Anne Applebaum

First of all, I don't find that he fits very easily into any kind of paradigm, you know, like autocrats versus Democrats or whatever you want to look at. There are two things about him that are true. Well, there are a lot of things about him that are true, but at least two things are true at once. One, that he is, he intends to rule Israel forever if he can.

First of all, I don't find that he fits very easily into any kind of paradigm, you know, like autocrats versus Democrats or whatever you want to look at. There are two things about him that are true. Well, there are a lot of things about him that are true, but at least two things are true at once. One, that he is, he intends to rule Israel forever if he can.

He intends to undermine Israeli democracy if he can. He was trying to do it before the Hamas attack. He was stopped by one of the most massive and well-organized protests that have taken place in any democracy. And he's trying to use the war now to achieve those same things, as far as I can see from a distance. I haven't been to Israel or worked on Israel in the last year.

He intends to undermine Israeli democracy if he can. He was trying to do it before the Hamas attack. He was stopped by one of the most massive and well-organized protests that have taken place in any democracy. And he's trying to use the war now to achieve those same things, as far as I can see from a distance. I haven't been to Israel or worked on Israel in the last year.

He intends to undermine Israeli democracy if he can. He was trying to do it before the Hamas attack. He was stopped by one of the most massive and well-organized protests that have taken place in any democracy. And he's trying to use the war now to achieve those same things, as far as I can see from a distance. I haven't been to Israel or worked on Israel in the last year.

But at the same time, Israel is right about Iran. And this is something, you know, Israel, it's not Netanyahu. It's like... The army, which, by the way, is mostly the army and the tech community in Israel were the biggest supporters of the democracy movement.

But at the same time, Israel is right about Iran. And this is something, you know, Israel, it's not Netanyahu. It's like... The army, which, by the way, is mostly the army and the tech community in Israel were the biggest supporters of the democracy movement.

But at the same time, Israel is right about Iran. And this is something, you know, Israel, it's not Netanyahu. It's like... The army, which, by the way, is mostly the army and the tech community in Israel were the biggest supporters of the democracy movement.

They've all been right that Iran is the source of an enormous amount of disruption and pain and tragedy in the Middle East through its various proxies. You know, including supporting Assad. And so Israel as a nation is right to try and damage them. So, you know, you have to hold those two things in your head at the same time.

They've all been right that Iran is the source of an enormous amount of disruption and pain and tragedy in the Middle East through its various proxies. You know, including supporting Assad. And so Israel as a nation is right to try and damage them. So, you know, you have to hold those two things in your head at the same time.

They've all been right that Iran is the source of an enormous amount of disruption and pain and tragedy in the Middle East through its various proxies. You know, including supporting Assad. And so Israel as a nation is right to try and damage them. So, you know, you have to hold those two things in your head at the same time.

I think there's a third thing that really worries me about Israel, which is that the attacks on Gaza and to a lesser extent Lebanon, the attacks on civilians... Some of which may have been accidental, but a lot of which seem not to have been, are contributing to the general feeling of lawlessness that you can do anything you want.

I think there's a third thing that really worries me about Israel, which is that the attacks on Gaza and to a lesser extent Lebanon, the attacks on civilians... Some of which may have been accidental, but a lot of which seem not to have been, are contributing to the general feeling of lawlessness that you can do anything you want.

I think there's a third thing that really worries me about Israel, which is that the attacks on Gaza and to a lesser extent Lebanon, the attacks on civilians... Some of which may have been accidental, but a lot of which seem not to have been, are contributing to the general feeling of lawlessness that you can do anything you want.

You know, the Russians are allowed to kill as many Ukrainians as they want, and maybe the Chinese will be able to kill as many Uyghurs as they want. and nobody's willing to stop them. And so Israel, the war is doing a lot of damage to any idea of international law, of protection for civilians during wartime.

You know, the Russians are allowed to kill as many Ukrainians as they want, and maybe the Chinese will be able to kill as many Uyghurs as they want. and nobody's willing to stop them. And so Israel, the war is doing a lot of damage to any idea of international law, of protection for civilians during wartime.

You know, the Russians are allowed to kill as many Ukrainians as they want, and maybe the Chinese will be able to kill as many Uyghurs as they want. and nobody's willing to stop them. And so Israel, the war is doing a lot of damage to any idea of international law, of protection for civilians during wartime.

I would lay those three things on the table and I would say, I think it's too early to judge, but Israel has done both good by destroying Hezbollah and a huge amount of damage by the horrific and unnecessary deaths of thousands of people. But they've also done an enormous amount of damage, both to their own country and to the region and really to the world. So that's where I am.

I would lay those three things on the table and I would say, I think it's too early to judge, but Israel has done both good by destroying Hezbollah and a huge amount of damage by the horrific and unnecessary deaths of thousands of people. But they've also done an enormous amount of damage, both to their own country and to the region and really to the world. So that's where I am.

I would lay those three things on the table and I would say, I think it's too early to judge, but Israel has done both good by destroying Hezbollah and a huge amount of damage by the horrific and unnecessary deaths of thousands of people. But they've also done an enormous amount of damage, both to their own country and to the region and really to the world. So that's where I am.