Unfriend Me Now
Photo by Taylor Brandon for Unsplash
I’m a Zionist. Maybe you are, too.
Do you agree that the State of Israel should continue to exist as a homeland for Jews? That’s the definition of Zionism.
On the other hand, if you believe that Israel should not continue to exist as a Jewish State, you and I have a big problem.
Anti-Zionists make common cause with people who want me dead. And let’s not pretend that it’s commonplace to be “anti-Zionist” without being anti-Jew. That is typically a distinction without a difference.
If you’re an ardent anti-Zionist, go ahead and unfriend me. Do it now.
Lessons of October 8th
I’ve read a lot of op-eds and essays that begin with the words “Since October 7th.” That was a terrible day in the history of Israel and the Jewish people.
But it did not prepare us for October 8th.
Since October 8th, we have learned that our neighbors, co-workers, our kids’ teachers and classmates, and many of our political representatives believe that the unsurpassed brutality of October 7th was excusable or even justifiable.
Yup. Torture, rape, and murder of unarmed civilians, including young people dancing for peace at an open-air music festival, and entire families in their homes, all justified in the name of “resistance.” Gazan invaders kidnapped hundreds of innocent people, abusing, starving, or assassinating some while using others as pawns to manipulate the Israeli population in cruel psychological warfare.
Long before the IDF fired a single shot in its war on Hamas, protesters worldwide demanded, in rhyme, that the strip of land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea must be purged of Jews. That’s what “from the river to the sea” means. And “Free” in that context means free of Jews. Judenrein, in German.
People poured into the streets and onto college campuses around the world to protest the very existence of a Jewish homeland. Somehow, they already had nifty pre-printed signs, Palestinian flags, and keffiyehs, and students had matching tents. Jews, Israelis, and Israel supporters were attacked verbally and physically, and Jewish institutions were vandalized. “Bring [the hostages] home” posters were torn down or defaced.
Then, the war began, and the propaganda intensified. That’s a subject for another day.
(For a deeper analysis, watch or read this October 2024 interview of Douglas Murray by Bari Weiss, former editor at the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.)
Israel is Real
It’s an October 8th world now. In this world, the reality-based world, Israel is not going anywhere. As the bumper sticker says: “Israel is real.” And, as the worldwide outpouring of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish hate amply illustrates, Israelis have nowhere else to go.
You don’t have to be a fan of Israeli government policies, and you can despise Benjamin Netanyahu. Fine. Netanyahu’s coalition got the most votes in the last election, so that’s another reality. Maybe the next election will yield a different result. Israelis will decide.
Accept Reality
Anyone who truly wanted a Palestinian state, side by side with Israel, must also accept reality. The brutal attacks of October 7th made Palestinian statehood infinitely more difficult to achieve. Hamas murdered the Israeli peace activists and silenced the Palestinian moderates who might have supported such a state.
Israel will continue to defend its people and its existence until “they shall dwell each man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid.” (Micah 4:4)
Meanwhile, if you can’t support Israel’s right to exist, that means you are not living in a reality-based world. It also means you and I can’t be friends.
