A Defence of Israel: Critical Thinking about the Israel-Hamas War—NEW BOOK

 

A Defence of Israel: Critical Thinking about the Israel-Hamas War—NEW BOOK

A Defence of Israel is a thoroughly revised, updated, and expanded version (now more than double in size) of my 2024 booklet Untangling Popular Anti-Israel Arguments: Critical Thinking about the Israel-Hamas War.  My book is now available at Amazon.

Endorsements

“In A Defence of Israel, Hendrik van der Breggen systematically examines the central legal and moral accusations leveled against Israel since October 7, 2023. Drawing on history, just war principles, and careful reasoning, he challenges claims of genocide, apartheid, and disproportionality with arguments that demand serious engagement. At a time when rhetoric often replaces analysis, this book insists on disciplined thinking about war.”

—John Spencer, MPM, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies, Modern War Institute, West Point

“Philosopher-turned-legal-advocate Hendrik van der Breggen’s A Defence of Israel delivers on the promise of its title in distilling the finer points of Israel’s defense of its homeland, which involves moral and military compromises necessitated by terrorists who are not fighting according to the laws of war.”

—Thane Rosenbaum, JD, law professor and Distinguished University Professor, Touro University

“In A Defence of Israel: Critical Thinking About the Israel-Hamas War, Dr. Hendrik van der Breggen dispels pervasively popular ‘progressive’ myths about the war in Gaza with a careful and disciplined appeal to reason, evidence, historical contextualization, and conceptual clarification. But he does more than this. He invites his readers to resist the strategic cynicism and virtue posturing of contemporary postmodern political discourse in favour of reasoned and charitable debate, pursued in good faith and with a genuine desire to seek and discover the truth. As such, Dr. van der Breggen’s Defence represents not just an argument, but a call to return to civil dialogue, respectful disagreement, charitable representation of the views of one’s intellectual and political opponents, and a commitment to substance over style, reasoned persuasion over sophistry, and calm deliberation and wisdom over moral panic and emotivism.”

—Patrick S. Franklin, PhD, Associate Professor of Theology, Alister E. McGrath Chair of Christian Thought & Spirituality, Tyndale University

“I cannot recommend this book highly enough! In A Defence of Israel: Critical Thinking about the Israel-Hamas War, Hendrik van der Breggen offers a careful, reasoned exploration of one of the most significant conflicts of our time. With precision and the heart of a truth-seeker, he invites readers to slow down, examine popular assumptions, and engage the evidence. Hendrik systematically untangles complex false charges against Israel with intellectual rigour and humility. Whether or not one agrees with every conclusion, this book models the kind of respectful, critical dialogue our world desperately needs. An essential resource for those seeking clarity and truth over rhetoric!”

—Stefan Duerksen, Lead Pastor, Southland Church, Steinbach, Manitoba

“Hendrik van der Breggen’s A Defence of Israel is a solid, informative, and helpful text for addressing a wide range of misconceptions concerning the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. While acknowledging the sad reality of genuine suffering and actual victimhood when it occurs, the book also debunks the swamp of misinformation keeping false Gazan victimology afloat. I was even able to use some points from Hendrik’s book during a discussion, online, to refute falsehoods about Israel and Zionism.”

—John D. Ferrer, PhD, speaker-writer-researcher, CrossExamined.org