for it. If that does not sound appealing to you, I would not bother.
I am not endorsing or denouncing any of the statements of the book, so don't @ me.
September 6, 2025
4.5 Stars There is probably not a Western journalist alive who knows more about the history of Israel and its ongoing struggle for survival against the forces of Islamic terrorism than Douglas Murray. If you didn’t know that already, this book will make it abundantly obvious. It’s impressive that as a non-Israeli and indeed a non-Jew and non-Arab, he knows so many details of the history of this conflict going back to 1948. Further, the book makes clear that he has many contacts within Israel who are able to get him access to key people (up to and including Benjamin Netanyahu) as well as key places central to the conflict: he’s been in the terror tunnels with the IDF, sat in the chair Yahya Sinwar died in, seen the underground bunkers where Sinwar lived for a year, and spoken with inumerable survivors of the October 7 terrorist massacres as well as the families of many Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. This book is chock full of interview highlights from those who were there: at the Nova Festival, in the various Kibbutz that were attacked, members of security forces and the IDF, etc. He speaks with Netanyahu about what went wrong on October 7 and about what has transpired since. And he even discusses at length the situation on American and British campuses and the reasons for the unfortunate rise in antisemitism.
I have no wish to participate in a political debate on Goodreads and will be ignoring any comments intended to bait me into one. But readers might do well to balance out all the books written by people with Islamic sounding last names by reading this book, written by a man who is neither Jewish nor Israeli, but just a British journalist who knows his way around this topic.
I’d have given this book 5 stars except that I wish he’d waited a bit longer to go to print. It would have been nice to have had coverage of Iran in this book. I guess it will be in the next one,
I have no wish to participate in a political debate on Goodreads and will be ignoring any comments intended to bait me into one. But readers might do well to balance out all the books written by people with Islamic sounding last names by reading this book, written by a man who is neither Jewish nor Israeli, but just a British journalist who knows his way around this topic.
I’d have given this book 5 stars except that I wish he’d waited a bit longer to go to print. It would have been nice to have had coverage of Iran in this book. I guess it will be in the next one,
April 27, 2025
This book should have been more extensive, but still does a good job of explaining the truth of the current conflict that started with the October 7 massacre and mass abduction of innocent people by the murderous Palestinian people of Gaza. This is a war between good and evil, between the want of Life (Israel) versus the want of Death (Gaza). We in the west should fully support the remarkable men and women in Israel (Jews, Muslims, Druse) in their fight to protect the only democracy in the Middle East, against the fascistic barbarism exemplified by Hamas, Hezbollah and the theocracy in Iran.
April 22, 2025
A black mirror to our generation. The book itself is a surface as clear as can be, a serious immersion by the author into the field to uncover the details you don't get in headlines, X posts, or encampment chants. But when we look through this book at our reflections, on the other side, what we see is unrecognizable.
April 17, 2025
On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization, Douglas Murray, author and narrator
Following the attack, by Palestinians and their supporters from Gaza, on October 7th, 2023, an attack that had been financed largely by Iran and Muslims around the world, for decades, can Israel survive? Iran and these anti-Israel organizations want Israel annihilated, and they do not honor peace agreements. Yet, insanity reigns, and those responsible for the brutal murders, torture and kidnapping of more than 1200 innocent and unarmed Israeli victims, not all of whom were Jews because the aim was indiscriminate death, destruction and chaos, as per orders from their leaders, are being supported and cheered around the World.
Defying common sense, the terrorists who have never been held properly accountable for their heinous behavior are being supported with fundraisers and protest marches that fly in the face of sanity. The victims have become the victimizers and reality has become the Twilight Zone.
Douglas Murray has methodically and with greater detail, revealed far more about the attacks than the news media has, a media that has been corrupted. Even after the horror is exposed, even after the world learns that more than 250 hostages were taken, the elderly and babies included, even after there is proof of torture, rape and mutilation of their bodies, by nothing less than what seemed to be barbarians, the Israelis and Jews are being subjected to further horror. They watch an insane response develop, even in their own communities.
Around the world, as protests grew against Israel and support for the terrorists grew, lies proliferated, and cleverly, the enemy turned every heinous act performed by them, into a crime now instigated by the Israel and was therefore justified and acceptable. The expected condemnation of their barbarism never came. A world that had once been horrified by The Holocaust, now gleefully seemed to support what could rightfully be called another Holocaust. Incredibly, as well, these groups who were supporting Israel’s enemies, disregarded the fact that these very groups would murder them, because they represented the very infidels in society that they would not only gleefully murder, torture and humiliate, but their very religious tomes demanded it.
