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"Hamas Has Reminded Us that We Are a Nation, a People, a Family"

(Jerusalem Post) Amb. Michael Oren - During a nine-week speaking tour in the U.S. where I visited several dozen Jewish communities, I saw a degree of confusion and fear I never before encountered. People unfamiliar with antisemitism now confront it persistently and in multiple forms. The vast majority of American Jews understood that rampant anti-Zionism merely exposed a latent Jew-hatred that existed well before Oct. 7. All but a few realized that Israel's security was directly linked to their own and that American Jewry was severely threatened by attacks on the Jewish state. Asked repeatedly, "What should we do?" I responded that they could remove the mezuzah from their doors and lock themselves in, they could move to Israel, or they could stay and fight. Jews are only beginning to discover the many ways they can fight back. I recalled the resignation of the presidents of Penn and Harvard, reminding my listeners of their ability to exact a price from any official who fails to stand up to antisemitism. Communities formerly at odds over ritual differences have come together to advocate and demonstrate for Israel. Their contributions to Israel-related philanthropies have broken all previous records. So, too, has their participation in emergency missions to Israel. "For all the agony and the sorrow," I observed, "Hamas has reminded us that we are a nation, a people, a family." The bulk of American Jewry, I found, place their commitment to Israel above the partisan fray. They stand with us in Israel and alongside one another in combating antisemitism, countering anti-Zionism, and upholding Israel's right to defend itself and exist as the Jewish state. Rarely before have our people been more united and we are not alone. The writer is a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S.
2024-03-15 00:00:00
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