Rabbi Moshe Hauer, the executive vice-president of the Orthodox Union, joined the Arutz Sheva - Israel National News studio to comment on how Jewish communities outside of Israel are handling the current situation.
“Of course, there's a difference between these communities and here in Israel,” Rabbi Hauer said, “But we feel great sorrow since the attacks on October 7th, and we're seeing more than ever that Israel is the anchor of Jewish identity worldwide. There is intense concern for those who are fighting and distress for the hostages across the spectrum,” he stated.
Rabbi Hauer also addressed the question of Jewish identity in the USA: “We are the Orthodox Union, but a much larger part of our activities is for those who are not Orthodox. People have been seeking their Jewish identity more than ever since October 7th. The discussion on university campuses isn't making them retreat from their identity but making them say, ‘We’re part of the Jewish people.’ We need to show how we're all connected and voluntarily strengthen that feeling.”
He spoke about the success of the recent mass rally in Washington DC to support Israel: “Of course, we can't have a rally in Washington every day, but we can continue the feeling of sharing with the families of the hostages, the feeling of togetherness and unity, you feeling of support for those who are fighting. The main thing is to carry on those feelings of togetherness.”
Rabbi Hauer claimed that despite the rally’s success, he finds even more powerful feelings in Israel: “It's harder to be farther away. Here, the pain is so close, but it is not making anyone turn around - instead, it's making everyone even stronger. As great a feeling as it was to stand with thousands of people in Washington, it was only a fraction of the feelings of commitment, energy, pride, and family you get here.”
He claims that the concerns of the Biden administration reducing support for Israel are unfounded. “We would all prefer to take out some parts of the remarks made about Israel, but it's incredible to see the visceral support from the Biden administration for Israel. There is wall-to-wall support for Israel in Congress, with only a few exceptions.”
He addressed the issue of ‘settler violence’ raised by American officials: “If they're saying settler violence, we are not doing a good enough job of telling the story of the vibrant fabric of Israel. How come every American official does not know the term ‘purity of arms’, which in Israel means weapons must be used only precisely and in defense? One thing we have never lost sight of is our values, and we must do a better world job of showing the world how we go off the charts trying to comply with international law, and if an individual soldier makes a mistake, it is a mistake, not their mission. That's the difference between us and our enemies.”
“Regarding Judea and Samaria, there's so much to tell about a community focused on the pleasant ways of the Torah. They also happen to be passionate about defending themselves against an enemy who is dead set on destroying them. That is an ethic of the Jewish people as well.”