From Robert Kraft to Netanyahu, Israel’s supporters keep helping its critics

Peter Beinart · 1 Oct 2026

Peter Beinart did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

Our reading
Robert Kraft's and Netanyahu's actions against Israel's critics are politically stupid as well as morally loathsome.

Their wordsKraft and Netanyahu’s actions aren’t merely morally loathsome. They’re politically stupid.
Our reading
Pro-Israel leaders are doubling down instead of making concessions to save Israel's reputation.

Their wordsWere pro-Israel leaders savvy, they would greet the turn in American opinion with tactical concessions aimed at salvaging Israel’s reputation. Instead, they’re doubling down.
Our reading
Faced with losing something they took for granted, people become more aggressive, not more prudent.

Their wordsBut loss aversion suggests that when faced with the loss of something people have taken for granted, they don’t become more prudent. They become more aggressive.
Our reading
Loss aversion among Israel's defenders is part of why Israel's public standing keeps declining.

Their wordsThis is loss aversion in action, and it’s part of the reason that Israel’s public standing keeps declining.
Our reading
Israel's champions are likely to keep answering critics in ways that strengthen the criticisms.

Their wordsIn the meantime, Israel’s champions are likely to keep answering its critics in ways that strengthen the very criticisms they are trying to quash.

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The other pieces are the ones whose claims are worded most like this one's. That measures language, not agreement: they may argue the opposite.