As college campuses were shut down by demonstrators and Jewish students were harassed, threatened and barred from entering their classrooms, as bridges and roads were shut down and American flags were burned and statues were defaced by these protesters, the call for the end of Israel from the river to the sea, and concomitantly, what must also certainly mean the wish for the end of Jewry as well, were cheered and promoted by the UN, the media and the heads of state, rather than the call for an end to the barbarians and their behavior. How did the barbarians turn the tide so that the victims were condemned and the victimizers were not? If they wanted to survive, Jews would have to fight back hard and ignore the proportionality that was always unfairly demanded. Still, they were expected to, and did continue to, supply humanitarian aid to the very people who brutally murdered them and were planning to do so again, even as these supplies were stolen by Hamas and withheld from the hostages. No matter what Israel did, they had few supporters. The International Criminal Court even issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, but not for the Ayatollah behind the very violence and hate being promoted. Israel was not engaging in criminal acts. It was engaging in self-defense and seeking nothing more than justice for the crimes committed against Israelis. Israel did not commit genocide, but that was certainly the intention of Sinwar, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran on 10/7. Israel is not now, nor was it ever, an apartheid state as Arabs live side by side with Israelis. Do Israelis live side by side with any Arab in most Arab countries? Why is the apartheid charge not leveled against them?
Douglas Murray carefully and deliberately lays out the actions of Israel’s enemies The world is antisemitic. Jews are not hated because they are in Israel, but because their enemies do not want Jews, anywhere. The book reveals the truth about a horror show that could hardly be imagined, let alone be considered a part of reality. When Douglas Murray, who is not a Jew, has the courage to love and support Israel far more than many in the rest of the world, including some Jews who are supporting their very enemies, one has to wonder why. When even the Arab countries will not allow the return of these barbarians, why would protesters believe that the Jews are supposed to embrace them? It is dangerous to voice ideas in support of Israel when their enemies are sanctioned to commit heinous crimes against those who defy them. Is that why so many support them?
Murray traveled through Israel for about a year. He visited the sites of the barbaric massacres. He witnessed for himself the heinous behavior of those now being praised. Yes, the country was caught off guard, but who could have expected that these very people who befriended the Palestinians, would be attacked by them? It was on a happy Jewish holiday signifying renewal. Israelis had left their phones at home while they worshiped, sang and danced and they were betrayed by the very two-faced, dishonorable people that they had worked so hard to help.
All the humanitarian aid that had been funneled into Gaza and into Lebanon was used by Israel’s enemies to build an elaborate tunnel system that rivaled the New York subway system. The UN peacekeepers and the Egyptians guarding their borders, etc., never seemed to notice what was being built beneath their noses with the very funds that were supposed to be used for humanitarian aid. They lied and said the tunnels were for their own safety, but it was their stage for war, and afterwards, they crawled back in and hid like the rats they were. They took the hostages into these very tunnels and tortured them, they put them in the homes of supposedly loving and “good” Gazans who tormented and further humiliated them, starved them, sexually abused them and then even murdered them. Is it possible that the UN was complicit?
To acknowledge that the very people who were there to prevent this kind of thing from happening, actually ignored this kind of thing is difficult. Yet, they are not the ones considered criminals by the International Criminal Court. Fact: The Gazans are not prisoners because of Israel, they are walled in because they engage in savage behavior and will not stop. No country wants them. Their religion demands that they die as martyrs. It is taught to their children. They worship death and the rewards in the afterlife, not in the world in which we live. Israel had become complacent, believing in the possibility of peace with their enemies, but these enemies did not want peace. The Gazans were not bystanders, were not being oppressed by Hamas, but were willing participants who supported Hamas. They enjoyed their savagery, filming it for the world to herald as justified! Murray’s respect for Israel motivated him to write this book which details the October 7th massacre and the history that caused it. He illustrates the complete breakdown of society as it supports the barbarians instead of the Jews. He exposes the marchers, the terrorists and the tragedies that unfolded. Those who massacred innocent babies, grandmothers, sleeping parents, peace music festival attendees, children in safe rooms, burnt them alive, poked out their eyes, cut off their breasts are being applauded, being hailed as heroes while their victims are falsely maligned. He searches the minds of those who were terrorized as he explores the insanity of their enemy's way of thinking as well. The blame for the oppression of Palestinians seems to sit squarely elsewhere and not on the shoulders of Israel, but even when rational people see the evidence, they support the barbarians and react irrationally. While Israelis are expected to follow the rules, their enemies are not, and bizarrely, they are excused for breaking them. The evil carried out was aided by the policies of Obama and Biden, and for that, America should be ashamed.
