We Are All Israelis |
You don’t see Russians being attacked on the streets just for being Russian, or Chinese people for being Chinese, or so on. Only Jews have the privilege of being targeted when the world decides Israel has misbehaved. It’s time for American Jews to realize that we are all Israelis in the eyes of our enemies, whose aim is squarely on our backs. It is of no moment whether you consider yourself right- or left-wing, Zionist or Anti-Zionist, or on the fence about Bibi. Just as the Nazis did not distinguish between religious or secular Jews, today’s antisemitic Anti-Zionists don’t care about your personal views regarding Israel – because we are all Israelis.
Now is the time to lean into our atavistic tribal instinct to defend our house. This is not to suggest animosity towards non-Jews, but rather to acknowledge the primacy of protecting our kin. If we don’t do it, who will? Some of us have complicated views concerning Israel’s current administration and direction. This is not the moment for having political preferences eclipse our sacred duty to support Israel when our enemies spew lies designed to delegitimize the Jewish State. We have a singular ancestral homeland. She has fought back heroically and in a virtually unified manner against a terrorist regime and its proxies. The modern State of Israel is no longer some theoretical religious symbol of the Jewish people for which we pray. As Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) reminds us, Israel is comprised of our family and friends – fellow members of the tribe – who shoulder a disproportionate burden (including paying the ultimate price) of perpetuating the miracle of the Promised Land.
According to Tel Aviv University’s 2025 Antisemitism Worldwide........