Why the West Struggles to Recognize Evil – with Natan Sharansky

Host Aviva Klompas speaks with Natan Sharansky about one of the defining challenges facing democratic societies today: why the West often struggles to recognize and confront evil.

Drawing on his experience as a Soviet dissident who spent nine years in prison, Sharansky reflects on how authoritarian regimes operate and why democratic societies frequently misunderstand them. The conversation explores why many in the West hesitate to clearly identify evil even when faced with terrorism, hostage-taking, and deliberate attacks on civilians. 

Sharansky discusses the dangers of moral equivalence, the erosion of moral clarity since the Cold War, and the recurring mistakes democratic societies make when confronting regimes that reject their values. He also reflects on the role fear can play within democracies themselves and whether, after a lifetime spent fighting for freedom, he remains optimistic about the future of free societies.

Guest Bio

Natan Sharansky is a Soviet-born Israeli human rights activist, former political prisoner, and leading voice on democracy and freedom. Born in Donetsk, Ukraine, Sharansky became a prominent spokesman for the Soviet Jewish and human rights movements and was imprisoned by the Soviet regime for nine years on fabricated charges of treason and espionage after seeking to immigrate to Israel. Following an international campaign for his release, he was freed in 1986 and immigrated to Israel the same day. Sharansky later served in several Israeli governments as a minister and deputy prime minister and went on to chair the Jewish Agency for Israel from 2009 to 2018. He is the recipient of both the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in 2018 he was awarded the Israel Prize for his contributions to aliyah and the ingathering of exiles. Sharansky is also the author of several influential books on democracy, identity, and freedom, including The Case for Democracy and Never Alone.