You’re right about Muslim countries. The famous “Where are your Jews?” speech by Hillel Neuer comes to mind…That’s just not who we are. I believe Israel is one of the most diverse countries on the planet. I’ve served alongside Jews, Christians, Muslims, Bedouins, Druze, and atheists. Loved the debates and camaraderie. Wouldn’t change it for anything.
So I was standing in the waves on a Tel Aviv beach early Shabbat morning on a visit this september and it came to me - after 50 years of dreaming and 10 years of dismay over what is happening in my country, "Vote with your feet, make a safe place for the kids", and so I decided - I'm making Aliya in June, this is the time, for exactly this reason.
Your article is so accurate . It tells the story of so many of us. All of us who are the descendants of Holocaust survivors or those who fled from Arab countries post the establishment of the State of Israel have similar stories to tell. If there wasn’t a story, we would not be here.
Your article is also so depressing. Not because of the story you tell but because of the way you cast Israel, as the refuge of last resort. Unfortunately that is the way so many also see it. A place to run to only when things get so bad where we are that we have no choice.
I say that it is unfortunate because the opposite is true. Israel is where the future of Jewish history will be written. For those of who live here we know that it is THE place to be if you are Jewish. Like the moon is a pale reflection of the sun, Jewish life outside of Israel is a pale reflection of Jewish life here in Israel. Yes there are problems both internal and external but that comes with being a nation state. But the quality of Jewish life here is unsurpassed despite the problems. Here we are home.
That is why Jews should be flocking here. Because there is no place like home.
Thank you, @Ed Susman - please do browse the other articles, as I write about the memoir I’m currently finalizing. In it, the story of my family during Nazi occupation of Poland, through my father migrating to Israel, and my own childhood in the shadow of Intifadas and the Gulf War.
I have seen trouble coming for decades, and made a few trips abroad to investigate moving and getting second citizenship somewhere, a “plan B,” as it were. I’m sorry I didn’t actually do it, because now I can’t afford to. Then again, there would have been no social supports like I have here, without which I could not survive.
I have toyed with the idea of making aliyah for even longer, but I’m still stuck with the affordability issue. Israel has some subsidized housing for the poor elderly - but the waiting lists are literally *ten years* long.
I feel so stupid because I *knew* the day would come that people would really have to leave - and not just Jews - and then I didn’t act on it in time.
Thank God they’re not coming after Jews - yet - which is kind of novel, but history has shown that they will *always* get around to us sooner or later. Usually sooner, of course.
Yes, it’s bad, but with the Internet and how information flows, we have a much better chance of combatting (as a people, taking care of one another) this current rise of Antisemitism.
We are most assuredly going to slam these fuckers back, here in the USA. I am going nowhere and this place shall remain safe for my children and their children's children. The Jews are not leaving America.
Just curious - name the famous scientists and other academics that are leaving the US.
Last year more Jews left Israel than new ones coming in.
Times of Israel - 12/31/2025
"More than 69,000 Israelis left Israel in 2025, as population reached 10.18 million. According to government, the population grew just 1.1% in the shadow of war, an unusually low rate, as the country saw a net negative migration of 20,000 people."
People move, so what.
Are you implying people are leaving because of Trump or because the Democrats hate Israel and have embraced Islam? Or for better weather or economic reasons?
Politics aside (this isn't the place, in my opinion), yes, people move.
You cannot deny the fact that there is a migration of Jews back to Israel, from all over the globe. War was a MAJOR reason for this departure, coupled with the uncertainty it brings.
Doubt you'll see a negative trend in 2026 and beyond. Even the one mentioned (~20k negatively) is miniscule.
I already decided to make Aliya. I’m just stuck in Philly for now waiting on surgeries. I have an appt. at an Israeli hospital in July. I don’t know how it will work out. There are too many bad people in the USA. America doesn’t deserve its Jews. I think we should all go home.
Your choice of course. As I have said here many times, Jews are so lucky to have a place of refuge they can call their own. For everyone it's America.
