America’s Pro-Israel community: Defining priorities for 2026

In my view, far too many valuable resources and an extensive amount of energy was spent in generating votes for the American portion of the World Zionist Congress elections. And I say this as a delegate to a previous Congress.

Let's consider what Jewish activists in the U.S. can focus attention on, where they can make real differences:

1. Speak out about how it is completely unsafe to put sophisticated American weapons, such as F-35 fighters, in the hands of unstable, authoritarian Islamic regimes such as Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. All of these hostile-to-Israel-nations are working hard to purchase F-35 stealth fighter jets from the U.S. as soon as possible.

2. The deployment of either Qatari, Indonesian or Turkish soldiers to Gaza as part of a future "International Stabilization Force" should be a non-starter for American diplomats and mediators and America's pro-Israel community must stand up and make that argument. It is time for Washington to realize that Peacekeepers must be trusted by all sides if they are to function effectively.

Turkey has a documented history of providing Hamas with a safe haven, political support, financial aid, and/or material assistance must not be granted any role in rebuilding Gaza. Indonesia does not recognize Israel, has never had diplomatic relations with Israel, and has consistently voted against Israel at the United Nations. The proposed deployment of Indonesian peacekeepers is not in the best interest of either the United States or Israel. Qatar funded Hamas, its leaders were given luxurious accommodations there, and it publishes anti-Israel Al Jazera.

3. A concentrated effort must be made to educate American Jews about what Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and J Street really are all about with the goal of denying these groups legitimate platforms in our community. JVP does not support a two-state solution and explicitly calls for an end to the State of Israel as it currently exists.

JVP’s radical stance becomes clear even from a brief review of its website, which includes language many interpret as advocating the removal of Jews from Israel. One section states: “We imagine Arab, Middle Eastern and Southwest Asian/North African Jews having ethical and safe access to return to their original homelands."

J Street's blame Israel first outlook after October 7 must be seen for the betrayal that it is.

4. Teaching young American conservatives and liberals about the true value of the U.S.-Israel alliance strengthens shared democratic principles, security cooperation, informed dialogue, and long-term partnership. This must be a top focus of pro-Israel American organizations.

5. Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas has never fulfilled his obligations under the Oslo Accords which include fighting terrorism and halting Palestinian Arab incitement. Americans who care about Israel need to work against the idea that the PA can have a role in any future negotiations and that it is at its core a criminal and a terrorist organization.

Together we must continue to speak out against the haters of Israel and the haters of the Jewish people and we can be most effective at this when we are united. There is a vital need for authentic Jewish unity, however serious the challenges may be.

Israeli intelligence operatives in the 1980s went into the heart of Africa, at great personal risk, and covertly evacuated Ethiopian Jewish refugees to Israel. What other nation in history has gone into Africa not to exploit, colonize, or enslave-but to bring Africans out to freedom, safety, and honor? Israel did so. This is Zionism. This is Judaism. This is the love of a brother being responsible for a brother. This is beautiful and it is eternal.

This being prepared to sacrifice of ourselves on behalf of our fellow Jews is what 2026 demands of us all.