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Articles by Samuel J. Hyde
The Jackal and the Jihadist
Since 1994, Ilich Ramírez Sánchez has been serving three life sentences. As I write these words, he remains sitting in a prison cell in France. In a bygone era, the now 76 year old had accumulated a reputation as one of the most notorious revolutionaries of the second half of the twentieth century. Or, as his biographer, Joby Warrick, called him, The World’s First Super-Terrorist. Ilich was born in Venezuela in 1949; he was the eldest son of José Ramírez, a wealthy lawyer and committed Marxist.
The Revolution and the Jewish Question
What is the Left? Universalism and the Jew Returning from a military engagement in his imperial carriage, Tsar Alexander II made his regular Sunday journey through central St. Petersburg. Security was on high alert after several attempts had been made on his life by revolutionary organizations determined to bring down the Tsarist regime. Alexander had ruled since 1855 and led the emancipation of Russia’s serfs in 1861.
Universalism and the Jew
In the first part of this essay series titled What is the Left? , I briefly introduced the concept of universalism and argued it has two faces it shows to the world: an emancipatory face that looks to the inclusion of all human beings, but also a repressive face that sees in a chosen group some failure to pass a test of what is required for membership to humanity.
I wrote this before anyone understood October 7th.
Future of Jewish is the ultimate newsletter by and for people passionate about Judaism and Israel. Subscribe to better understand and become smarter about the Jewish world. The burned-out cars of Israelis who attended the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023 (photo: Gadi Cabelo) This is a guest essay by Samuel J. Hyde, a Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute. You can also listen to the podcast version of this essay on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, YouTube, and Spotify.
Decolonizing the Bible
Jesus is Palestinian. The verb is reveals all. In theology - is - generally does not seekdescribe something or someone; it declares eternal existence and the path to salvation. “This is my body”, “I am the way.” To say Jesus is Palestinian is then not merely making a claim about the identity of a historical figure. Nor is it principally an attempt to write the Jews out of their own story, though that is certainly one of its dominant premises. The project is far more ambitious and far more dangerous.
The Country That Criminalized Antisemitism and Expelled its Jews
Władysław Gomułka (źr. domena publiczna) The twentieth century produced many regimes that lied about themselves. But few lied with such composure as Communist Poland. It lied not only to the world. It lied to itself. And perhaps that is always the more dangerous deception. Poland emerged from the Second World War like a man who has survived a catastrophe only to discover that survival itself has become unbearable. Its cities were broken open. Its streets carried the odor of ruin.
No Solution
For more than twenty years now, we have been told, by an extraordinary range of voices and for an equally extraordinary range of reasons, that the two-state solution is dead. Some arrived at this conclusion reluctantly, as genuine believers in partition exhausted by decades of failure, bloodshed, and diplomatic collapse.
Samuel J. Hyde, at The Blogs
Samuel Hyde is a writer and a political researcher, based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Hyde works at The Jewish People Policy Institute, previously at The Foundation For Defense of Democracies, Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance and the Cape Town Holocaust and Genocide Centre. He is the editor of “We Should All Be Zionists” by former Knesset member Dr. Einat Wilf.
Resilience can’t survive on slogans alone
There is a fact that sits uneasily beneath the surface of Israeli public life, one that rarely finds its way into official language or collective self-description: many Israelis are exhausted. This is not a failure of resolve. It is the consequence of it. For more than two years, Israelis have been asked to endure not a single war, but a sequence of them, each presented as decisive, each dissolving into the next.
What Liberals and Conservatives Get Wrong About the Islamic Republic
Future of Jewish is the ultimate newsletter by and for people passionate about Judaism and Israel. Subscribe to better understand and become smarter about the Jewish world. AI-generated image for illustration purposes This is a guest essay by Samuel J. Hyde, a Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute and columnist for The Jerusalem Post. You can also listen to the podcast version of this essay on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, YouTube, and Spotify.
A License to Kill
Discover more from Beyond Belief Israel, the Middle East—and the politics, philosophy, and history that still burn beneath them. Over 2,000 subscribers Already have an account? Sign in Genocidal Antizionism The afterlife of Frantz Fanon is one of the great intellectual misadventures of our time, and it is a misadventure that begins, in part, with Fanon himself.
Why Israel Is Seen Everywhere and Everything Else is Forgotten
(photo credit: SHUTTERSTOCK) When arguments about international coverage of Israel arise, they almost always begin in miniature. They circle around language. Is it a “settlement” or a “neighborhood”? A “security fence” or an “apartheid wall”? Was 1948 a war of independence or a Nakba? These debates have the feel of forensic disputes, as if the great drama of the Middle East might finally be settled by the correct choice of noun. They are not unimportant. Words matter. But they are also a distraction.