In America you have gun rights and can defend yourself. In Israel virtually none. Ask Israelis how that worked out on October 7th. Good to be informed ahead of time.
I carried an M-16 for 3 years. A pistol for 2 after that. Every venue, mall, and coffee shop has armed security. Israel has 170,000 active-duty soldiers and 465,000 reservists, most of whom carry daily.
October 7th wasn't a gun problem. It was a coordinated military invasion of 3,000 people with machine guns, RPGs, and paragliders.
The people in Kibbutz Be'eri were armed. Other communities too. They fought. They died anyway.
The IDF's Jag Corps prevented the IDF from helping for almost 12 hours - that's a long time to wait for help as it turned out.
Some of the adjacent Kibbutzim had Bedouins steal their weapons so the IDF removed some of them.
I watched interviews of Kibbutz members who knew they were underarmed and said so.
October 7th was indeed a gun problem, an IDF problem and a Tatzpitanyot problem when the IDF for months blew off their reports and then didn't give them the guns for defense to fight with.
I support Israel 100% - but I also support the right of the Jews of Israel to defend themselves without a damn permit. If a Haredi or Left Wing Jew doesn't WANT a permit that's their business, but since just about every man and large percentage of women have served in the IDF they should automatically have a gun - a M-16 or a Tavor not a 9mm Glock and 50 rounds.
I know exactly why there is a gun permit system.
Here's the question. Why do The Jews of Israel need a "permit" to prevent their daughters, wives, sisters and mothers from kidnap and rape? From being murdered? From being tortured?
Because permits allow for some level of control over who holds a gun. You know this. Not sure why you ask.
Oct 7th was not a gun issue. Yes, the IDF messed up, all the way to the top (including Netanyahu and the rest of them). By the way, I'm reading a fascinating book about just that called "While Israel Slept" - highly recommended.
There were many people who were armed and died. Many other were armed and were able to hold their ground and protect others. None of that has to do with availability of guns, and everything to do with the arrogance of the powers that be that thought Hamas was "deterred" and that even though many signs were there (you mentioned the whistle blowing Tatzpitanyot correctly), and that in spite of it all they would not dare attack.
It's easier to Monday morning quarterback, but in the chaos and fog of war it is much harder to get a clear picture, coordinate, communicate, mobilize, allocate, etc. Don't forget, the information on the ground said Hezbollah were going to join in, so many troops were sent up north.
I appreciate the spirit, but more guns would have only made a slight difference. Permits are still important.
To add to that, most terror attacks are neutralized by armed civilians, way before security forces arrive, saving countless lives. None of us get "spooked" by the sight of a gun or rifle. We live it every day. It might be the one country in the world where people feel safer when they see a rifle. It's that common.
When I say Americans aren’t as tough as Israelis, I’m not talking about individuals. There are incredibly tough, disciplined, and selfless people in both countries, and the best of each group can work together just fine. I’m not claiming that everyone in Israel is admirable or that everyone in America is lacking. I’m talking about broader societal patterns, not personal worth. Any large population is going to have a wide range of character, and I’m not trying to flatten that complexity.
What I’m pointing to is the difference in how responsibility is distributed across society. In the United States, military service is voluntary, and most people will never be directly connected to it. That creates a culture where a small percentage carries the burden of national defense while the majority lives relatively untouched by those demands. In Israel, military or national service is a much more common expectation, and that creates a shared experience where more people are exposed to risk, discipline, and collective responsibility at a young age. That difference shapes culture. It affects how people relate to each other, how they think about sacrifice, and how they understand the cost of security.
So when I use the word “toughness,” I don’t mean it as an insult or a moral judgment. I mean a kind of societal conditioning—how much a population, on average, is required to confront pressure, uncertainty, and responsibility. A country where most people go through some form of service is going to develop a different baseline than one where that experience is optional. That doesn’t make one group of people inherently better than another, but it does produce different cultural habits.
