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. Below are some endorsements and the table of contents. 

Amazon does not permit authors to reply to reviews of their books, so I will provide my thoughts here—farther below—about any Amazon reviews that are, in my opinion, deeply problematic from the point of view of logic and evidence. I will update if needed and as time permits. I realize I risk drawing undeserved attention to problematic reviews of my book, but I think the need to encourage the discernment of truth outweighs that risk. Perhaps friends and acquaintances who have actually read the book would be kind enough to leave an honest review at Amazon. Thanks in advance. 

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

 

Table of Contents

Maps

Introduction

Objections & replies

1. Israel is a settler-colonial state?

2. Israel at its inception was engaged in ethnic cleansing (a.k.a. the Nakba)?

3. Israel is an apartheid state?

4. Israel occupies Gaza?

5. Israel is guilty of genocide?

6. The International Association of Genocide Scholars says Israel is committing genocide?

7. Israel targets a hospital?

8. Israel’s response to Hamas is not proportional?

9. Israel is a powerful state and thus the oppressor?

10. Israel should agree to a ceasefire?

11. Israel’s qualms about a two-state solution mean Israel rejects peace?

12. Conclusion and prayer

Appendices

Appendix 1: Book review of Adam Kirsch’s On Settler Colonialism

Appendix 2: Criticizing Islam is Islamophobic? (Part 1 of 2)

Appendix 3: Criticizing Islam is Islamophobic? (Part 2 of 2)

Appendix 4: War and Bible

Appendix 5: Untangling anti-Israel propaganda for today’s college students

Appendix 6: My radical suggestion for deradicalization in Gaza

Suggested resources

About the author

Endnote

 

My replies to Amazon reviews

Re: Review by H. Scott

The review by H. Scott completely misrepresents my book, making it clear that the reviewer either has not read my book or has read it but does not comprehend it. Either way, the reviewer’s representation of my book is wholly false. 

For example, the reviewer says “the overall message” of my book is that “maybe genocide is good actually if you’re sufficiently powerful and you think of the people you’re exterminating as more animal than human.” For the record, that is 100% NOT AT ALL the overall message of my book. For substantiation, see my book.

The reviewer is also deeply insulting to one of my endorsers. This is simply not appropriate. In fact, it is morally wrong to hurl false personal accusations against people. This shows that the reviewer has a character flaw (whereas the previous misrepresentation by the reviewer speaks to a logical and/or intellectual flaw).

Interestingly—and revealingly—at the end of the review, the reviewer recommends a different book in the place of mine but fails to mention (a) that my whole book actually refutes that other book’s thesis and (b) that my book (on pages 29–30, note 30) also makes reference to a couple critical reviews of that other book. This serves as additional evidence for believing the reviewer has not read my book.

My conclusion: The review from H. Scott is blatant anti-Israel propaganda.

My grade for the review: F (maybe even F-).