Iranian feminists understood the revolution better than Europe's intellectuals
Samuel J. Hyde In the autumn of 1978, as the Shah's regime was collapsing under the weight of mass demonstrations , Michel Foucault traveled to Iran as a special correspondent for Corriere della Sera . What he encountered there electrified him. He believed he was witnessing something that modern political theory had overlooked: a revolution not driven by class struggle, technocracy, or Western rationalism, but by what he called “political spirituality.” Foucault was not alone in his fascination.
Israel faces mounting crisis over extremist settler attacks across West Bank
On November 11, roughly 100 Israeli extremists carried out one of the largest settler attacks in recent memory, targeting Palestinian factories and farmland in the northern West Bank, between Nablus and Tulkarm. Footage from the scene showed dozens of masked men storming a dairy farm in Beit Lid, smashing machinery and equipment, and setting vehicles ablaze. IDF soldiers who attempted to stop the rioters were also assaulted, and a military vehicle was vandalized.
The Painful Tragedy of Jews Who Reject Zionism
Future of Jewish is the ultimate newsletter by and for people passionate about Judaism and Israel. Subscribe to better understand and become smarter about the Jewish world. This is a guest essay by Samuel J. Hyde, a Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute. You can also listen to the podcast version of this essay on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, YouTube, and Spotify. Jewish anti-Zionism should not be mistaken, in historical terms, for the anti-Zionist movement that fills the streets today.
The Tragedy of Jewish Anti-Zionism
Jewish anti-Zionism should not be mistaken, in historical terms, for the antizionist movement that fills the streets today. It is true that anti-Zionist Jews now labor within this formation, drawn by what they take to be a fundamental alignment of principles, above all the rejection of a Jewish state. Yet for the purposes of this work, we must hold to the origins of this distinction and turn instead to the two strands that shaped Jewish anti-Zionist thought in its earlier and more solitary form.
Beyond Belief | Samuel J. Hyde | Substack
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It's Time to Make Antizionism a Field of Study
Social media. That vast psychological experiment into which half of humanity has willingly enrolled itself. A digital Babel built upon the illusion of connection, where algorithms whisper into every ear what it most desires to hear. Within this cacophony, some of the vilest and, yes, viral forms of antizionism have found their stage, draped in the language of moral outrage and consumed as truth. It has become one of the most potent tools wielded against Israel and the Jewish people in recent years.
The Genealogy of the Anti-Zionist Myth
On April 24, 1973, in the Palace of Justice, Paris bore witness to a trial. Robert Legagneux, an official of the French Communist Party and the man responsible for U.R.S.S., a French-language bulletin of the Soviet embassy, stood accused of inciting “racial hatred and violence.” It was the first time the newly amended French law was put to the test. On the surface, it seemed a minor affair—hardly the Dreyfus case, hardly May ’68.
Media outlets across 50 countries planned unified anti-Israel messaging in coordinated attack
On Sept. 1, readers in more than 50 countries were meant to wake up to a media spectacle. A leaked strategic document revealed plans for a coordinated international campaign aimed at pressuring news outlets into publishing synchronized anti-Israel coverage. According to the materials, the effort sought to depict Israel as deliberately targeting journalists in Gaza and suppressing press freedom.
What Israelis want you to know about the protests
This week, Israel witnessed what was described as the largest demonstrations in its history. On Sunday night, an estimated 400,000 people flooded the streets of Tel Aviv. By the following morning, reports suggested that more than one million Israelis had participated in a nationwide strike. The immediate spark was a press conference held in Tel Aviv by family members of the hostages still in Gaza. Standing together, they announced an “emergency break” in daily life until the hostages were released.
Sudan is Erased, Not Forgotten
Just six months before Hamas’s October 7 massacre, violence erupted on April 15, 2023, within Sudan’s military establishment. It was not a coup in the traditional sense, but a descent into fratricide, pitting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known to the world as Hemedti.
The Blogs: Why the War in Sudan is Erased
There are wars that apparently pierce the conscience of the world and then there are those that vanish from it entirely. To understand why, we must first understand the nature of the Sudan ese catastrophe—and the ideological fault lines it threatens to expose. Just six months before Hamas’s October 7 massacre, violence erupted on April 15, 2023, within Sudan’s military establishment.
Third Worldism
There is no need to be offended by the term Third Worldism. It was not coined in Washington or Whitehall as a slight or slur. Nor in Africa. It was born, in fact, in the salons of Paris, among the very intellectuals who would become its most passionate apostles. The phrase tiers monde first appeared in the 1950s, drawn from the sociological musings of Alfred Sauvy, who compared the colonized peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America to the tiers état—the Third Estate of revolutionary France.
