From the earliest days of Zionism, debates raged between those in the diaspora and those in Israel and Ben-Gurion himself often clashed with American Jewry, warning that life in the diaspora came with risks of detachment. These tensions are not new, but they have intensified in an age where social media gives every voice a megaphone, regardless of proximity to the struggle.

Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people, and October 7 demonstrated more than ever that what happens here affects Jews everywhere. This is part of the reason why certain token Jewish actors like Mandy Patinkin and Miriam Margolyes feel entitled to blame Israel or Netanyahu for the antisemitism Jews are facing worldwide (which is absurd, as it amounts to blaming Jews for antisemitism). It is also why many diaspora Jews feel deeply connected to what is happening in Israel, as though it affects their daily lives. The Jewish nation is small, and most diaspora Jews have some family or connection to Israel, where nearly half of the global Jewish population lives.

It was only after I moved to Israel, after I began to understand the nuances of Israeli society, learned Hebrew, followed local news closely, spoke directly with military and government officials, and as a journalist visited places like the West Bank and the Gaza border, that my understanding of Israel and the Middle East truly shifted. This was not a shift toward one political side but rather an upgrade, a deeper awareness of the region and the complexities Israelis face. Looking back at my views in the diaspora, I now see myself as a well-intentioned but naïve version of me, lacking the knowledge and context to comment meaningfully.

This is the message to so many who feel a "moral responsibility" to weigh in on the war between Israel and Hamas, even though they have never set foot in the region and could not point out Gaza on a map or explain which river and sea they are chanting about. And while most diaspora Jews who comment on Israeli affairs have likely visited, that does not give them the authority to dictate or misrepresent our internal struggles.

Israel has been enduring nearly two years of war. Before that, the judicial reform crisis nearly pushed us to civil war. Israelis have been grappling with weak and incompetent leadership, and now we stand at another crossroads: a potential hostage deal or a new Gaza maneuver.

During the reform protests, I saw self-proclaimed "influencers" spreading falsehoods, portraying demonstrators as merely "angry leftists" instead of the diverse mosaic of Israelis fearful for their democracy. After six hostages were murdered by Hamas, Israelis filled the streets in outrage, many furious that government delays had prevented a deal that could have saved lives. Yet from abroad, some dismissed these demonstrations as misguided. When a previous hostage deal collapsed in March, activists outside Israel cheered the government's renewed fight against Hamas, even though polls showed most Israelis wanted the deal to continue. And now, as many fear that new operations in Gaza could endanger the remaining hostages, Israelis are again taking to the streets to make clear that the majority supports ending the war in order to bring the hostages home. Every poll since May 2024 shows this, along with a collapse of faith in the government's ability to deliver.

Agree or disagree with the Israeli public, it is unacceptable to misrepresent their actions or reduce them to "a bunch of angry leftists" or, conversely, dismiss those who oppose ending the war as "Kahanists" who want hostages dead. Such simplifications are dishonest and erase the complexity of a nation in pain.

Diaspora Jews absolutely have the right to care about what is happening in Israel. But they should not misrepresent events, nor claim to know what is best for Israelis better than the people who actually live here.

Moshe Emilio Lavi, whose cousin Omri Miran remains in Hamas captivity, put it best on X: "If you want to comment on our internal affairs, ethos, and social contract, then move to Israel, conscript to the IDF or national service, learn our modern language, culture, society, and ethos, and maybe live on the border with your life and your family's life on the line. Until then, your opinions on our domestic discourse are entirely misplaced."

The relationship between diaspora Jews and Israelis is complex, as is natural in a global family. And while Israelis can always improve in how we support our Jewish brothers and sisters abroad, one truth remains clear: those on the front lines must have the loudest voice in deciding their own future.

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Rabbi Isaac ben Solomon Luria Ashkenazi, known as "HaARI Hakadosh" in Jewish religious circles, is considered one of the most influential Kabbalists in Jewish history, despite not having left any of his own writings on the Kabbala.

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To study Ha'ARI's Kabbalistic views, one must study the work of his disciples, such as Rabbi Hayyim Vital, who summarized his ideas.

But now the National Library of Israel has revealed a letter sent to the rabbi during his sojourn in Egypt in the 16^th century that discusses everyday matters, providing new first-hand evidence about Ha'ARI's life, both in the Land of Israel and in Egypt.

The writer, a man named David, wrote to HaARI to enlist his support for an emissary who had been dispatched from Safed to raise money among Diaspora Jews for Jews living in the Holy Land. Although the Kabbalist was known for his simple, even ascetic, lifestyle, he was an important figure whom Jews asked for advice, even on financial and national matters.

