This is a timely article for me as I try to keep my perspective in balance. Yet, I cannot help but feel on the defensive. The Jewish population in Canada is not nearly as significant as the Muslim vote. Thank G-d for Israel, at least we have options if we have to leave.
All wrote would be perfectly acceptable and even common sense if it wasn’t leading to the actual murder of Jews, the destruction of our properties and the incredibly intimidating nature of the hate marches on our city streets. I am sorry but this is not magnifying a social media video , this is the reality. It may well come from a minority of very loud voices, but so did the Nazis in 1930’s.. and actually the hate we are now facing is on a far greater scale of just one nation
I think I get what you're saying but I would beg to differ. I'm an American. Part of my identity as a proud American is our partnership, support, regard and respect for Israel. Whether the antisemitism is worse or not is not the only worry I have, it's that, in this country, this country, it is even permissible to express such a thing. Antisemitism used to be as unspeakable as the N-word. I think that matters, a lot.
Tolerance of the intolerable has fed the fire of hatred and anger. That bodes ill for all. We are allowing this disgusting behavior to be openly displayed. Have we no, if not decency, at least shame? On so many levels, antisemitism, anti-Zionism (same thing) speaks to common decency in western culture and civilization. Without it, we are so lost.
Many of us were warning liberal Jews not to support "intersectional" movements like Black Lives Matter (And even earlier ones). We warned them that Jews were going to be thrown under the wheels of the intersectional bus. They didn't listen. Now they know. Some of them do at least. Others are still in denial.
Too many of them value their "progressive" identity over their Jewish one. In many cases, they don't even identify themselves at all with Judaism except when they want to use it as a fig leaf for attacking Israel.
What is shocking to many Jews of the left of center persuasion is that it is their own side that is suddenly revealed as deeply hostile. It is a trusim to many left of center Jews that Jew hatred is right wing and that the left is about justice and peace. Some of us not wearing those blinders have understood the condition that has existed for decades. Progressive movements hate Israel, hate Jews who aren't Israel rejecting fellow travelers and revere Muslims. This is what is so shocking and since they know no other people and no other world, they are unaware of the millions who have no hate for Jews and who support and admire Israel. many of those people are reigious Christians who these left of center Jews have been taught to loathe and political conservatives who...enough said. Had these people not had their blinders on they would not be in such shock now. They would know that what you wrote is true and nothing has really changed. It's even worse in Europe and Australia where there are many more Muslims and the "Red/Green" alliance is even more powerful. Of course the one place in America that fully resembles Western Europe is the college campus which is filled with radical violent leftists AND Muslims who form a toxic stew.
Anti-Semitism, post Jan 7 2023 has morphed into something arguably even more nefarious that has allowed closet anti-Semities to crawl out into the limelight. The new anti-Semitism has discarded the theological basis for the "old" anti-Semitism (Jews killed Jesus) and it is now centered on Israel, mouthing fictitious libels and vacuous slogans (Apartheid, genocide, fascism, etc.). On college campuses (and elsewhere) it has actually become cool and hip to don Kufiyahs and intimidate Israelis and Jews in general. Focusing on Israel has allowed Jewish anti-Semites such as Bernie Sanders to spew their venom freely without being taken to task.
"The Jewish People, collectively, are more powerful, more connected, and more capable of self-defense than at any point in history." As I've said before on this forum, if Jews have UNITY then the anti-semites will run out of gas because chaos fears a unified response, ultimately.
Well reasoned. The Jewish people did not waste the period between Hitler’s brand of antisemitism and today’s flavor. To the contrary, we built a world class nation with state of the art defenses. And this accomplishment really belongs to all of us. The Israelis obviously did the heavy lifting but the financial, political and rhetorical support from the diaspora played a big role too. That’s something we should all be proud of. However awful things seem right now, for the first time in millennia we have a strong and prosperous nation to go to whenever we need it.
