The events of October 7^th are not an affront to Israel alone but to all civilization, Bernard Henri Levy reminds us in his passionate reporting on the events of October 7^th and what has followed.

In his new book, published in English this September, Levy makes the intellectual, historical, political, even philosophical case for the uniqueness of the tragedy of October 7^th, its heinousness, and mounts a passionate defense of Israel’s existential right to defend itself in the face of such an attack and to pursue the murderers, planners, and collaborators who are still holding more than 100 hostages, not just Jews and Israelis, but citizens from many nations and followers of many religions.

Point by point, argument by argument Levy asserts the truths about October 7^th and the Gaza opreation that followed, that so many are quick to dismiss or ignore. In doing so, Levy also calls out all the politicians, foreign governments, not-for-profits, NGOs and humanitarian organizations who remained silent for some 60 days after the attacks, chief among them the United Nations.

Levy makes the distinctions others don’t about what genocide is (and isn’t), and what Israel has or has not done during the Gaza operation. How all that Israel claimed – and the rest of the news organizations denied or failed to report – that Hamas used mosques, hospitals, and private homes as human shields with no regard for the casualties that ensued (perhaps even planning for them). That UNWRA workers collaborated with and gave material support to Hamas, that the Gaza Ministry of Health is a propaganda arm of Hamas and that its statistics of the dead are inflated —- All have been proven true and yet ignored.

Levy decries the loss of any human life in Gaza, but he places those deaths in context and in apposition to the murders of October 7^th. He makes the case for the difficult task Israel faces to free the hostages and find Hamas’ leaders.

Isarel Alone, is call to the world to understand the perniciousness of antisemitism and how it is used to incite anti-Israel sentiment all over the world, and particularly at American universities and college campuses.

While Levy is a defender of Israel, he is also no apologist for Netanyahu and Netanyahu’s current government. As Levy reminds us, the issues of October 7^th and the defense of Israel remain greater than one politician, particularly in a democratic country.

Reading the book is like being swept along in a flood of history, famous names, references and, at times, Levy’s own personal history and sentiments.

This is a style Levy has developed in his 48 books, countless articles, speeches, and media appearances in France, the US, and all over the world.

In the twenty years I’ve known him, Levy has always written as the most French of writers, and also as the most Jewish of French writers. At my father’s eulogy, some 30 years ago, I remarked that my father never took a breath that wasn’t Jewish. Well, in Israel Alone, there is not a word Levy has written that is not deeply Jewish and deeply French.

This is clearly a book Levy was compelled to write. He went to Israel on October 8^th and headed to the South to see the carnage himself. But the more important question is: Who will read this book?

It is Levy’s hope that young Jews will read this book and become proud Jews and vocal defenders of Israel. I hope that is so.

I sincerely hope that those who would want to cast Israel as a pariah nation, and have it be Israel Alone, pick up this work mistakenly, and learn from it. I know that these days it is near impossible to change anyone’s mind. Emotional loyalties, individuals’ belief in their own interpretation of events, a knowledge base informed by podcasts, tiktok and social media, a genuine desire for social justice and human rights, all these do not always lead to greater knowledge about Israel and the events of October 7^th — I hope all these people whose hearts are hardened against Israel for their own reasons, read this book.

I hope that all the University and college presidents in the US, and all the sitting members of the United Nations, and their committees such as their organization that investigates violence against women as war crimes, and all the student protesters on all the college campuses read this book.

Of course, the chance that any of them will, I know, is exceedingly small. But if even one person who holds Israel and its actions in disdain, does read it, then perhaps, Israel will not be so alone.