The letter was preserved because it had been used to bind another book, a common practice before the invention of cardboard. Bookbinders would take paper or vellum pages from worn-out volumes and stick them together into dense stacks that would serve as stiff enough material for book covers.

The National Library is making the letter to HaARI public for the first time in honor of the late Jerusalem collector Ezra Gorodesky, who devoted his career to the painstaking work of picking apart the old bindings and revealing the treasures within. Gorodesky, who died of COVID-19 in 2021, would frequent the National Library to donate pages form his collection. The letter to HaARI is one of his most significant finds.

"This letter, which is worth its weight in gold, is part of the precious collections in the National Library, which comprises a national source of information about the Jewish history of Israel," said curator of the library's Judaica collection Dr. Yoel Finkelman.

"The letter, which was preserved in an unusual manner in the binding of old books, is a major discovery about the influence HaARI had, not only in the field of Kabbala but also worldly matters," Finkelman said.

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In a new and surprising blood libel, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah declared Tuesday night that "Israel kills the Jews itself to support its initiative."

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Nasrallah made the false claim in a speech marking the anniversary of the death of former Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughniyeh.

Nasrallah went on to level the accusation that "they [Israel] killed many Jews in different countries because they refused to move to Israel."

In other remarks directed at IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, Nasrallah said, "You do what you want, and we'll do what we want. We aren't seeking a clash or a war, but if you declare war, we will fight it, and if you bomb a city, we'll bomb a city. If you bomb villages, we'll bomb in return."

Nasrallah went on to say that "If there is a war with Israel, the Israeli home front will find itself in a situation it hasn't had to deal with since 1948."

As for the Palestinians, Nasrallah said, "No one is talking about the 'deal of the century' that has disappeared, or is becoming irrelevant." He also mentioned the 42^nd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, which supporters of the ayatollah regime marked last Thursday.

"The [Islamic] Republic has developed in all areas over the course of years, until it became a regional power," he said.

Military Intelligence officials in Israel believe that while Hezbollah does not want a full-scale war with Israel, it is not ruling out a few days of fighting. Nasrallah said, "No one can promise that a war or a few short days of battle won't devolve into a full-scale war."

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has written to a number of European leaders, asking that they allow kosher slaughter to continue in their countries.

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Netanyahu reached out after Diaspora Affairs Minister Omer Yankelevich asked for his help following an EU court ruling that upheld a Belgian ban on kosher slaughter.

The letter went out to the leaders of Poland, Finland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, France, the office of the EU presidency, and the president of the European Council. Some of the countries on this list have already begun passing laws to ban kosher slaughter on the grounds that it comprises cruelty to animals.

Netanyahu expressed his concern at the EU court's ruling and tells the European leaders that it restricts freedom of religion.

"This decision threatens Jews' freedom of religion across Europe. Jewish leaders in Europe and heads of Jewish institutions have expressed shock and this ruling and its harmful ramifications for the continuance of Jewish life in the European Union," he wrote.

Chairman of the Jewish Agency Isaac Herzog also sent a message to European leaders in which he explained that he wanted to "call their attention" to the sense of discomfort and rejection that was "spreading among a number of [Jewish] communities that feel that Jewish tradition and the fulfillment of the commandments are being challenged by certain parts of the European public and its lawmakers."

"We are talking about a pillar of the Jewish religious commandments, and there is no room for compromise," Herzog wrote.

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The words "Satanic Jews Out!" were spray-painted on the Fallen Aviators Monument in Karaiskaki Square in Athens, along with Christian symbols.

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"Unfortunately, bigotry and incitement against the Jewish people has also reached the memorial sites of the Greek Air Force, falsely pointing the finger and blaming the Jews," said  vice chairman of the World Zionist Organization Yaakov Hagoel after the vandalism was reported.

"We have seen how such incidents can lead to murder," Hagoel added.

The WZO vice chair issued a call to the Greek government and city authorities of Athens to investigate and prosecute the vandals, and urged them to ensure the safety of the Greek Jewish community.

Earlier this month, a monument to Holocaust victims that stands in the northern Greek city of Trikala – once one of the country's oldest Jewish communities – was vandalized, and the exterior of the city's synagogue was defaced with slogans such as "Jewish snakes out."

The Trikala vandals stole the Star of David from the monument and tore down the fence that surrounds it.

The monument was vandalized twice in 2019.

