The world has again turned its attention toward the tiny Jewish state. Celebrities, journalists, and world leaders are among a legion of people expressing their sympathy and standing by Israel's side. Iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower in Paris are bathed in the colors of the Israeli flag.

History, however, clearly shows that support for Israel can fade in an instant.

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The people of Israel are meant to shine, to be "a light unto the nations," and set an example for other nations. It is not by chance that it is a nation renowned for its innovativeness. The pioneering spirit of the Jewish people is due to a deeper potential that they possess, the ability to create a model society where unity prevails over intense division.

Such a unified spirit formed the people of Israel to begin with, i.e., people from all walks of life in ancient Babylon who applied Abraham's method and attained a higher unified level of consciousness—namely "Love your neighbor as yourself."

A faint glimmer of unity now seems to surface after heavy blows. But if slander and divisive pride return, the people of Israel risk losing the world's admiration.

In my book, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘊𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦: 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪-𝘚𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘮, I showed a historically-recurring pattern of attitudes among the Jewish people, and toward them from other nations: When the people of Israel let divisions drive them apart, they invite tragedies upon themselves; and when they unite, they prosper.

A Hamas member who participated in the terror attacks on October 7 revealed how the ongoing demonstrations in Israel encouraged Hamas during their year-long preparations for the attack. The intensely divisive atmosphere among the people of Israel throughout 2023 ended up exploding into what has already become widely known as the darkest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust.

Then, after the tragic events on October 7, the people of Israel experienced a collective heartbreak and melting, and they regrouped in a new climate of mutual concern and support.

We need to view today's unfolding of events as another painful reminder that division does the people of Israel no good. It is not what the world wants from them, and it emboldens those who seek to harm them.

Subconsciously, the world wants a united people of Israel. As Rav Abraham Isaac Kook wrote, when the hearts of the people of Israel unite, "all the world's civilizations will be renewed through the renewal of our spirit, all opinions will align, all life will glisten with the joy of rebirth at our emergence, all beliefs will don new clothes" (𝘚𝘩𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘩 𝘒𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘻𝘪𝘮, vol. 5, 64). Abraham's blessing to all nations will manifest strongly and openly, spearheaded by the efforts of the people of Israel. As long as the people of Israel continually add to their unity above any kinds of divisions that surface among them herein, then it is certain that the world's support for them will continually blossom.

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As the tension between Israel and Iran intensifies, and while Iran has just unveiled its first hypersonic missile, rumors about advancement in the Iranian nuclear program are growing even more distressing. While Israel threatens Iran not to try to attack it, Iran threatens back that it will demolish Israel if it attacks Iran. What is worse, in this round of the conflict, Israel seems more isolated than ever, as even the US seems reluctant to act against the ayatollah regime.

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When it comes to America, I never had much confidence in its support of Israel. While the US did supply Israel with weapons and ammunition during wartime, its position and actions on other occasions concerning Israel's security have been less supportive. America, we must remember, also has its own interests to look after, which do not always coincide with Israeli interests. Therefore, at the end of the day, we should not hang our hopes on America.

Concerning Iran, I do not think that the threat of a nuclear Iran is as serious as the Iranians would like us to think. More than it is a weapon of mass destruction, a nuclear weapon is a tactical weapon. It is a political tool intended to improve Iran's position in the Arab world.

The Arab world has been engaged for centuries in power struggles between Sunnis, represented today by Saudi Arabia, and Shiites, whose representative is Iran. The majority of Muslims in the world are Sunni, and Iran has been on the defense in its struggle to dominate the Arab world. Clearly, an atomic bomb that can threaten Israel, as well as the rest of the world, will place Iran in a completely different position, especially since no other country in the Persian Gulf has nuclear weapons.

The Iranians are not a mob of hooligans. Their leaders are calculated and do not act rashly. In the pursuit of prestige, the ability to threaten Israel with nuclear warheads is a great card that should be used wisely and not wasted away by a reckless mistake, and Iran knows this very well.

Moreover, Iran knows that Israel reportedly has its own arsenal and can retaliate against any attack on its people with horrible consequences. Therefore, it may be instrumental for Iran to threaten, to try to frighten Israel, but I find it hard to believe that it would take any action to realize its threats.