Thanks for this article! It's very difficult to not get upset with all the antisemitism being very widespread by major media. But crucial to realize the very real strength from which it can be resisted and ultimately dismantled. It doesn’t mean it will be easy. But it is important as you say to realize the strengths that are already present.
check out and read carefully a petition on the uk parliament petition page......fund permanent 24-hour police patrols in jewish communites.....it currently has 10,965,signatures....it can and must be signed and reshared widely from all over the uk....england/scotland/northernireland/wales/......but by e mails only which cant be censored or suppressed FACT
Social media isn't just exposing antisemitism that was always there, it spreads it by normalizing it, and gaining new "converts" to Jew hate. So I would say THIS time around, it is much much worse. A Digital Holocaust.
Thank you very much for this essay. It crystalizes what I have been thinking.
As bad as things are and they are terrible for Jews in NYC, London, or Sydney, this is nothing compared Nazi Europe, the Soviet Union, or Iran, Afghanistan, Gaza, Syria, Yemen, etc.
And each statement or event reminds us why we need Israel.
Anti-something, hating something is motivated by something that will hurt us in the future. Homo Sapiens are products of biological/evolutionary inheritance, fearing future hurts. That is only half of the motivational emotional system. The other half, (sometimes more than half) is the striving to be Superior, to Conquer, Win, Dominate, Control, have Power, etc. The powerful emotions of Glory, Thrill, Ecstasy are often pursued even if death might occur in this powerful emotional endeavor. In the biological competitive system, (survival of the fittest), losing, being inferior is so shameful and humiliating, that Dying with Honour is far better that Living in Disgrace. This system is still very deep in many Cultures and and Ideologies. We have to recognise how powerful the Emotional Brain is, often outweighing the recent Intellectual Brain.
Two thousand years of powerlessness resulted in repeated catastrophe
From the Roman Exile to the late 19th century, Jewish communities - whether devoutly religious or fully integrated secular Europeans - shared one condition:
They were dependent on the goodwill of rulers who could turn against them instantly.
No level of assimilation, religious observance, economic contribution, or moral behavior ever prevented the cycle of:
* expulsions
* pogroms
* forced conversions
* mass slaughters
* legal degradation
* genocide
Spain, England, France, Russia, Poland, Arab lands, North Africa, Persia—the pattern is identical.
The Holocaust was merely the modern expression of a very old truth:
A people without sovereignty cannot secure its own safety.
2. Leftist anti-Zionists often argue that “universalism” or “solidarity” protects Jews.
History refutes this completely.
Jewish socialists in Eastern Europe were massacred alongside religious Jews.
*German Jews who fought for workers’ rights and led socialist movements were exterminated by the millions.
* No international organization, no socialist movement, no coalition of progressives stopped or slowed antisemitic violence.
Moral virtue did not protect Jews.
Allies did not protect Jews.
Only power protects Jews.
3. Religious anti-Zionists who claim exile is spiritually “safe” must confront halakhic and historical reality.
For 1,800 years, Jews prayed for God to “gather the exiles” because exile was a condition of suffering and insecurity.
The prophets themselves treat exile as a temporary curse—not a model for Jewish flourishing.
Moreover:
* Torah communities in Europe were obliterated.
* Centuries-old yeshivot in Arab lands were burned or expelled.
* Rav Hirsch’s Frankfurt, Rav Kook’s Lithuania, the great Sephardi communities—all were crushed when host nations turned hostile.
Reliance on foreign rulers has never been a halakhic safeguard.
The only moments of prolonged Jewish security in diaspora occurred under the military protection of the State of Israel (deterring attacks even far from its borders).
4. The modern Middle East proves the point dramatically.
In every Arab country, from 1948–1970, Jews were:
* stripped of citizenship
* imprisoned
* lynched
* deported
* their property confiscated
Nearly one million Jews from Arab and Muslim countries fled or were expelled.
If Israel had not existed, where would they have gone?
Israel did what no one else was willing to do: It rescued them.
5. The October 7, 2023 massacre confirms the continued necessity of sovereignty.
The world once again proved that:
* it will mourn Jewish death,
* it will condemn Jewish self-defense,
* and it will not physically protect Jewish communities, whether in Israel or abroad.