Part of this article was reprinted with permission from JNS.

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The stated vision of the conference – hosted by the Jewish Agency for Israel, Haaretz, the Ruderman Family Foundation and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem – intended to expand the definitions of Judaism beyond the narrow-religious boundaries.

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"The important thing is to create a debate in Israel about alternative ways to exercise your Jewishness, not just Orthodox ways," Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken told JNS.

"And to recognize the various ways of doing it on an equal footing. It's not just the haredi and national religious who get to run the show."

While working to expand the definition of Judaism and promote discussion, however, some participants noted that certain types of people and discussions were left out.

Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi David Eliezrie, co-director of the North County Chabad Center in Yorba Linda, Calif., maintained what while he sees "great value" in many of the presentations with speakers making "phenomenal points," he was "saddened that there was no representative from the haredi community," which would have offered "balance and deeper discussion," he told JNS.

"Those in the Orthodox world who are here are left of center and not representing mainstream Orthodox thought," said the rabbi.

The real crisis of the Diaspora – a a conversation about which he said was missing from the conference and might have been led haredi speakers – is the failing of Jewish education among young American Jews. To that end, Chabad emissary couples on college campuses throughout North America, Israel and Europe offer Torah study, classes, Shabbat dinners, holiday programs and other opportunities to grow Yiddishkeit.

'The country is for each of the people in it'

Lisa Barkan, Jerusalem resident and founder of nonprofit Jerusalem Village, similarly told JNS that while the Oct. 30 conference discussed a "policy direction" in detail, grassroots, face-to-face dialogue between Israel and the Diaspora over relevant topics was not discussed, despite "playing a central role" in the Israel-Diaspora relationship.

She agreed with Eliezrie that "there are not many kipot here," and she hasn't seen "a single haredi" Jew. Though otherwise, she said, the conference provided a comfortable meeting place for a "diverse collection of people who really care."

Conference organizers said haredi members of Knesset were invited to speak but declined.

According to Schocken, Knesset member for the Haredi United Torah Judaism Party Moshe Gafni told organizers, "if I support the left wing, they will recognize the Reform Jews," who Schocken said are viewed as "the haredis' greatest enemy."

"They are suspicious," he explained. "They say Haaretz is anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic because we oppose Israeli civilian presence in occupied territories, which is our position."

However, he clarified, "Haaretz is a Zionist newspaper. Our view is that Israel is a just and necessary solution for the Jews, and the existence of Israel and the fulfillment of Zionism is extremely important for the Jewish people."

"We have to strengthen Israel and make it successful, but we think that the country is for each of the people in it," he continued.

At plenaries with speakers that included prominent figures from Israeli society, politicians, academics, social entrepreneurs and leading representatives of Diaspora Jewry, the dialogue focused on fundamental questions regarding Jewish identity in Israel and the ties with the Diaspora.

"What is Judaism? Is it a religion, nation, culture or peoplehood?" posed one session. Panelists, who included well-known former refusenik and chairman of the advisory board of Genesis Prize Foundation Natan Sharansky, determined that Judaism is all of the above, and "only with a broader perception of Judaism is it possible to realize the Zionist vision of a Jewish and democratic state, and to build a strong, open and respectful relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jewry."

According to Sharansky, "some see [Judaism] as a religion or nationality. Some see it as a world of culture or history." He maintained that "we cannot decide one section is Judaism and another isn't … we must preserve all facets of Judaism and be in dialogue with one another."

During his address, President Reuven Rivlin lauded Haaretz for bringing discussions of Judaism outside the traditional synagogues and Batai Midrash, some of which have been "critical cultural assets of Jewish literature."

However, he added, "in the Israeli discourse, Haaretz has many times taken the fascinating role of pouring gasoline – to burn, to inflame, to challenge, to irritate. It is a role that has importance. But sometimes, you have to stop and ask how do we keep feeding the bonfire and still let people warm themselves in its light?"

He encouraged the media to fulfill its responsibility "to ask questions about Judaism and humanity. To confront the concept of universal Judaism as opposed to particular Judaism. To write about anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. To debate about religiosity and secularization. To be a bridge between the diverse Jewish people living in Israel, and the diverse and complex Jewish people living in the Diaspora."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The responses highlighted the accomplishments that Jewish groups cheered and jeered over the past two years of the Trump administration. These include the much stronger relations between America and Israel that have led to clear-cut diplomatic gains, including U.S. President Donald Trump's declaring Jerusalem the official capital of Israel in December 2017; moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May 2018; withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that same month; increasing sanctions on Iran in August and November 2018; approving Israel's sovereignty of the Golan Heights shortly; labeling Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terror group; and defunding most taxpayer assistance to the Palestinian Authority for rewarding terrorists and their families, among other measures.

