Regrets on the global stage as countries rethink bans on Israel

The timing was extraordinary. As I was moderating a conference entitled “U.S.-Central Asian Relations in the Era of the Abraham Accords,” Kazakhstan announced that it was, in fact, joining the pact. The reasons are many, and more Central Asian countries are likely to join, but it is the timing that leads to a larger understanding of Israel and the often hypocritical world. To be clear, it is neither the Abraham Accords countries nor those of Central Asia that are hypocritical.

Before the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion of Israel and the gruesome massacre of more than 1,200 people, Israel and the countries of Europe had deep and long relations: political, economic, defense, cultural and sporting. But, in the eyes of many European governments, it was Israel that had to be penalized in all of those ar