Antisemitism after October 7 skyrocketed globally—including in countries with no conflict, no occupation, no Israeli presence.
Diaspora Jews today are assaulted, threatened, and forced to hide symbols of identity—again proving that:
There is no safe exile.
6. Israel is not a philosophical idea - it is the insurance policy for Jewish existence.
Even Jews who disagree with Israeli policies benefit from:
* Israel’s military deterrence
* Israel’s intelligence services that prevent global terrorist attacks
* Israel’s ability to absorb Jews fleeing danger (Iran, Ukraine, France, Ethiopia, Yemen, and more)
* Israel’s existence as the one country whose national mission includes protecting Jews
For both secular and religious anti-Zionists, the question is not political but existential:
If not the State of Israel, who protects Jews?
Who rescues us when nations turn against us?
Who guarantees Jewish survival?
No movement, ideology, or theology has ever succeeded in protecting Jews consistently.
Only Jewish sovereignty has.
Conclusion: Anti-Zionist ideologies - leftist or religious - ignore the single most important truth of Jewish history.
A people without a state is a people without security.
A people without security is a people whose future is uncertain.
The State of Israel is not one option among many - it is the only proven safeguard against annihilation.
"What feels like “the world falling apart” is often the end of an illusion: the illusion that a uniquely comfortable moment was permanent."
This and other observations/analyses are excellent and important to be aware of.
Your entire thesis that perceiving the current events and environment correctly can lead to opportunities and action rather than despair and paralysis.
Europe has always been bad for Jews. Now it's worse, but that is a marginal change, not a sea change.
I believe the United States is the key to how this turns out. If the US regains its Constitutional sanity, it should turn out okay for those not hurt along the way. If the 250 year experiment in self governance fails due to its ideological enemies, then Israel will probably be the only place to go.
I am more grateful for Israel with every passing day.
This is a timely article for me as I try to keep my perspective in balance. Yet, I cannot help but feel on the defensive. The Jewish population in Canada is not nearly as significant as the Muslim vote. Thank G-d for Israel, at least we have options if we have to leave.
All wrote would be perfectly acceptable and even common sense if it wasn’t leading to the actual murder of Jews, the destruction of our properties and the incredibly intimidating nature of the hate marches on our city streets. I am sorry but this is not magnifying a social media video , this is the reality. It may well come from a minority of very loud voices, but so did the Nazis in 1930’s.. and actually the hate we are now facing is on a far greater scale of just one nation
I think I get what you're saying but I would beg to differ. I'm an American. Part of my identity as a proud American is our partnership, support, regard and respect for Israel. Whether the antisemitism is worse or not is not the only worry I have, it's that, in this country, this country, it is even permissible to express such a thing. Antisemitism used to be as unspeakable as the N-word. I think that matters, a lot.
Tolerance of the intolerable has fed the fire of hatred and anger. That bodes ill for all. We are allowing this disgusting behavior to be openly displayed. Have we no, if not decency, at least shame? On so many levels, antisemitism, anti-Zionism (same thing) speaks to common decency in western culture and civilization. Without it, we are so lost.
Many of us were warning liberal Jews not to support "intersectional" movements like Black Lives Matter (And even earlier ones). We warned them that Jews were going to be thrown under the wheels of the intersectional bus. They didn't listen. Now they know. Some of them do at least. Others are still in denial.
Too many of them value their "progressive" identity over their Jewish one. In many cases, they don't even identify themselves at all with Judaism except when they want to use it as a fig leaf for attacking Israel.
The liberal Jews who hate trump with disdain reserved for the greatest villains of history, will never see the it any other way.
Your comment resonates with me.