In many ways, the situation between a nuclear Iran and a nuclear Israel would be similar to the situation that existed between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. In those days, both countries developed more and more nuclear weapons, but both countries were equally careful not to use it; they knew that if they did, there would be no way back and the world would be destroyed.

In my opinion, the presence of nuclear weapons decreases the chance of active hostilities between countries rather than increases it. Both countries know that starting a war against a country with nuclear weapons makes no sense whatsoever. Therefore, Israel must stay vigilant, and prepare to retaliate quickly and forcefully, but avoid reckless actions.

In other words, nuclear weapons could actually calm Iran and lead it to a more pragmatic policy than currently.

Where I would be careful, though, when it comes to Iran, is in its use of proxy paramilitary and military terror groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Islamic Jihad in Gaza. Here, we must be active, initiating, and decisive.

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Several events that have taken place over the past week highlight where the United States and Israel do not see eye to eye. One such event is the White House's first-ever national strategy to combat antisemitism. To Israel's surprise, the Biden administration avoided a clear endorsement of the mainstream, widely accepted definition of antisemitism drafted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), after progressive entities (including several Jewish organizations) argued that the IHRA definition does not allow for what they describe as "legitimate criticism of Israel and its policies." Progressive groups also urged the Biden administration to leave out a definition of antisemitism entirely or consider alternative definitions.

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Moreover, among the creators of the document, titled "The US National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism," the White House included the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a partner in building "cross-community solidarity" to combat antisemitism. This is disconcerting.

Another issue that has been on the table between Washington and Jerusalem for quite some time is the inclusion of Israel in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The program enables most citizens or nationals of participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of up to 90 days without obtaining a visa. Recently, 16 senators, led by Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), sent a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Administration not to include Israel in the VMP until Israel meets certain conditions of reciprocity that they believe are necessary for inclusion in the program.

The letter completely ignores Israel's complex security issues with the Palestinians and demands that all American citizens of Palestinian origin will be given a free pass into Israel and will be free to travel within Israel with no questions asked. Even though one of the initiators of the letter, Schatz, and one of the signatories, Bernie Sanders, are Jewish, they show no sympathy for Israel's position. On the contrary, they are leading the demand for Israel to act against its own security interests.

I am bringing up these two issues not in order to criticize the US for its policy or to rebuke this or that senator for advocating an anti-Israel policy. I am doing this in order to stress the obvious truth that US-Israel interests are becoming increasingly discordant and that Israel should not expect the US to take Israel's best interest into consideration.

Also, the fact that one of the initiators of the VMP letter is Jewish and that one of the signatories is a known Israel-basher Jewish senator, proves that a significant portion of American Jewry has no regard for Israel's security. The conclusion Israel must therefore draw is that it can no longer rely on American Jewry to support it and work in its favor in the US government. The alliance that Israel has had with the US for decades is clearly weakening, including with American Jewry, and I am not sure how long it will last.

It is time for us, Israelis, to stand up for ourselves. It may be painful, but we must realize that US interests are often different from ours, and often contradictory; we cannot rely on them, and we should not expect America to cater to Israel's needs. We need to do this for ourselves, and we could not begin too soon.

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A new survey published in Israel reveals that about half of the Jewish public in Israel believes that splitting Israeli society into two autonomous states is possible. Some 10% of the respondents in the survey believe that such a division is not only possible but even likely.

In my opinion, dividing the state of Israel into two separate states is possible only in theory, but not in practice. What the survey does show, however, is how divided and splintered Israeli society really is, and this is what we should really worry about.

As a practical idea, two autonomous Jewish states cannot happen because the division would be between secular and religious Jews. However, the religious Jews cannot sustain a state on their own without the help of the secular part of society, primarily in the economic aspect.

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At the same time, the secular part of society will not be able to maintain a separate state because its social cohesion relies on denunciation of the religious Jews. If it receives its own state, without religious Jews, the fragmented secular society that is currently united against the religious would have nothing to keep it together and would shatter into countless pieces.

