The West’s Stockholm Syndrome: When Societies Sympathize with Their Attackers

The West’s response to rising anti-Western violence has become grimly predictable: capitulate to antagonists and silence those who resist. - Michael Smith

A recent incident at a vigil for victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack crystallized this dynamic. 

• Michelle Berkon, a serial protester, disrupted the memorial with pro-Palestine slogans and demands that Israeli flags be removed. 
• Police escorted her away as she shouted accusations that others were “politicizing” the tragedy.
• Berkon is Jewish, so represents a striking case of projection from someone who had just politicized a moment of mourning for victims of her faith who were murdered by the people she supports...

This episode reveals a broader pattern across the Anglosphere: when confronted with violence, authorities increasingly treat public opposition as the problem rather than the violence itself. 

• The message to citizens is clear—sit down, be quiet, and perhaps the attacks will stop...