This book must become required reading in every school, in every country. The real enemies of peace must be driven out, if civilization is to survive. Supporting those who support death and not those who support life defies common sense. Douglas illustrates Israel’s humanity and the inhumanity of its enemies. He exposes the barbarians who hide their weapons under the beds of their children. He exposes the hypocrisy of condemning Israel in favor of theocratic dictators. We might well witness the conflagration in the Middle East that is predicted to end the world, if we cannot reverse the insanity we are witnessing today.
Following the attack, by Palestinians and their supporters from Gaza, on October 7th, 2023, an attack that had been financed largely by Iran and Muslims around the world, for decades, can Israel survive? Iran and these anti-Israel organizations want Israel annihilated, and they do not honor peace agreements. Yet, insanity reigns, and those responsible for the brutal murders, torture and kidnapping of more than 1200 innocent and unarmed Israeli victims, not all of whom were Jews because the aim was indiscriminate death, destruction and chaos, as per orders from their leaders, are being supported and cheered around the World.
Defying common sense, the terrorists who have never been held properly accountable for their heinous behavior are being supported with fundraisers and protest marches that fly in the face of sanity. The victims have become the victimizers and reality has become the Twilight Zone.
Douglas Murray has methodically and with greater detail, revealed far more about the attacks than the news media has, a media that has been corrupted. Even after the horror is exposed, even after the world learns that more than 250 hostages were taken, the elderly and babies included, even after there is proof of torture, rape and mutilation of their bodies, by nothing less than what seemed to be barbarians, the Israelis and Jews are being subjected to further horror. They watch an insane response develop, even in their own communities.
Around the world, as protests grew against Israel and support for the terrorists grew, lies proliferated, and cleverly, the enemy turned every heinous act performed by them, into a crime now instigated by the Israel and was therefore justified and acceptable. The expected condemnation of their barbarism never came. A world that had once been horrified by The Holocaust, now gleefully seemed to support what could rightfully be called another Holocaust. Incredibly, as well, these groups who were supporting Israel’s enemies, disregarded the fact that these very groups would murder them, because they represented the very infidels in society that they would not only gleefully murder, torture and humiliate, but their very religious tomes demanded it.
As college campuses were shut down by demonstrators and Jewish students were harassed, threatened and barred from entering their classrooms, as bridges and roads were shut down and American flags were burned and statues were defaced by these protesters, the call for the end of Israel from the river to the sea, and concomitantly, what must also certainly mean the wish for the end of Jewry as well, were cheered and promoted by the UN, the media and the heads of state, rather than the call for an end to the barbarians and their behavior. How did the barbarians turn the tide so that the victims were condemned and the victimizers were not? If they wanted to survive, Jews would have to fight back hard and ignore the proportionality that was always unfairly demanded. Still, they were expected to, and did continue to, supply humanitarian aid to the very people who brutally murdered them and were planning to do so again, even as these supplies were stolen by Hamas and withheld from the hostages. No matter what Israel did, they had few supporters. The International Criminal Court even issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, but not for the Ayatollah behind the very violence and hate being promoted. Israel was not engaging in criminal acts. It was engaging in self-defense and seeking nothing more than justice for the crimes committed against Israelis. Israel did not commit genocide, but that was certainly the intention of Sinwar, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran on 10/7. Israel is not now, nor was it ever, an apartheid state as Arabs live side by side with Israelis. Do Israelis live side by side with any Arab in most Arab countries? Why is the apartheid charge not leveled against them?
Douglas Murray carefully and deliberately lays out the actions of Israel’s enemies The world is antisemitic. Jews are not hated because they are in Israel, but because their enemies do not want Jews, anywhere. The book reveals the truth about a horror show that could hardly be imagined, let alone be considered a part of reality. When Douglas Murray, who is not a Jew, has the courage to love and support Israel far more than many in the rest of the world, including some Jews who are supporting their very enemies, one has to wonder why. When even the Arab countries will not allow the return of these barbarians, why would protesters believe that the Jews are supposed to embrace them? It is dangerous to voice ideas in support of Israel when their enemies are sanctioned to commit heinous crimes against those who defy them. Is that why so many support them?