Fragmentation and division have plagued Jewish society since our inception as a nation. However, breaking up has never solved anything for us. On the contrary, it only worsened our plights.
Instead of looking to splinter our society even more, we should understand that our only hope of solving our problems is by embracing the differences between us and using them for the common good. Jews will never be similar to one another.

On the contrary, the differences and divisions between us will only widen and intensify the feeling of estrangement. And the only way that we can ever deal with our mutual aversion is to accept the differences, embrace them, and then contribute each sector's unique qualities for the success of Israeli society in its entirety.

Such an approach may sound impossible to carry out, but we really have no choice. Either we embrace it, or we will fall apart altogether. It is not a new approach. In fact, this was the modus operandi that our ancestors sought to implement. King Solomon encapsulated this method with a single verse (Proverbs 10:12): "Hate stirs up strife, but love will cover all crimes."

In other words, hate causes conflicts, but we cannot solve them through compromise, but rather by cultivating love for one another despite the hatred. It may seem impossible, and certainly undesirable, to love someone when what I feel is hate, but it is nevertheless the only solution that will save the state of Israel from dissolution. The way to overcome such a formidable hurdle is to focus not on our negative feelings, but on our responsibility to the world. We must remember that our nation emerged from strangers who followed Abraham's ideology of unity and mercy among all people, which he bequeathed to his progeny and disciples.

Therefore, it is precisely when we feel like strangers that we can implement our forefather's ideology and realize the greatest legacy of the Jewish people to the world: the motto, "Love your neighbor as yourself." This is also when we become a light to the nations, as we had been chosen to be, and what the world still expects us to do. Our entire history, we have been running away from our vocation. Our entire history, we have been persecuted, expelled, and murdered almost to extinction.

It is time to stop running from ourselves, from who we are destined to be: a nation of courageous people who face their own hatred of each other and prove to the world that unity among strangers, which is how we feel about each other, is possible, and we are the living proof. Only if we do this, we will find peace and peace of mind, and the world will find them with us.

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This week, seventy-five years ago, in the midst of a war for its survival, David Ben-Gurion solemnly declared the establishment of the Jewish state: the State of Israel. But since that fateful day of May 14, 1948, Israeli society has become so divided that the historic document has become a weapon in the hands of parties that interpret the Declaration of Independence in a way that meets their agenda, regardless of the authentic intention of its authors, the leaders of the nestling Jewish state. As a result, a heated debate has emerged in Israel over what being Israeli means, what is the difference between being Israeli and being Jewish, which of the two takes priority, and can we have a just society for all its citizens when the country is defined as the homeland of the Jews.

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For seventy-five years, we have been unable to resolve these questions. In my opinion, even if we continue to debate for the next seventy-five years, we will not come to an agreement. Each side will only become more entrenched in its opinion, and misunderstanding will translate into more division and internal hatred.

The great 20th-century thinker and kabbalist Baal HaSulam once wrote about the obstinacy of Jews: "They [the divided parties] believe that in the end, the other side will understand the danger and will bow his head and accept their view. But I know," he writes, "that even if we tie them up together, one will not surrender to the other even a little, and no danger will interrupt anyone from carrying out his ambition." These words, which were written in the essay "Exile and Redemption" in the 1930s, ring very true today, as the discourse in Israel becomes increasingly polarized and vitriolic.

We may need to revisit the Declaration of Independence, but its foundation should remain. The existence of the State of Israel represents the fulfillment of the hopes of Jews for thousands of years. But what we should discuss is not the characteristics of the state, but rather the understanding of the essence and purpose of the people of Israel itself.

If the State of Israel continues to justify its existence merely on the argument that this is our historic land, that we were promised it by God, or that we have no place else to go because we are banished and exterminated everywhere else, we will not be able to justify Israel's existence to ourselves or to the nations. Our justification for existence lies in our purpose, and the purpose of our existence has nothing to do with us, but rather with the rest of humanity.

The people of Israel were founded on the basis of brotherly love, and only when we maintain such relations are we regarded as a nation. Moreover, as soon as we met the condition of brotherly love, we were commanded not to keep our unity to ourselves, but to set an example for the world, to be "a light to the nations."