Between Life and War
Over the last few days, I have found myself caught in a struggle—between what I know to be true as an analyst, as a student of the ideologies that have shaped and deformed the Middle East, and what I feel as a simple civilian, a partner, just another human being living through yet another war. As an analyst, I know how the Islamic Republic’s theology of martyrdom and conquest makes war inevitable. I know that the words of its rulers are not political theater.
BREAKING: Why Israel Attacking Iran Was Inevitable
This is a guest essay written by Samuel J. Hyde, a Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute. Find him on Instagram and X. Follow his Substack “Beyond Belief” where his most brilliant ideas shine. There are moments in history when states must act not only to defend their borders, but to uphold the moral clarity that underpins civilization itself.
South Africa, Zionism, and the Moral Collapse of a Post-Colonial Dream
Unlike in the United States or Western Europe—where anti-Zionism thrives under the camouflage of academic theory, progressive rhetoric, and elite institutional tolerance—in South Africa, it has been raised to the level of state ideology. Here, it is not simply tolerated but codified, sanctified, and weaponized. The government itself has assumed the mantle once held by pan-Arab nationalists, Soviet ideologues, and both Sunni and Shiite jihadists: that of the determined enemy of the Jewish state.
The Blogs: The Wretched Rainbow Nation
South Africa, Zionism, and the Moral Collapse of a Post-Colonial Dream Unlike in the United States or Western Europe—where anti-Zionism thrives under the camouflage of academic theory, progressive rhetoric, and elite institutional tolerance—in South Africa, it has been raised to the level of state ideology. Here, it is not simply tolerated but codified, sanctified, and weaponized.
'Free Palestine' is a call for terrorism, not a cry for justice.
Future of Jewish is the ultimate newsletter by and for people passionate about Judaism and Israel. Subscribe to better understand and become smarter about the Jewish world. This is a guest essay written by Samuel J. Hyde, a Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute. You can also listen to the podcast version of this essay on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, YouTube, and Spotify. It is short, rhythmic, and adorned with the sheen of justice.
The Blogs: What 'Free Palestine' Really Means
There is something seductive about the chant “Free Palestine.” It is short, rhythmic, and adorned with the sheen of justice. It dances well on protest placards and hashtags, effortlessly slipping from the mouths of diplomats and demonstrators alike. And more often than not, it appears alongside the refrain: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” But this past week, the chant did not come from a megaphone or a protest sign.
The Blogs: Western Romance with Despotisms
What matters is not whether a regime imprisons poets or murders dissidents, but whether it does so under the banner of “anti-imperialism.” Nowhere has this betrayal of moral clarity been more visible than in the Left’s infatuation with explicitly authoritarian regimes. When Stalin’s purges swept through the Soviet intelligentsia—killing millions and turning half of Europe into a prison—prominent Western intellectuals such as Walter Duranty dismissed the evidence.
Why We Can’t Even Agree on Basic Facts Anymore
Social media is where it all happens. Without it, my career as a writer and my ability to reach a wide audience would be significantly limited. I recognize this. I have benefited from digital media in ways that would have been impossible in any previous era. But by participating in this new digital landscape, I have also encountered its many hazards. If I’m being honest, almost every political statement I regret has been made on Twitter. That is not an accident.
Why Israel Is So Important to Islamists
Hamas is the product of a deep and ongoing debate within the Muslim world, a debate that has raged for the last 150 years and dwarfs the magnitude of any of the discussions we find in Western academia today. This debate is not just political, but a profound theological reckoning. It revolves around a critical question: Why has Islam become weak?
The Blogs: The New Right and The Lie We're Telling Ourselves
The rise of the New Right presents a paradox that seems to have slipped past some Jewish commentators, activists, and intellectuals. On the one hand, the excesses of the progressive Left—its fixation on identity politics, its moral confusion over issues like Hamas, and its erosion of Enlightenment values—have driven many disillusioned individuals to seek refuge elsewhere.
Why Israel Is So Important to Islamists
Future of Jewish is the ultimate newsletter by and for people passionate about Judaism and Israel. Subscribe to better understand and become smarter about the Jewish world. This is a guest essay written by Samuel J. Hyde, a Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute. You can also listen to the podcast version of this essay on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, YouTube, and Spotify.
The Left Wing's Moral Black Hole
Future of Jewish is the ultimate newsletter by and for people passionate about Judaism and Israel. Subscribe to better understand and become smarter about the Jewish world. This is a guest essay written by Samuel J. Hyde, a Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute. You can also listen to the podcast version of this essay on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, YouTube, and Spotify.