Murray traveled through Israel for about a year. He visited the sites of the barbaric massacres. He witnessed for himself the heinous behavior of those now being praised. Yes, the country was caught off guard, but who could have expected that these very people who befriended the Palestinians, would be attacked by them? It was on a happy Jewish holiday signifying renewal. Israelis had left their phones at home while they worshiped, sang and danced and they were betrayed by the very two-faced, dishonorable people that they had worked so hard to help.
All the humanitarian aid that had been funneled into Gaza and into Lebanon was used by Israel’s enemies to build an elaborate tunnel system that rivaled the New York subway system. The UN peacekeepers and the Egyptians guarding their borders, etc., never seemed to notice what was being built beneath their noses with the very funds that were supposed to be used for humanitarian aid. They lied and said the tunnels were for their own safety, but it was their stage for war, and afterwards, they crawled back in and hid like the rats they were. They took the hostages into these very tunnels and tortured them, they put them in the homes of supposedly loving and “good” Gazans who tormented and further humiliated them, starved them, sexually abused them and then even murdered them. Is it possible that the UN was complicit?
To acknowledge that the very people who were there to prevent this kind of thing from happening, actually ignored this kind of thing is difficult. Yet, they are not the ones considered criminals by the International Criminal Court. Fact: The Gazans are not prisoners because of Israel, they are walled in because they engage in savage behavior and will not stop. No country wants them. Their religion demands that they die as martyrs. It is taught to their children. They worship death and the rewards in the afterlife, not in the world in which we live. Israel had become complacent, believing in the possibility of peace with their enemies, but these enemies did not want peace. The Gazans were not bystanders, were not being oppressed by Hamas, but were willing participants who supported Hamas. They enjoyed their savagery, filming it for the world to herald as justified! Murray’s respect for Israel motivated him to write this book which details the October 7th massacre and the history that caused it. He illustrates the complete breakdown of society as it supports the barbarians instead of the Jews. He exposes the marchers, the terrorists and the tragedies that unfolded. Those who massacred innocent babies, grandmothers, sleeping parents, peace music festival attendees, children in safe rooms, burnt them alive, poked out their eyes, cut off their breasts are being applauded, being hailed as heroes while their victims are falsely maligned. He searches the minds of those who were terrorized as he explores the insanity of their enemy's way of thinking as well. The blame for the oppression of Palestinians seems to sit squarely elsewhere and not on the shoulders of Israel, but even when rational people see the evidence, they support the barbarians and react irrationally. While Israelis are expected to follow the rules, their enemies are not, and bizarrely, they are excused for breaking them. The evil carried out was aided by the policies of Obama and Biden, and for that, America should be ashamed.
This book must become required reading in every school, in every country. The real enemies of peace must be driven out, if civilization is to survive. Supporting those who support death and not those who support life defies common sense. Douglas illustrates Israel’s humanity and the inhumanity of its enemies. He exposes the barbarians who hide their weapons under the beds of their children. He exposes the hypocrisy of condemning Israel in favor of theocratic dictators. We might well witness the conflagration in the Middle East that is predicted to end the world, if we cannot reverse the insanity we are witnessing today.
May 25, 2025
Excellent and thought provoking read.
July 29, 2025
Douglas Murrays journalism is brilliant.
His lectures and podcasts are available on youtube.
I will only say read the book and judge for yourself.
His lectures and podcasts are available on youtube.
I will only say read the book and judge for yourself.
April 27, 2025
Listened on Audible and read by the author, spurred by his recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
The book is based on the author spending the year after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas in Israel and Gaza speaking to survivors, the families of victims, military, Israeli politicians, and others.
Throughout, the author provides a clear-eyed perspective on the atrocities, what prompted them, the Israeli response both in Gaza and the subsequent attacks by Hezbelloh in the north, and more broadly the world’s response from international organizations to student protests. Along the way he tracks the undercurrent of antisemitism more broadly and the Nazi ideology embraced by leaders of organizations like Hamas.