This is just my perspective on it. It’s a generalization, and like any generalization it has limits. There are countless exceptions on both sides, and there are many ways to contribute to society beyond military service. But I think it’s fair to say that systems shape behavior, and when responsibility is more widely shared, it tends to change how a society sees itself and what it expects from its people.
"The essence of Eretz Yisrael transcends mere geographical borders, or increasing the population, or building cities and expanding commerce. Even the establishment of autonomous Jewish rule is not enough. You could vanquish the Canaanites and populate the entire territory, and still not appreciate that the land is your heritage. The true identity of Eretz Yisrael lies in its role as the spiritual epicenter and sanctuary of Jewish existence, and that is something that can only ever exist in the heart of a Jew."
"Spain, 1492: Leave or convert. Germany, 1933: Leave before it gets worse. Poland, 1939: Just get out. Morocco, 1948: Leave while you still can. Not once has the world’s response been: How do we help them stay?"
Not going to let that pass. All immigrants had to make their way here, but America allowed for Jewish immigration and we did nothing as a government to do anything but help them stay.
We have evenly allowed Muslim immigration, so at least one country welcomed Jews and Jews know that. Some Americans may not like Jews but a lot of Americans don't like Muslims either.
What an extraordinary article !!!!!!....... soʻoooooo true !!!!!! .... After 2026 years, we are certainly done explaining the legitimacy of our beloved Israel, our sovereign nation of the Jewish people!!!!!!..... Am Israel Chai....
Amen. Mamdani the evil Twelver Shia scumbag terrorist can "just leave" and swiftly, please. He can take brother-marrying tax-thief fraudster Ilhan Omar with him.
"Israel is what happens when you run out of places to go."
This is an outrageously bad argument. There are dozens of countries where Jews can go (to borrow your phrasing). There are dozens of countries where Jews can be treated well. Israel is the home of the largest attack on Jews since WWII.
The underlying factual points being made here is a good one. There are just substantially better forms of this argument than the one you are putting forward.
October 7th was a catastrophic failure of government, intelligence, and military leadership. I've said that elsewhere in this thread. It doesn't disprove the underlying argument. It proves that democracies fail and recover. Israel is still standing. Still absorbing Jews. Still the only country constitutionally unwilling and incapable of expelling them.
On discrimination: yes, it exists everywhere, including Israel. Mizrahi Jews have faced it. Ethiopian Jews have faced it. That's real and worth acknowledging.
But discrimination inside a community is different from a country that can decide you don't belong at all. Every Jew, regardless of origin, has an unconditional legal right to return. That right doesn't exist anywhere else.
You're describing imperfection. I'm describing the alternative.
You're right that Jews can live well in many countries. That's not the argument.
The argument is that everywhere else, that safety depends on someone else's tolerance. A government's mood. A majority's patience. A leader who hasn't turned (yet?)
Israel is the only place where Jewish safety is nobody's permission to grant or revoke.
I moved away. I live in North Carolina. But I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm borrowing stability from a country that could one day change its mind. Israel can't change its mind about me. It's constitutionally incapable of it.
That's not a fallback. That's the difference between a guest and someone who owns the house.
(1) "The argument is that everywhere else, that safety depends on someone else's tolerance."
Like I said in my initial comment that you are responding to, the largest attack on us Jews since WWII occurred... IN ISRAEL. Every single argument you make about other places is applicable to Israel too.
Because your understanding of safety is just not how safety actually works. Safety is always a multi-person endeavor.
(2) "I'm borrowing stability from a country that could one day change its mind. Israel can't change its mind about me. It's constitutionally incapable of it."
Today, in the Israel that actually exists out there in the world, non-Ashkenazi Jews are treated materially worse than Ashkenazi Jews.
Jews aren't a monolith. Even in Israel, we face discrimination. It is very similar to the Irish and Italians of previous generations in the "west." There are in groups and out groups everywhere. Artificial distinctions are drawn in all groups of people.