The Blogs: From New York to Tel Aviv, A Journey to Martyrdom
Tuesday night’s terror attack in Tel Aviv—the second in a week, both within a few blocks of my home—underscores a familiar pattern for Israelis. Yet, this second attack reveals something even more troubling: the profile of the perpetrator. Abdelaziz Kaddi, a 29-year-old Moroccan holding a US green card, entered Israel on January 18 on a tourist visa. His social media footprint tells a story: a fixation on Palestine, the glorification of martyrdom, and promises of divine reward.
The Case for the Attack on Hezbollah Jihadists
The strike against Hezbollah in Lebanon sparked the predictable mix of confusion and moral posturing from those who believe they have the luxury of remaining unclear about the ethics of violence. As always, there’s an eagerness to engage in abstract debates, while sidestepping the real-world consequences of allowing terror groups to operate with impunity. Thousands of electronic pagers—and later, hand-held radios—detonated in unison, killing dozens and wounding scores of jihadists.
Joe, go home
Top Stories Director General of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration: The number of Olim from North America will grow in 2024 by Yishay Peleg / Makor RIshon July 11, 2024 "Even after the Yom Kippur War and the 1982 Lebanon War, there were aliyah waves of Jews who felt more connected to Israel than ever before." Are Jewish students discriminated against on antisemitic grounds?
How 'Suicidal' Empathy Empowers Radicalism and War
The most important part of the Wall Street Journal’s exposé on Yahya Sinwar’s text messages, in which he admitted to using Gazans as human shields in the war against Israel, is not the messages themselves. Rather, it is the collapse of the world’s will to act accordingly to what he says.
WSJ reveals details of prominent Gaza family who held hostages captive in their home
Newsletter Newsletter Monday, June 17, 2024 Opinions Behind the Islamic Iron Curtain by Erfan Fard June 17, 2024 Top Stories
Palestinian Terror, the Metric by which Israel is Judged
"I have yet to understand how it is that war was declared on Israel from Gaza, that Israelis were attacked, massacred, and taken hostage, and yet within 48 hours, this prompted an immediate surge of hostility against Israel.” This was the statement made by two British and French travelers on my recent trip to Italy. By now, we’ve all heard something to this effect from otherwise rational observers, which reveals a historical pattern that is, unfortunately, all too familiar.
Un eje árabe-israelí contra la República Islámica de Irán es ya una realidad
El arsenal disparado contra Israel por el régimen de Teherán en la madrugada del domingo fue neutralizado no solo por la tecnología israelí, sino también por una alianza de potencias occidentales (Estados Unidos, Reino Unido y Francia) que trabajaron junto a naciones árabes amigas. Los detalles completos de cómo estos Estados árabes ayudaron a proteger a Israel, salvando sin duda vidas israelíes de los misiles y drones de Irán, puede que no se conozcan hasta dentro de un tiempo.
Tribune. Un axe Arabes-Israël contre l'Iran est désormais une réalité
Par Samuel J. Hyde Cet article a été initialement publié en anglais Toute la région vient d'assister au gémissement du régime de Téhéran et à l'explosion d'Israël et de ses alliés. Il est temps de tirer parti de cette opportunité pour obtenir de réels gains politiques, écrit Samuel J. Hyde.
Derailing its nuclearization
Opinions Israel's chance of a lifetime by Samuel J. Hyde April 15, 2024 This time, the opportunity must not be missed by Ariel Kahana April 15, 2024
An Arab-Israel axis against the Islamic Republic of Iran is now a reality Original
By Samuel J. Hyde The entire region just witnessed the whimper of the Tehran regime and the bang of Israel and its allies. It is time to capitalise on this opportunity for real political gains, Samuel J. Hyde writes. The arsenal fired at Israel by the regime in Tehran in the early hours of Sunday morning was blunted not just by Israeli technology but also by an alliance of Western powers — the US, the UK, and France — working alongside friendly Arab nations.
In Service of a Revolutionary Void
A mock Shahab-3 surface-to-surface missile is displayed next to a portrait of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a street exhibition in Iran | Photo: Atta Kenare / AFP When Iranian protests burgeoned into a mass movement in 1978, French philosopher Michel Foucault decided to fly from Paris to Tehran.
Unmasking The New York Times Israel-Palestine Distortions
As we saw from the savage Hamas assault on southern Israel on 7 October, the Palestinians have certainly been active protagonists in their more-than-century-long battle against Zionism and Israel. But the New York Times would have it otherwise.
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