Indeed, if we look at the history of our nation, we will find that all our tragedies befell us after extended periods of growing division and self-hatred that continued to escalate even when it became clear that our division will lead to ruin. This is what Baal HaSulam meant when he wrote, "No danger will interrupt anyone from carrying out his ambition." And accordingly, our best times as a nation came when unity prevailed among the people.

Because our success and failure are so inherently entwined in our unity, we are able to determine our own national fate. If we choose unity, no matter what division we must overcome in order to achieve it, we will thrive as a nation and as a country. If we succumb once more to division, we will lose the basis of our identity as a nation whose purpose is to serve as a model of cohesion. In consequence, the nation will fall to pieces and the country will disintegrate.

Unlike any other nation, the Israeli nation is not dependent on anyone's assistance or affirmation. The only thing that determines our success or failure, the only thing on which we are dependent, is our unity, and our willingness to become a model nation for humanity.

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As the new Israeli government was taking shape, an open letter titled, "A Call to Action," began to circulate among American Jewish conservative and reform communities. The signatories, some of whom are prominent figures in American Jewry, pledged "to not invite any members of the Religious Zionist Party … to speak at our congregations and organizations. We will speak out against their participation in other fora [forums] across our communities. We will encourage the boards of our congregations and organizations to join us in this protest as a demonstration of our commitment to our Jewish and democratic values."

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This letter is worth mentioning only because it is a good reminder for Israelis of what American Jewry – a majority of which belongs to non-Orthodox streams – thinks of Israel.

Lucky for Israel, it is not in any way dependent on American Jewry. The money they donate will not be missed if it stops flowing; Israel is strong enough without it. The lobbying they do for Israel has also not been there for us for many years, and Israel's strength lies elsewhere today. Therefore, I do not think that Israel should mind at all what Jewish congregations in America think about Israel.

The interests that shape Israel's position in the world are far more comprehensive than our relationship with this or that denomination in American Jewry. Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and Iran all take part in the map of interests, and Israel is much more powerful than it used to be, both on the military and economic ends.

I believe that if the US would stop providing military and economic aid to Israel for some reason, it would not hurt Israel's position or harm it economically or otherwise. I do not see such a scenario unfolding, but just to give some perspective as to how independent Israel has become, it is good to remember that we are standing on our own two feet today.

The new government that has just been sworn in is rife with experienced people who know what they want and how to achieve it, and despite some newspapers' attempts to portray the new government as a disaster in the making, the majority of the people in Israel feel more confident now than under the previous government.

I understand why American Jewry needs to speak out. First of all, if they keep quiet, it is as if they do not exist, so they need to make some noise. Second, by and large, American Jewry has one goal in mind: to make its stay in the US as safe and serene as possible. Since the world sees Jews as connected all over the world, American Jewry finds itself having to explain the position of the State of Israel, and it makes them feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Above and beyond all the political arguments, the main problem that severs American Jewry from Israel is the simple truth that there is hatred between us.

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Kanye West's recent interview with Alex Jones has fanned the flames around West's recent antisemitic tirades. In the interview, he stated, "The Holocaust is not what happened," denied that six million Jews were murdered there, said that Hitler has many "redeeming qualities" and that he likes him. West also claimed his accounts "have been frozen by Jewish banks," and that the media "likes to single out a person and burn him to the core," and that it is the "Zionist approach." Considering that West plans another bid at the presidency in 2024, it is no surprise that "There is concern in Israel's political system and the leadership of the Jewish community in the US over the degree that antisemitism entered into the mainstream," as Israel Hayom reports.

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There is no question that matters are going from bad to worse for Jews in the US. However, antisemitism is rising not only in the US, but the world over, as Jews and the State of Israel are under a constant barrage of lies and slander. The more the world advances, and the more humanity is developing, the more humanity hates Jews.

If you have read any of my books, or even some of my recent posts, you know that as much as I dislike antisemites, I do not blame them for hating us. I do not attribute to them responsibility for their feelings, because I learned from my teachers, and I have seen and studied it for myself, that we determine how the world treats us because humanity treats us the same as we treat each other.