I started supporting Israel in 1967, before that I didn't know anything, when I was 15 after reading about the 6-Day War in my Dad's newspaper the "Washington Evening Star" and marveled at the sheer speed of their actions to victory. This caused my young mind to wonder why this war happened so I started looking at Israeli and Jewish history and later realized WHY Israel existed and has to fight so often. Now, because of having to defend themselves from their Arab neighbors so often Israel has become the biggest dog on the block militarily AND economically in the region. Long live Israel from this Catholic.
When Muslim countries lost the war to Israel , they decided to expel Jews from their countries.
But Israel didn’t kick out their Muslim citizens. If they had , they wouldn’t be facing problems now.
You’re right about Muslim countries. The famous “Where are your Jews?” speech by Hillel Neuer comes to mind…That’s just not who we are. I believe Israel is one of the most diverse countries on the planet. I’ve served alongside Jews, Christians, Muslims, Bedouins, Druze, and atheists. Loved the debates and camaraderie. Wouldn’t change it for anything.
So I was standing in the waves on a Tel Aviv beach early Shabbat morning on a visit this september and it came to me - after 50 years of dreaming and 10 years of dismay over what is happening in my country, "Vote with your feet, make a safe place for the kids", and so I decided - I'm making Aliya in June, this is the time, for exactly this reason.
Happy for you! I miss Israel every day. Growing up there was the best.
Your article is so accurate . It tells the story of so many of us. All of us who are the descendants of Holocaust survivors or those who fled from Arab countries post the establishment of the State of Israel have similar stories to tell. If there wasn’t a story, we would not be here.
Your article is also so depressing. Not because of the story you tell but because of the way you cast Israel, as the refuge of last resort. Unfortunately that is the way so many also see it. A place to run to only when things get so bad where we are that we have no choice.
I say that it is unfortunate because the opposite is true. Israel is where the future of Jewish history will be written. For those of who live here we know that it is THE place to be if you are Jewish. Like the moon is a pale reflection of the sun, Jewish life outside of Israel is a pale reflection of Jewish life here in Israel. Yes there are problems both internal and external but that comes with being a nation state. But the quality of Jewish life here is unsurpassed despite the problems. Here we are home.
That is why Jews should be flocking here. Because there is no place like home.
Thank you, @Ed Susman - please do browse the other articles, as I write about the memoir I’m currently finalizing. In it, the story of my family during Nazi occupation of Poland, through my father migrating to Israel, and my own childhood in the shadow of Intifadas and the Gulf War.
I have seen trouble coming for decades, and made a few trips abroad to investigate moving and getting second citizenship somewhere, a “plan B,” as it were. I’m sorry I didn’t actually do it, because now I can’t afford to. Then again, there would have been no social supports like I have here, without which I could not survive.
I have toyed with the idea of making aliyah for even longer, but I’m still stuck with the affordability issue. Israel has some subsidized housing for the poor elderly - but the waiting lists are literally *ten years* long.
I feel so stupid because I *knew* the day would come that people would really have to leave - and not just Jews - and then I didn’t act on it in time.
Thank God they’re not coming after Jews - yet - which is kind of novel, but history has shown that they will *always* get around to us sooner or later. Usually sooner, of course.
Don’t beat yourself up.
Yes, it’s bad, but with the Internet and how information flows, we have a much better chance of combatting (as a people, taking care of one another) this current rise of Antisemitism.
There are enough good people here to stand against it. The bad guys are losing, which is why they’re getting so shrill and extreme.
@Realistacular You know I always appreciate you!
Likewise my friend!
We are most assuredly going to slam these fuckers back, here in the USA. I am going nowhere and this place shall remain safe for my children and their children's children. The Jews are not leaving America.
A lot of people, period, are leaving, especially scientists and other academics. Among them are lots of Jews.
Just curious - name the famous scientists and other academics that are leaving the US.
Last year more Jews left Israel than new ones coming in.