What is shocking to many Jews of the left of center persuasion is that it is their own side that is suddenly revealed as deeply hostile. It is a trusim to many left of center Jews that Jew hatred is right wing and that the left is about justice and peace. Some of us not wearing those blinders have understood the condition that has existed for decades. Progressive movements hate Israel, hate Jews who aren't Israel rejecting fellow travelers and revere Muslims. This is what is so shocking and since they know no other people and no other world, they are unaware of the millions who have no hate for Jews and who support and admire Israel. many of those people are reigious Christians who these left of center Jews have been taught to loathe and political conservatives who...enough said. Had these people not had their blinders on they would not be in such shock now. They would know that what you wrote is true and nothing has really changed. It's even worse in Europe and Australia where there are many more Muslims and the "Red/Green" alliance is even more powerful. Of course the one place in America that fully resembles Western Europe is the college campus which is filled with radical violent leftists AND Muslims who form a toxic stew.
Anti-Semitism, post Jan 7 2023 has morphed into something arguably even more nefarious that has allowed closet anti-Semities to crawl out into the limelight. The new anti-Semitism has discarded the theological basis for the "old" anti-Semitism (Jews killed Jesus) and it is now centered on Israel, mouthing fictitious libels and vacuous slogans (Apartheid, genocide, fascism, etc.). On college campuses (and elsewhere) it has actually become cool and hip to don Kufiyahs and intimidate Israelis and Jews in general. Focusing on Israel has allowed Jewish anti-Semites such as Bernie Sanders to spew their venom freely without being taken to task.
"The Jewish People, collectively, are more powerful, more connected, and more capable of self-defense than at any point in history." As I've said before on this forum, if Jews have UNITY then the anti-semites will run out of gas because chaos fears a unified response, ultimately.
Well reasoned. The Jewish people did not waste the period between Hitler’s brand of antisemitism and today’s flavor. To the contrary, we built a world class nation with state of the art defenses. And this accomplishment really belongs to all of us. The Israelis obviously did the heavy lifting but the financial, political and rhetorical support from the diaspora played a big role too. That’s something we should all be proud of. However awful things seem right now, for the first time in millennia we have a strong and prosperous nation to go to whenever we need it.
Thanks for this article! It's very difficult to not get upset with all the antisemitism being very widespread by major media. But crucial to realize the very real strength from which it can be resisted and ultimately dismantled. It doesn’t mean it will be easy. But it is important as you say to realize the strengths that are already present.
check out and read carefully a petition on the uk parliament petition page......fund permanent 24-hour police patrols in jewish communites.....it currently has 10,965,signatures....it can and must be signed and reshared widely from all over the uk....england/scotland/northernireland/wales/......but by e mails only which cant be censored or suppressed FACT
Social media isn't just exposing antisemitism that was always there, it spreads it by normalizing it, and gaining new "converts" to Jew hate. So I would say THIS time around, it is much much worse. A Digital Holocaust.
Thank you very much for this essay. It crystalizes what I have been thinking.
As bad as things are and they are terrible for Jews in NYC, London, or Sydney, this is nothing compared Nazi Europe, the Soviet Union, or Iran, Afghanistan, Gaza, Syria, Yemen, etc.
And each statement or event reminds us why we need Israel.
Anti-something, hating something is motivated by something that will hurt us in the future. Homo Sapiens are products of biological/evolutionary inheritance, fearing future hurts. That is only half of the motivational emotional system. The other half, (sometimes more than half) is the striving to be Superior, to Conquer, Win, Dominate, Control, have Power, etc. The powerful emotions of Glory, Thrill, Ecstasy are often pursued even if death might occur in this powerful emotional endeavor. In the biological competitive system, (survival of the fittest), losing, being inferior is so shameful and humiliating, that Dying with Honour is far better that Living in Disgrace. This system is still very deep in many Cultures and and Ideologies. We have to recognise how powerful the Emotional Brain is, often outweighing the recent Intellectual Brain.
Martin Nash, M.D.
Two thousand years of powerlessness resulted in repeated catastrophe
From the Roman Exile to the late 19th century, Jewish communities - whether devoutly religious or fully integrated secular Europeans - shared one condition:
They were dependent on the goodwill of rulers who could turn against them instantly.
