Standing by those who live outside of Israel, just as they stand by us, means investing more and doing more.
The antisemitic attack in Australia on the first night of Chanukah dominated the international news cycle for a day or two, with pictures and reports about the horrific event and the Jewish community there. Indeed, Jewish life around the globe is becoming increasingly complex and challenging, even in ordinary times.
Despite this, the Israeli public and its elected leaders have limited interest in Diaspora Jewry beyond moments of acute crisis. They care far less when the emergency fades. Yet the essential meaning of a Jewish state carries a responsibility toward Jews in the Diaspora—a sense of brotherhood that persists through the “routine of war” of the past two years, as well as in the routine of normal life.
Almost immediately after the initial shock of the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and through the multifront war that followed, Jews around the world have stood by Israel in every conceivable way. That includes political backing, unprecedented economic support and large demonstrations of moral support on city streets that continue to this day. This Jewish solidarity with Israel did not begin two years ago. It pre-dates 1948 and has endured through the establishment of the state, waves of immigration and periods of descent. Jewish support for Israel has been significant and continuous. For more than half a century, polls have consistently shown that Diaspora Jews care deeply about Israel.
In Israel, however, attitudes toward the Diaspora are markedly different. While awareness and concern for Jews outside of Israel have arguably improved since the war began, they remain limited. The spectrum of Israeli sentiment ranges from vague awareness to indifference, and at times, resentment and hostility, primarily on the right, regarding the political leanings of Diaspora Jews.
This disparity is also reflected in state policy. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, responsible for the bond with world Jewry and the fight against global antisemitism, operates on a shoestring budget relative to the magnitude of the challenges. Israel’s overall investment in the Diaspora is negligible. Recent budget data indicates that it stands at merely 0.14% of the total state budget. Although this small amount is significant, in relation to the needs of Diaspora Jews and its overall share of the national budget, it is a lamentably insufficient investment.
The two years that have passed since the war began have been the most challenging in the history of the State of Israel. But they have also been the most daunting and dangerous two years for Diaspora Jews since the Holocaust. Questions of identity and rising antisemitism have turned Jewish existence abroad into an ever-present struggle.
What is happening in Gaza and along Israel’s other borders, coupled with the cascading International criticism it has been dealt, has had a direct impact on the personal safety of Jews worldwide. In Europe, but also in places once considered entirely safe, like the United States and Australia, the war has plunged young Jews into an identity crisis. In some cases, it has strengthened their identification with Israel; in others, it has had the opposite effect. The Jewish establishment in these countries is, of course, working to cope with these challenges; however, this scale of crisis demands state-level assistance from Israel.
Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people. By virtue of its moral duty, the text of its Declaration of Independence and the constitutional commitment it took upon itself within the framework of the 2018 Nation-State Law, it must act on behalf of Jews in the Diaspora in times of crisis, but in routine times as well. Even amid its own ongoing crisis and despite the inherent difficulties involved, Israel cannot afford to forget this role.
Standing by the Jews of the Diaspora—just as they stand by us—means investing more and doing more. The fight against antisemitism is one component. But Israel must also invest in Jewish education, Jewish identity and Zionism, especially in places with limited local resources. Israel’s leaders must reach out to the Jews in the Diaspora. Since the war began, they have shown Israelis—through solidarity visits and various kinds of spiritual and material assistance—how much they care about and identify with us.
We Israelis, both leaders and citizens, need to convey to them as much as possible and with a willingness to make a real investment that we see them. That we care. That we are one people.