Regarding the last of those perspectives, one is left with the thought that so much of the response of especially students shouting in support of “the river to the sea” on college campuses in the west is based on a profound misunderstanding of both history and the aims and psychology of terrorist organizations nurtured by Iran. And at the heart of that psychology, as Murray discusses at some length, is the difference between valuing life and glorifying death.
Here’s hoping this book and its broader message takes hold and returns some sanity to the conversation.
The book is based on the author spending the year after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas in Israel and Gaza speaking to survivors, the families of victims, military, Israeli politicians, and others.
Throughout, the author provides a clear-eyed perspective on the atrocities, what prompted them, the Israeli response both in Gaza and the subsequent attacks by Hezbelloh in the north, and more broadly the world’s response from international organizations to student protests. Along the way he tracks the undercurrent of antisemitism more broadly and the Nazi ideology embraced by leaders of organizations like Hamas.
Regarding the last of those perspectives, one is left with the thought that so much of the response of especially students shouting in support of “the river to the sea” on college campuses in the west is based on a profound misunderstanding of both history and the aims and psychology of terrorist organizations nurtured by Iran. And at the heart of that psychology, as Murray discusses at some length, is the difference between valuing life and glorifying death.
Here’s hoping this book and its broader message takes hold and returns some sanity to the conversation.
April 11, 2025
Книгата на Мъри не съдържа нищо ново за тези от нас, които са ползвали очите и ушите си последните 18 месеца. Бих казал, че това включва и мозъците, но за да го ползваш, първо трябва да го имаш, а крайнолевите и крайнодесните подкрепящи Хамас, Хизбола и Иран, възпявайщи Хитлер, Синуар и Хомейни -- нямат такива.
Довършвам тази книга в петък, който може да се окаже съдбовен, този уикенд ще се водят преговори с Иран, преговори от сорта на "може ли да не хвърлите ядрена ракета върху Тел Авив." Няма по-голяма сила на злото на този свят от "радикалния" ислям. Слагам радикален в кавички не без причина, аз лично не смятам тази му еманация за радикална, по-скоро си е баш автентична. Когато враговете ви казват какви са, слушаите ги. За съжаление, децата на Революцията толкова нямат търпение да бъдат изядени от нея, че със всички сили подкрепят разрухата на единствената цивилизация в историята на света, която би ги толерирала.
Отправям една молитва тази война да приключи възможно най-скоро. Отправям една молитва някой ден в бъдеще да не чувам малоумни българи обясняващи как ядрен удар е оправдан вид съпротива.
Довършвам тази книга в петък, който може да се окаже съдбовен, този уикенд ще се водят преговори с Иран, преговори от сорта на "може ли да не хвърлите ядрена ракета върху Тел Авив." Няма по-голяма сила на злото на този свят от "радикалния" ислям. Слагам радикален в кавички не без причина, аз лично не смятам тази му еманация за радикална, по-скоро си е баш автентична. Когато враговете ви казват какви са, слушаите ги. За съжаление, децата на Революцията толкова нямат търпение да бъдат изядени от нея, че със всички сили подкрепят разрухата на единствената цивилизация в историята на света, която би ги толерирала.
Отправям една молитва тази война да приключи възможно най-скоро. Отправям една молитва някой ден в бъдеще да не чувам малоумни българи обясняващи как ядрен удар е оправдан вид съпротива.
April 23, 2025
The first part of this book is so grim I almost gave up reading it. I think Murray is trying to emphasize (with good reason) just how much the Israelis suffered on the 7th Oct, and how indescribably awful was the behaviour of Hamas. Later he turns to the question of why Hamas is so focused on death, and equally why the Israelis continue to stand up to these villains.
It's a book that should be read - but probably won't be -by many students and politicians around the world who have somehow aligned themselves with Hamas. Murray has a good explanation as to why this should be, and it's not the one the media promotes; he's not very hopeful, at this point, that things will change. Too many minds are cluttered with Hamas and Islamic propaganda, and too lacking in moral fibre.
Murray is always fair in his writing, but even he struggles to find any good reason why the world should commend Hamas and condemnn Israel.
It's a book that should be read - but probably won't be -by many students and politicians around the world who have somehow aligned themselves with Hamas. Murray has a good explanation as to why this should be, and it's not the one the media promotes; he's not very hopeful, at this point, that things will change. Too many minds are cluttered with Hamas and Islamic propaganda, and too lacking in moral fibre.
Murray is always fair in his writing, but even he struggles to find any good reason why the world should commend Hamas and condemnn Israel.
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