No level of assimilation, religious observance, economic contribution, or moral behavior ever prevented the cycle of:
* expulsions
* pogroms
* forced conversions
* mass slaughters
* legal degradation
* genocide
Spain, England, France, Russia, Poland, Arab lands, North Africa, Persia—the pattern is identical.
The Holocaust was merely the modern expression of a very old truth:
A people without sovereignty cannot secure its own safety.
2. Leftist anti-Zionists often argue that “universalism” or “solidarity” protects Jews.
History refutes this completely.
Jewish socialists in Eastern Europe were massacred alongside religious Jews.
*German Jews who fought for workers’ rights and led socialist movements were exterminated by the millions.
* No international organization, no socialist movement, no coalition of progressives stopped or slowed antisemitic violence.
Moral virtue did not protect Jews.
Allies did not protect Jews.
Only power protects Jews.
3. Religious anti-Zionists who claim exile is spiritually “safe” must confront halakhic and historical reality.
For 1,800 years, Jews prayed for God to “gather the exiles” because exile was a condition of suffering and insecurity.
The prophets themselves treat exile as a temporary curse—not a model for Jewish flourishing.
Moreover:
* Torah communities in Europe were obliterated.
* Centuries-old yeshivot in Arab lands were burned or expelled.
* Rav Hirsch’s Frankfurt, Rav Kook’s Lithuania, the great Sephardi communities—all were crushed when host nations turned hostile.
Reliance on foreign rulers has never been a halakhic safeguard.
The only moments of prolonged Jewish security in diaspora occurred under the military protection of the State of Israel (deterring attacks even far from its borders).
4. The modern Middle East proves the point dramatically.
In every Arab country, from 1948–1970, Jews were:
* stripped of citizenship
* imprisoned
* lynched
* deported
* their property confiscated
Nearly one million Jews from Arab and Muslim countries fled or were expelled.
If Israel had not existed, where would they have gone?
Israel did what no one else was willing to do: It rescued them.
5. The October 7, 2023 massacre confirms the continued necessity of sovereignty.
The world once again proved that:
* it will mourn Jewish death,
* it will condemn Jewish self-defense,
* and it will not physically protect Jewish communities, whether in Israel or abroad.
Antisemitism after October 7 skyrocketed globally—including in countries with no conflict, no occupation, no Israeli presence.
Diaspora Jews today are assaulted, threatened, and forced to hide symbols of identity—again proving that:
There is no safe exile.
6. Israel is not a philosophical idea - it is the insurance policy for Jewish existence.
Even Jews who disagree with Israeli policies benefit from:
* Israel’s military deterrence
* Israel’s intelligence services that prevent global terrorist attacks
* Israel’s ability to absorb Jews fleeing danger (Iran, Ukraine, France, Ethiopia, Yemen, and more)
* Israel’s existence as the one country whose national mission includes protecting Jews
For both secular and religious anti-Zionists, the question is not political but existential:
If not the State of Israel, who protects Jews?
Who rescues us when nations turn against us?
Who guarantees Jewish survival?
No movement, ideology, or theology has ever succeeded in protecting Jews consistently.
Only Jewish sovereignty has.
Conclusion: Anti-Zionist ideologies - leftist or religious - ignore the single most important truth of Jewish history.
A people without a state is a people without security.
A people without security is a people whose future is uncertain.
The State of Israel is not one option among many - it is the only proven safeguard against annihilation.
"What feels like “the world falling apart” is often the end of an illusion: the illusion that a uniquely comfortable moment was permanent."
This and other observations/analyses are excellent and important to be aware of.
Your entire thesis that perceiving the current events and environment correctly can lead to opportunities and action rather than despair and paralysis.
From your lips to G-d's ears.
Europe has always been bad for Jews. Now it's worse, but that is a marginal change, not a sea change.
I believe the United States is the key to how this turns out. If the US regains its Constitutional sanity, it should turn out okay for those not hurt along the way. If the 250 year experiment in self governance fails due to its ideological enemies, then Israel will probably be the only place to go.