Israel is currently fighting a multi front war — one that extends far beyond the kinetic battles being fought in Gaza or along its northern border. While seven of these fronts are more easily recognized, there’s an eighth that is just as vital to Israel’s survival: the battle for the minds and hearts of global opinion. This front, historically thought as a secondary concern, may at some point in the future determine the outcome of all the others.
The seven traditional fronts are as follows:
- Gaza — The ongoing war with Hamas.
- West Bank — Intensifying terrorism and Iranian/Hamas-backed activity.
- Hezbollah — A heavily armed Iranian proxy at Israel’s northern border.
- Iran — The leading engine behind most worldwide terrorism.
- Houthis in Yemen — Launching long-range missile and drone attacks against Israel.
- Syria/Turkey — Both serving as operational and ideological platforms for hostile activity.
- Internal Front — A fraction of Israeli Arabs increasingly radicalized against the state.
But it is the eighth front, the battle for the “Minds and Hearts” of ordinary people that may be most decisive in the long-term. This is not a battlefield with bullets and grenades — it is a battlefield of narratives, ideas and influence. It plays out on social media, in newsrooms, in classrooms, in personal relationships and in the halls of political power. It is a front that our enemies understand deeply, and have weaponized with disturbing success.
Hamas took this front into account before a single bullet was fired on Oct. 7. Their horrific massacre was not only an act of terror — it was a calculated provocation aimed at triggering a military response from Israel that could be manipulated to generate outrage in global media and weaken Israel’s international support. They assumed, correctly, that Israel’s window to respond militarily would be measured on a timer by the international community.
That calculation proved tragically effective. Around the world, millions fell for their propaganda — elevating false claims of genocide and famine, ignoring atrocities like violence against Israeli women, and recasting the victim as the aggressor. Most worrying is the success to which the supporters of Hamas have had in the United States, specifically with the younger generations. The biggest shocks are often felt from the places you least expect them to come.
Under President Trump, Israel currently enjoys strong support from the White House. But like all administrations, this one has an expiration date. The winds of American politics shift quickly. Today, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) is polling on the top of the Democrat approval ratings — she represents a future that could dramatically reshape U.S.-Israel relations. There is currently a civil war within the Democratic Party which will hopefully cast out the anti-Israel and antisemitic elements of it; in the meantime the battle for its soul has not been determined.
AOC has repeatedly accused Israel of egregious crimes, often parroting language used by Israel’s enemies. Among her most troubling statements:
- In November 2023, she called Israel’s actions in Gaza “an unfolding genocide,” adding that “the U.S. bears responsibility” for enabling it.
- She stated in an interview with Democracy Now! that “Israel has engaged in war crimes and violations of international law.”
- She has also pushed for a complete cutoff of U.S. military aid to Israel, calling it a “blank check to apartheid.”
These positions are based on misinformation, half-truths, and deeply flawed ideological narratives that distort the reality on the ground.
We cannot change how AOC or others were raised, but we can shape what the next generation and the next generation believes. This is why the eighth front must become a central pillar of pro-Israel strategy both on a state level as well as in the Diaspora. It’s not enough to fight wars militarily — we must also fight them intellectually, morally and culturally.
