Matan Peleg, the former chairman of Im Tirtzu and a strategic adviser, has published a new pocket-sized book titled Robbing The World, examining European colonialism and alleged crimes in Africa. Peleg says the book is intended to provide Israelis with material to counter European criticism of Israel and expose what he describes as European hypocrisy.
“We encounter good Israelis who say that we cannot conduct public diplomacy through apologies and weak explanations," Peleg said. “But it is impossible to say these things without exposing the hypocrisy and crimes that Europeans commit even as they criticize Israel and pressure it. In this book, I summarize the crimes that Europeans and Arabs commit in Africa even today."
Among the examples discussed in the book are European funding for left-wing organizations that opposed Israeli legislation aimed at curbing illegal migration from Africa. Peleg contrasts this with European countries, including Italy, paying large sums to Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya and Morocco to cooperate in returning African migrants to those countries. He also points to thousands of archaeological artifacts taken from African countries during the era of European colonialism, including Egyptian artifacts now displayed in major British museums. He argues that highlighting such cases could expose what he considers British hypocrisy and potentially strengthen Israel’s diplomatic relationships with African countries.
Peleg believes that a deeper understanding of colonialism could actually become a useful tool for Israeli public diplomacy. Rather than being intimidated when Israel is accused of colonialism, he argues, Israelis should understand the historical record behind European colonial rule. European colonialism involved sending people to seize territory, plunder property and natural resources, and enslave Africans. He contrasts that history with what he describes as Israel’s role in bringing development and assistance to countries across the region.
The book also emphasizes the historical connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. Peleg argues that this connection is fundamentally different from the relationships European powers such as France, Spain and Britain had with territories they colonized in Africa and South America. He maintains that the Jewish connection to the Land of Israel cannot simply be dismissed, even by Israelis who do not base their worldview on religious or spiritual claims.
After concluding that most readers would not commit to a lengthy book on the subject, Peleg condensed the material into a pocket-sized volume that can be read in approximately two hours. “Once you know the materials, it strengthens us as the people of Israel, who must be confident in ourselves."
Peleg also argues that public diplomacy cannot be left exclusively to the Foreign Ministry or other official bodies. In the age of social media, he says, every Israeli can reach audiences around the world and should therefore have access to the facts needed to defend Israel’s position. He plans to print an edition of the book specifically for Israeli embassies and consulates after discovering that even some Israeli diplomats were unfamiliar with the figures and historical examples he presents.
Peleg pointed to Italy’s decision to impose an arms embargo on Israel as an example of how such information could be used diplomatically. “If the Foreign Ministry had responded to them in such a way, we would have embarrassed them on their own field."