In response to the plea from an anonymous Jewish businessman (“They are your brothers and sisters - do not allow for their murder,” posted on Arutz Sheva) to a Chassidish Askan.
Dear Desperate Petitioner,
Please don’t be. Your perspective, which you presented so thoughtfully, intelligently, and respectfully is truth. And this truth needs to be articulated again and again until we all internalize it. Perhaps we are slow learners. An Am Kishei Oref, a stiff-necked people.
Don’t be desperate; we’ll get there yet.
I would like just to elaborate on what you wrote, albeit I did it less thoughtfully, intelligently, and respectfully, to an individual I do not know and have never heard of, but who will hopefully benefit from your impassioned words, if not from mine. I'm convinced that whatever the issue is, our differences as a nation in terms of ideology, opinion, or hashkafa regarding Zionism are irrelevant, meaningless, and perhaps even petty.
As this individual well knows, there are plenty of Chassidim of all stripes (pun intended) living in Israel under the threat of numerous terrorist entities and future October 7ths (G-d forfend). In fact, nearly half of world Jewry lives in Eretz Yisroel, and they deserve the complete and total support and protection of Jews in Chutz La’Aretz (the Diaspora)regardless of mundane and insignificant political and ideological differences.
When Russian Jews were trapped behind the Iron Curtain of the former USSR, no Jew argued against political activism because those Russian Jews were of a different ideology or denomination (e.g., mostly communists, secularists, etc.) THERE ARE 7 MILLION MEMBERS OF KLAL YISROEL LIVING IN THE HOLY LAND UNDER THREAT. Where exactly are they to go? And why should they? Is Europe or America all that much safer for Jews? They certainly don’t seem to be heading in the direction of peace and brotherly love for all including Jews.
Just take a quick look at the statistics on Anti-Semitism across the globe. And don’t anyone fool themselves into thinking that this explosion of hate is the result of Israel’s response to October 7th. Anti-Semitism has always been the norm; the post-holocaust decades were a temporary reprieve, an outlier period in our history since the Churban. Israel, Zionism, October 7th are simply excuses for the inevitable opening of the floodgates of Jew hatred that has existed, we are told, since Sinai.
Seven million Jews living in Israel. More than the number of Jews slaughtered in the Holocaust. And so, if you have any clout, influence, resources, moral conscious, compassion, do something, say something, write something, advocate for them, march peacefully in the streets against the terrorists who wish to annihilate your fellow Jews, your brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisroel. Don’t dissociate. You cannot. We are always and forever responsible for one another, Areivim Zeh L’Zeh.
This disingenuous Zionist /Non-Zionist divide is useless at best, destructive at worst, reminiscent of Hitler (YM"S)'s deranged Mischlinge degree hierarchy which was mostly irrelevant as all Jews and non-Jews closely related to Jews were hunted down and murdered by the cursed Nazis, with very little regard to distinctions in lineage. Does anyone actually believe that our enemies care whether you are one of “those Zionists” or not? Was there no antisemitism before the Zionist Movement?
Many of the Jews in Israel, if not most, are not proclaimed Zionists. Some have lived there for generations; others moved there to learn, or because they want to serve Hashem in the Kedusha of Eretz Yisroel. Or maybe they miss Hashem's Shechinah and want to be the first to hear the sound of Moshiach's shofar. Or because they love the idea of living in a Jewish socialist democracy. Whatever.
And what if they are Zionists? They are your family - and YOU are responsible to have their backs. That’s what G-d wants from you. So, stop with the Them (Zionists) versus Us (Belz, Bubov, Ger, Satmar, Chassidish lite, Tuna Bagel, Tuna Bagel with Mayonnaise, hareidi, Yeshivish, Modox, Ashkenazi, Sefardi, etc.,) Have your fellow Jews in Israel’s backs.
Because that’s what we do.
Show Hashem and prove to our enemies, that we are no scattered and divided people, no Am Mefuzar U’Meforad, but an Am Echad, a united family, embracing love for its own sake, Ahavat Chinom, standing together and holding on to each other, regardless of differences in geography, political affiliation, and yes, even religious denomination.
Because that’s who we are.
Dr. Devorah Brimis a psychology professor who lives in Jerusalem and when provoked enough, will comment on sociopolitical issues.