Examining the History, the Evidence, and the Law
ISRAEL IS DISCUSSED EVERYWHERE. ON TELEVISION, ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA, ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES, AND AROUND DINNER TABLES, ACCUSATIONS ARE OFTEN REDUCED TO A FEW CHARGED WORDS. COLONIALISM. APARTHEID. GENOCIDE. BUT HOW MANY PEOPLE USING THOSE TERMS HAVE EXAMINED THE HISTORY, THE EVIDENCE, OR THE LEGAL DEFINITIONS BEHIND THEM?
Israel on Trial, written by United States District Judge Roy K. Altman, approaches worldwide criticism of Israel, the war in Gaza, and the serious historical, legal, and political accusations made against the country the way a judge approaches a case. Altman asks readers to put aside slogans and examine what can actually be established through evidence.
Altman serves as a United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida. A graduate of Columbia University and Yale Law School, he previously clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals and served as a federal prosecutor. That legal background shapes the book. Rather than asking readers to accept claims because they are repeated often or expressed with conviction, he applies familiar courtroom principles such as burden of proof, corroboration, and chain of custody.
The book examines some of the most serious accusations made against Israel, including claims of colonialism, apartheid, and genocide. Altman draws on historical records, archaeological evidence, genetic data, and international law to examine those arguments and the evidence behind them. He also looks at how antisemitic ideas have changed over time and how some have entered contemporary political discussion.
That approach makes the book useful beyond the immediate debate over Israel. Readers are given a practical framework for evaluating difficult claims. What is the source? Is there corroborating evidence? Does the evidence support the conclusion being asserted? And when legal terms such as genocide or apartheid are used, does the claim satisfy the actual legal definition?
Those questions matter in a media environment where information moves quickly and strong claims can reach millions of people before they are carefully examined.
Israel on Trial has appeared on both the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. Former United States Ambassador to Israel David Friedman has praised Altman’s use of evidence and legal reasoning, while John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, has highlighted the book’s focus on methodology and fact finding.
For readers trying to understand the arguments surrounding Israel rather than simply repeat them, Altman offers a straightforward approach. Start with the claim. Examine the evidence. Understand the law. Then decide what the facts support.
