The world is witnessing horror in the Middle East. For many, truth is far less important than narrative. That narrative, too often, is that the Israelis are white European colonizers, and they are wrong. Critical theory has rotted the minds of many, and postmodern Marxist ideas, embraced by left-wing groups globally, have led many to evil's side.
Over a week ago, Hamas terrorists, some on paragliders, sneaked into Israel. They killed infants, toddlers, teens, men, women, the elderly, and Holocaust survivors. Hamas live-streamed their terror. Israel showed the world the pictures and videos of the terror. But many people simply denied the terror happened. It was remarkable watching progressive members of Congress refuse to acknowledge the terror. It was more remarkable to see how many antisemites came out of the shadows to cheer on the murders of Israelis while denying the murders even happened.
One got the sense that many of Hamas' cheerleaders who openly questioned if babies had been decapitated would be okay with 40 dead babies so long as they still had heads. Many antisemites have taken to denying the babies were decapitated, claiming the story was debunked. The story was not debunked. In fact, reporters and military officials have all come forward as eyewitnesses to say they saw it for themselves. But, even if the babies had their heads, they were still murdered.
The same people who refused to believe Hamas engaged in such ghoulish behavior, despite photographs, immediately believed Israel blew up the Baptist Hospital in Gaza. A Los Angeles Times investigative reporter who claimed the babies were not decapitated unless Israel could prove it to be true actually insisted Israel had to have blown up the hospital and would have to prove it was not valid.
It turns out Israel did not blow up the hospital. Reporters who waited days to accept Israel's claims of Hamas horror rushed out to claim immediately that Israel had bombed the hospital because Hamas said so. Remarkably, Israel still is unsure how many of its citizens have been taken as hostages. Still, within minutes of the hospital explosion, Hamas insisted that 500 were dead and the Jews were to blame.
Five hundred did not die. Israel did not launch the missile at the hospital. But the Arab world rioted because the press believed the terrorists. Those who lectured Republicans about disinformation and misinformation were happy to spread it. The lesson is that for the media to believe your lies, you must not be former President Donald Trump or a COVID-19 skeptic. Instead, kill a few Jews, and the press will regurgitate your lies for you.
The people who embraced Hamas's lies and could not bring themselves to believe the truth of Hamas's monstrosity in Israel are also the same people who immediately wanted a ceasefire. Their rules, like Calvinball, change to suit them. Hamas kills Israelis. Israel prepares a response. The accomplices of evil demand a time out on the field.
Hamas and its cheerleaders are on the side of killing babies and burning Israelis alive. Those who deny the atrocities or claim no evidence of what Hamas live-streamed for the world to see are neither dumb nor ignorant. They are evil. Monsters are rearing their heads, marching in the streets, and living by lies and denials.
Postmodern Marxist theorists view the whole world through power dynamics. There are two classes: the oppressor and the oppressed. Because most Israelis are lighter-skinned, and many Israeli families once lived in Europe, the postmodernists view them as colonizers and oppressors. The Palestinians are viewed as oppressed people who have been colonized. Therefore, much of the progressive West gives moral credibility to Palestinians, including Hamas, while imputing moral culpability to the Israelis.
Because of their views on power, the Left cannot recognize evil when they view it. An evil that challenges their narratives must be ignored. The rest of us should see the evil for what it is and see those who deny it or are silent against it as the accomplices of that evil. There are no sidelines in a fight between good and evil, and no amount of rationalizing will change that.
To find out more about Erick Erickson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.