"Most traditional and enthusiastic Zionists Jews admire what Mr. Netanyahu has done for Israel," National Conference on Jewish Affairs spokesperson Rabbi Aryeh Spero told JNS.

"True, many of the liberal Jewish leaders in America do not favor him, but they would be equally against any Likud or center-right leader."

He added that "it is not for Diaspora Jews outside to force its ways on Israel. Israel is not the place for liberal American Jewish leaders to social engineer how Israel prays or where they pray. Israel cannot be a laboratory for liberal social experimentation from those living outside."

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the American Jewish Committee and the National Council of Young Israel offered their congratulations to Netanyahu, who is expected to successfully form a governing coalition in the next few weeks.

"Once again, Israel has demonstrated through the ballot box that it is a vibrant democracy with a wide diversity of views and robust citizen involvement. We congratulate @IsraeliPM @netanyahu and all the newly elected members of the Knesset," tweeted AIPAC.

The AJC said that the election was about more than the incumbent.

"The ultimate winner of Israel's democratic elections is freedom itself. The freedom to cast a ballot. The freedom to select from literally dozens of political choices. The freedom to support the new leaders or peacefully oppose them," said CEO David Harris.

"To its everlasting credit, Israel has remained steadfastly committed to its democratic and pluralistic values, as reflected in the latest round of voting, and remains a shining example in a region where the democracy deficit is all too painfully evident."

NCYI issued a statement that "from strengthening its economy to safeguarding its citizens, Israel has seen a resurgence during Prime Minister Netanyahu's tenure."

"His tough stance against Israel's antagonists and his ardent efforts to call attention to their malevolent desire to bring harm to Israel and its inhabitants has helped expose their evil intentions to the international community," the group said.

On the flip side, J Street, the Jewish Democratic Council of America and the Israel Policy Forum expressed disappointment with the electoral results.

Similar to their criticisms of Trump, many liberal U.S. Jewish groups view Netanyahu as undermining Israeli democracy in favor of a strong nationalist agenda. In particular, they have grown dismayed over the nation-state bill passed last year as well as the dispute over an egalitarian prayer plaza at the Western Wall.

"After several months of political upheaval, intensive mudslinging and down-to-the-wire campaigning, it looks like Israel's next government is likely to be fairly similar to its last," said J Street president Jeremy Ben-Ami in an email to supporters.

"The Israeli Right, drawing on the support and the example of President Trump and other ethno-nationalist leaders around the world, has become more extreme in pursuit of its dangerous vision – and increasingly unapologetic about using rhetoric and tactics that undermine democracy, demonize minorities and delegitimize dissent," they added.

Ben-Ami provided a rallying cry of resistance: "In our communities, in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail, we will promote a policy vision to counter the Trump-Netanyahu agenda and ultimately to reverse the terrible damage these leaders have done."

JDCA issued a less aggressive but equally stern response.

"Israeli voters have spoken and we respect their decision, but we cannot ignore that Trump put his thumb on the scale to influence Israel's election. We reject his intervention in the strongest terms, just as we reject interference in our own election," they tweeted.

"The once-and-future Prime Minister Netanyahu has one priority now, which is to form a government that will pass an immunity law allowing him to avoid indictments entirely, or one that at the very least will not pressure him to immediately step down once indictments are served," wrote IPF policy director Michael Koplow.

"That is not a government that is comprised of Kachol Lavan [Blue and White] and perhaps Kulanu for some extra margin, but one that is going to be a witch's brew of ultra-nationalists and haredim on top of the most extreme voices in Likud that demands a range of narrow sectarian goodies in order to shield Netanyahu from the long arm of the law."

Koplow added that Netanyahu's re-election will only worsen the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora.

"A Likud government dependent on the settler right's five seats and the haredi parties' 16 seats is not even going to make cursory nods towards religious pluralism, seek to reform the rabbinate or limit its influence, or pay lip service to the requests of American Jews," he said.

"Any hope of amending – let alone repealing – the nation-state law is going to be a cruel joke," he continued. "The dominant theme of this government is going to be hard-line religious policies that erase the already barely visible line between state and religion, and it will make American Jews feel more marginalized in the Jewish state than they already do."

Both Trump and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence called Netanyahu on Wednesday to offer their congratulations.

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