Times of Israel - 12/31/2025
"More than 69,000 Israelis left Israel in 2025, as population reached 10.18 million. According to government, the population grew just 1.1% in the shadow of war, an unusually low rate, as the country saw a net negative migration of 20,000 people."
People move, so what.
Are you implying people are leaving because of Trump or because the Democrats hate Israel and have embraced Islam? Or for better weather or economic reasons?
Politics aside (this isn't the place, in my opinion), yes, people move.
You cannot deny the fact that there is a migration of Jews back to Israel, from all over the globe. War was a MAJOR reason for this departure, coupled with the uncertainty it brings.
Doubt you'll see a negative trend in 2026 and beyond. Even the one mentioned (~20k negatively) is miniscule.
We are not going anywhere.
I already decided to make Aliya. I’m just stuck in Philly for now waiting on surgeries. I have an appt. at an Israeli hospital in July. I don’t know how it will work out. There are too many bad people in the USA. America doesn’t deserve its Jews. I think we should all go home.
In my darker moments I share your thoughts. But then I refuse to leave my family and friends just because the Nazis in Keffiyehs are loud idiots.
Your choice of course. As I have said here many times, Jews are so lucky to have a place of refuge they can call their own. For everyone it's America.
In America you have gun rights and can defend yourself. In Israel virtually none. Ask Israelis how that worked out on October 7th. Good to be informed ahead of time.
I carried an M-16 for 3 years. A pistol for 2 after that. Every venue, mall, and coffee shop has armed security. Israel has 170,000 active-duty soldiers and 465,000 reservists, most of whom carry daily.
October 7th wasn't a gun problem. It was a coordinated military invasion of 3,000 people with machine guns, RPGs, and paragliders.
The people in Kibbutz Be'eri were armed. Other communities too. They fought. They died anyway.
Arithmetic isn't a gun control argument.
I carried a M-16 for 4 years.
Only 5% of non IDF, non-Police have permits.
The IDF's Jag Corps prevented the IDF from helping for almost 12 hours - that's a long time to wait for help as it turned out.
Some of the adjacent Kibbutzim had Bedouins steal their weapons so the IDF removed some of them.
I watched interviews of Kibbutz members who knew they were underarmed and said so.
October 7th was indeed a gun problem, an IDF problem and a Tatzpitanyot problem when the IDF for months blew off their reports and then didn't give them the guns for defense to fight with.
I support Israel 100% - but I also support the right of the Jews of Israel to defend themselves without a damn permit. If a Haredi or Left Wing Jew doesn't WANT a permit that's their business, but since just about every man and large percentage of women have served in the IDF they should automatically have a gun - a M-16 or a Tavor not a 9mm Glock and 50 rounds.
I know exactly why there is a gun permit system.
Here's the question. Why do The Jews of Israel need a "permit" to prevent their daughters, wives, sisters and mothers from kidnap and rape? From being murdered? From being tortured?
Because permits allow for some level of control over who holds a gun. You know this. Not sure why you ask.
Oct 7th was not a gun issue. Yes, the IDF messed up, all the way to the top (including Netanyahu and the rest of them). By the way, I'm reading a fascinating book about just that called "While Israel Slept" - highly recommended.
There were many people who were armed and died. Many other were armed and were able to hold their ground and protect others. None of that has to do with availability of guns, and everything to do with the arrogance of the powers that be that thought Hamas was "deterred" and that even though many signs were there (you mentioned the whistle blowing Tatzpitanyot correctly), and that in spite of it all they would not dare attack.
It's easier to Monday morning quarterback, but in the chaos and fog of war it is much harder to get a clear picture, coordinate, communicate, mobilize, allocate, etc. Don't forget, the information on the ground said Hezbollah were going to join in, so many troops were sent up north.
I appreciate the spirit, but more guns would have only made a slight difference. Permits are still important.
Israel is surrounded by enemies. All Israeli Jews should have the right to defend themselves without any questions or having a "permit."
