Legendary feminist and author Dr. Phyllis Chesler warns that the Hamas attacks in Israel could eventually lead to World War III unless democratic powers "stand up to the world bully," the "axis of evil" of China, Russia, Iran, and select Arab countries.

Her comments came in an interview for the Lean to the Left and Justice Counts podcasts, during which she strongly criticized women's organizations for failing to call out the antisemitism she contends is at the heart of the conflict.

"Iran's program is to get rid of the Western way of life; put women in body bags, execute homosexual men, have one religion under God--their God," she says. "If we don't stand up to the world bully, and I see World War III fast approaching, becoming more dreadfully visible. The Axis of Evil is China, Russia, Iran, selected Arab countries, Turkey. If we don't stop them in the Middle East," attacks on our shores could come.

Dr. Chesler warns that Islamic terrorists "have their eye on the West and the Western way of life. This is so clear. What's also clear is the desire to appease in order to be bombed less, so that if we give Iran and Hamas, Israel, give it up, sacrifice the Jews, people love dead Jews, that's when we get pity, when we're dead, not when we're living and fighting back. Then maybe Iran will come for us later, maybe the battle on our shores will happen later. Students of World War II have taught us that the more you appease the bully, the higher the price is, the longer the war is."

Dr. Chesler is a psychotherapist and Professor Emerita of Psychology at City University of New York. She has authored 20 books including A Politically Incorrect Feminist, The New Antisemitism, An American Bride in Kabul, and the groundbreaking Women & Madness. She has lectured and organized political, legal, religious, and human rights campaigns in the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel, Central Asia, and the Far East.

Since 9/11, Dr. Chesler has focused on the rights of women, dissidents, and gays in the Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim communities; the rights of women in prison; the rise of anti-Semitism/anti-Zionism, the demonization of Israel, the nature of terrorism, forced veiling, forced marriage, polygamy, and tribal psychology.

Dr. Chesler has conducted four studies about honor killing that have appeared in Middle East Quarterly. She has submitted affidavits for Muslim and ex-Muslim women who are seeking asylum or citizenship based on their credible belief that their families will honor kill them. In 2021-2022, Dr. Chesler co-led a team which rescued 400 women from Afghanistan. That work continues.


During the podcast interview, she says Iran is funding terrorism around the world and wants to destroy Israel. And then, she asks, "who's next?"

"It's us," she says. "It's the West and our ideals and our way of life" that are in the crosshairs."

Calling out women's organizations for demonstrating in favor of Hamas, Dr. Chesler says that if those women were in Gaza, the West Bank or Saudi Arabia, "they would be forcibly veiled. they would be forced, possibly by their families, to marry into polygamous families, even as children. They may not be allowed to have an education, and they could be honor killed for minor infractions." In fact, she contends, "they have joined a faxcist death cult with joy. This is what we're looking at."