This article deconstructs the West–East divide and relates it to the rise of ‘mega identities’ in the West and the rise of contradictory Islamic fundamentalisms. The trauma in the West relates to Israel, to the past history of conflicts and invasions, to terrorism and immigration. The article also analyses the complexities of Jewish trauma, the problem of diverging values between East and West, and considers addressing the issue of double standards as a way towards reducing the divide.