'
In Israel, gun ownership is treated as a licensed privilege, not a right.
The October 7 attacks exposed serious security gaps, especially in southern communities near Gaza.
In response, Israel did loosen gun access somewhat, but not in a U.S.-style way:
• Faster processing for gun licenses
• Expanded eligibility (more civilians qualify)
• Tens of thousands of new permits approved
• More local civilian defense squads armed
Maybe Israel needs more Jews who know that self-defense is a right not a privilege. We’ll flood the K’Nesset and argue for the laws to change.
In Israel, gun ownership is treated as a licensed privilege, not a right.
The October 7 attacks exposed serious security gaps, especially in southern communities near Gaza.
In response, Israel did loosen gun access somewhat, but not in a U.S.-style way:
• Faster processing for gun licenses
• Expanded eligibility (more civilians qualify)
• Tens of thousands of new permits approved
• More local civilian defense squads armed
Maybe Israel needs more Jews who know that self-defense is a right not a privilege. We’ll flood the K’Nesset and argue for the laws to change.
To add to that, most terror attacks are neutralized by armed civilians, way before security forces arrive, saving countless lives. None of us get "spooked" by the sight of a gun or rifle. We live it every day. It might be the one country in the world where people feel safer when they see a rifle. It's that common.
Someday I want to be an armed Israeli citizen. Most bad ass people on Earth. Americans think they are tough. It’s cute.
We've had a lot of great cross training with the US Army. Great collaboration. Great military, of course.
When I say Americans aren’t as tough as Israelis, I’m not talking about individuals. There are incredibly tough, disciplined, and selfless people in both countries, and the best of each group can work together just fine. I’m not claiming that everyone in Israel is admirable or that everyone in America is lacking. I’m talking about broader societal patterns, not personal worth. Any large population is going to have a wide range of character, and I’m not trying to flatten that complexity.
What I’m pointing to is the difference in how responsibility is distributed across society. In the United States, military service is voluntary, and most people will never be directly connected to it. That creates a culture where a small percentage carries the burden of national defense while the majority lives relatively untouched by those demands. In Israel, military or national service is a much more common expectation, and that creates a shared experience where more people are exposed to risk, discipline, and collective responsibility at a young age. That difference shapes culture. It affects how people relate to each other, how they think about sacrifice, and how they understand the cost of security.
So when I use the word “toughness,” I don’t mean it as an insult or a moral judgment. I mean a kind of societal conditioning—how much a population, on average, is required to confront pressure, uncertainty, and responsibility. A country where most people go through some form of service is going to develop a different baseline than one where that experience is optional. That doesn’t make one group of people inherently better than another, but it does produce different cultural habits.
This is just my perspective on it. It’s a generalization, and like any generalization it has limits. There are countless exceptions on both sides, and there are many ways to contribute to society beyond military service. But I think it’s fair to say that systems shape behavior, and when responsibility is more widely shared, it tends to change how a society sees itself and what it expects from its people.
Very exciting!! Good luck with it!
"The essence of Eretz Yisrael transcends mere geographical borders, or increasing the population, or building cities and expanding commerce. Even the establishment of autonomous Jewish rule is not enough. You could vanquish the Canaanites and populate the entire territory, and still not appreciate that the land is your heritage. The true identity of Eretz Yisrael lies in its role as the spiritual epicenter and sanctuary of Jewish existence, and that is something that can only ever exist in the heart of a Jew."
https://www.algemeiner.com/2023/09/01/the-land-of-israel-defies-any-borders/
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Wherever Jews are, Israel lives, I guess, but especially in Israel. Am Israel Chai!
Am Israel Chai!
Beautifully Written and 💯 % accurate
Thank you, @Ann Baker Ronn!
“No person is an illegal immigrant! Uhhhh… unless they’re Jews.” — far left
There are MANY double-standards applied to only one people. That is one of them.
