Tensions among the American public and its leadership over the joint American-Israeli strikes on Iran peaked on Wednesday, when the Senate held a vote on a measure to limit President Donald Trump's authority in Iran. Though it voted against the measure, the criticism – which came primarily from the Democratic camp and framed the campaign as "a war the American public did not want" – also took on an Israeli dimension, with accusations that Israel had forced the hand of the US into yet another operation in Iran, a charge the president flatly rejected, arguing the opposite was true.
Still, the controversy has generated fresh friction within the American Jewish community and in Jewish diaspora communities worldwide, which have faced mounting difficulties since the Hamas attack on October 7.
"Since the war began, we have been witnessing in the United States two parallel processes," Shira Ruderman, CEO of the Ruderman Family Foundation, explained. "On one hand, an extraordinarily deep sense of shared destiny between American Jewry and Israel, and an unprecedented mobilization of Jewish communities to provide aid, support, and engagement. But alongside that, many American Jews feel that the space they live in has changed. Jewish identity and the connection to Israel have suddenly become charged subjects in public discourse – on campuses, in workplaces, and in social life."
Video: Iranian celebrations abroad following Khamenei's death
Ruderman addressed how Israel factors within the American public debate. "American society itself is today in a very polarized place, and the war in Israel has been pulled into America's internal political polarization," she said. "We are seeing growing gaps, especially among the younger generation, where support for Israel is no longer taken for granted the way it once was. At the same time, there has been a genuine rise in the sense of insecurity among American Jews and in antisemitism incidents – something we have not seen at this scale in years."
"For American Jewry, this is a complex moment," she stressed. "On one hand, a deep commitment to Israel and a sense of responsibility for what is happening here; on the other, a need to explain, to justify, and at times to defend the very connection to Israel within American society."
Alongside celebrations – particularly following the elimination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Iran's supreme leader and architect of decades of repression, torture, and murder of the Iranian people), at which one could see Iranians, Israelis, and their supporters waving the flags of Iran, Israel, and the United States – protests began breaking out around the world, accompanied by tens of thousands of videos on social media.
Social media in the US has been roiling with videos condemning the killing of the Islamic Republic's supreme leader and even challenging the accusations leveled against him. The finger-pointing directed at Israel has come from high-profile activists with large followings, among them Tucker Carlson, who had visited Israel before the war and argued that blame rests on every member of the American leadership who agreed to "Netanyahu's demands or threats."
"This is a critical moment for Israel to understand that the relationship with diaspora Jewry cannot be taken for granted," Ruderman said. "It is a long-term strategic asset built on partnership, listening, and mutual understanding – not only in times of crisis, but also in the day that follows."
Acting on precisely that logic, immediately upon the launch of Operation Roaring Lion, World Zionist Organization Chairman Yaakov Hagoel sent a communique to Jewish communities across the world – in the US, Australia, Europe, and Gulf states – laying out the importance of the military operation in Iran and its implications for the liberation of the Iranian people.
"Israel and the United States, as determined allies, carried out a targeted strike against terrorist infrastructure in Iran in order to defend our citizens and preserve stability in the Middle East," Hagoel stated. He noted that since the operation began, Israel has been under continuous missile attack, specifically citing the deadly strike in the city of Beit Shemesh that resulted in the deaths of nine civilians. "Nine innocent civilians were murdered in the city of Beit Shemesh. Not soldiers on a battlefield. Civilians in their homes. This is a crime. It is state-sponsored terror. And it is a painful reminder of a truth we must never suppress: there are those who seek our destruction. And we will continue to choose life".
Asserting the need for a global Jewish unity, Hagoel said: "From Jerusalem to New York, from Paris to Melbourne, our voice must be clear and unwavering: a terror regime that openly seeks our destruction must be dismantled. The Jewish people live, stand tall, and will never apologize for our right to live securely in our homeland".
Hagoel concluded with a warning that the threat from Tehran extends to Jewish communities worldwide. "We entered this campaign not by choice but by necessity. Our war is with the regime that rules Iran, not with the Iranian people. We must remember and remind the world that the Iranian people themselves deserve a future free from this tyranny".