"Spain, 1492: Leave or convert. Germany, 1933: Leave before it gets worse. Poland, 1939: Just get out. Morocco, 1948: Leave while you still can. Not once has the world’s response been: How do we help them stay?"
Not going to let that pass. All immigrants had to make their way here, but America allowed for Jewish immigration and we did nothing as a government to do anything but help them stay.
We have evenly allowed Muslim immigration, so at least one country welcomed Jews and Jews know that. Some Americans may not like Jews but a lot of Americans don't like Muslims either.
What an extraordinary article !!!!!!....... soʻoooooo true !!!!!! .... After 2026 years, we are certainly done explaining the legitimacy of our beloved Israel, our sovereign nation of the Jewish people!!!!!!..... Am Israel Chai....
Thanks for reading!
Deuteronomy cpt 28 Leviticus cpt26 Jeremiah 29:7
Chazak v’Ematz! Be Brave. Be courageous. Great piece Ido!
Thank you so much for reading!
Amen. Mamdani the evil Twelver Shia scumbag terrorist can "just leave" and swiftly, please. He can take brother-marrying tax-thief fraudster Ilhan Omar with him.
Best comment of the day!!!
"Israel is what happens when you run out of places to go."
This is an outrageously bad argument. There are dozens of countries where Jews can go (to borrow your phrasing). There are dozens of countries where Jews can be treated well. Israel is the home of the largest attack on Jews since WWII.
The underlying factual points being made here is a good one. There are just substantially better forms of this argument than the one you are putting forward.
October 7th was a catastrophic failure of government, intelligence, and military leadership. I've said that elsewhere in this thread. It doesn't disprove the underlying argument. It proves that democracies fail and recover. Israel is still standing. Still absorbing Jews. Still the only country constitutionally unwilling and incapable of expelling them.
On discrimination: yes, it exists everywhere, including Israel. Mizrahi Jews have faced it. Ethiopian Jews have faced it. That's real and worth acknowledging.
But discrimination inside a community is different from a country that can decide you don't belong at all. Every Jew, regardless of origin, has an unconditional legal right to return. That right doesn't exist anywhere else.
You're describing imperfection. I'm describing the alternative.
You're right that Jews can live well in many countries. That's not the argument.
The argument is that everywhere else, that safety depends on someone else's tolerance. A government's mood. A majority's patience. A leader who hasn't turned (yet?)
Israel is the only place where Jewish safety is nobody's permission to grant or revoke.
I moved away. I live in North Carolina. But I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm borrowing stability from a country that could one day change its mind. Israel can't change its mind about me. It's constitutionally incapable of it.
That's not a fallback. That's the difference between a guest and someone who owns the house.
(1) "The argument is that everywhere else, that safety depends on someone else's tolerance."
Like I said in my initial comment that you are responding to, the largest attack on us Jews since WWII occurred... IN ISRAEL. Every single argument you make about other places is applicable to Israel too.
Because your understanding of safety is just not how safety actually works. Safety is always a multi-person endeavor.
(2) "I'm borrowing stability from a country that could one day change its mind. Israel can't change its mind about me. It's constitutionally incapable of it."
Today, in the Israel that actually exists out there in the world, non-Ashkenazi Jews are treated materially worse than Ashkenazi Jews.
Jews aren't a monolith. Even in Israel, we face discrimination. It is very similar to the Irish and Italians of previous generations in the "west." There are in groups and out groups everywhere. Artificial distinctions are drawn in all groups of people.
No country, no society, is immune from this.
I started supporting Israel in 1967, before that I didn't know anything, when I was 15 after reading about the 6-Day War in my Dad's newspaper the "Washington Evening Star" and marveled at the sheer speed of their actions to victory. This caused my young mind to wonder why this war happened so I started looking at Israeli and Jewish history and later realized WHY Israel existed and has to fight so often. Now, because of having to defend themselves from their Arab neighbors so often Israel has become the biggest dog on the block militarily AND economically in the region. Long live Israel from this Catholic.