The current trends of excessive liberalism and the woke agenda, as well as their reactionary movement toward religious fanaticism, are symptoms of people's growing alienation from each other. Their intolerance toward others and incessant occupation with themselves are tearing society apart. Nothing can stop the escalating narcissism, and people's insecurity and intolerance will grow until society collapses.

When people get to the point where they begin to search for the culprit for their loneliness and fear, they will point the finger at the Jews. It will not be a rational decision, but a gut feeling that will wash over millions like a tsunami. The wave has already begun to roll, and it is only we who have not noticed.

Whether we like it or not, Jews will always be at the center of attention. The world feels that everything that is wrong with the world is our fault because the attention we get makes us an example, and the example we set is one of mutual hatred. For this reason, only if we stop hating one another, the world will stop hating us.

There is nothing else we need to do, or can do that will quench the flames of antisemitism, or even lower them. Reasoning and explanations do not help when emotions are involved. The only way to change people's thoughts about Jews is by changing how they feel about us, and they will change how they feel about us when we change how we feel about each other.

We like to think that we are helping in Tikkun Olam, but a broken machine cannot produce correct operations. The correction of the world begins with correcting ourselves, and correcting ourselves begins with eliminating the hatred and division between us. Education for connection is what we need today, and the only way to achieve this is by beginning with each other.

Our nation was tasked with being a virtuous people, but virtue begins at home. When we are virtuous with one another, we will be treated as virtuous throughout the world.

Today, more than ever, it is vitally important that we understand this and conduct ourselves accordingly.

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On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, America suffered the worst blow to its pride since Pearl Harbor. On that fateful day, 21 years ago, 19 terrorists hijacked four passenger airliners. They crashed two of them into the Twin Towers in NYC and destroyed the World Trade Center. A third airliner roared into the Pentagon and set its western wing on fire, and the fourth airliner flew toward Washington DC In that last plane, the heroism of passengers, who fought against the terrorists, prevented an even greater disaster as they caused the plane to crash into a field in Stonycreek, Pennsylvania. Three thousand lives were lost, 25,000 people were injured, and countless more suffered and still suffer from substantial health consequences in what became the single deadliest terrorist attack in human history.

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It left not only America, but the whole world in shock. No one perceived America as vulnerable, certainly not on its own territory, and in its most sensitive and essential spots. Anyone who was old enough to understand a news bulletin will never forget where they were when they learned what had happened.

To many people, the collapse of the towers meant much more than the grief over lost and ruined lives. It indicated that the 21st century was going to be very different from its antecedent and that it did not bode well for America.

The US did everything it could to prevent another 9/11, as that day became known. It tightened airport and airplane security, and launched a massive manhunt in Afghanistan, where Osama Bin Laden, leader of Al-Qaida, the organization that carried out the attacks, was hiding. In 2011, after nearly a decade of frantic searching, Bin Laden was found and killed.

The security measures did help, and a second 9/11 did not happen, and not because terrorists did not try to carry one out. But as for the American way of life, nothing really changed. Any event, especially a traumatic one, brings people together. For this reason, even the most tragic circumstances can yield positive results and build a more robust and cohesive society.

For a while, America came together. America stood behind the president when he launched the campaign against Bin Laden and when the government introduced increasingly stricter security measures. But the unity did not last.

The thing that was hurt the most in the attack were America's military deterrence, so money was poured in abundance to restore it, and to reconstruct the World Trade Center, but nothing was done to nurture the budding sense of solidarity, the feeling that "We are in this together, all Americans, as one nation." Nothing was done to water the shoot, so it withered and died.

Writer Robin Wright eloquently articulated the sensation that America is coming apart in a column in The New Yorker: "The United States feels like it is unraveling. It's not just because of a toxic election season, a national crisis over race, unemployment and hunger in the land of opportunity, or a pandemic... The foundation of our nation has deepening cracks – possibly too many to repair anytime soon, or, perhaps, at all. The ideas and imagery of America face existential challenges … that no longer come only from the fringes. Rage consumes many in America. And it may only get worse after the election … no matter who wins. Our political and cultural fissures have generated growing doubt about the stability of a country that long considered itself an anchor, a model, and an exception to the rest of the world."

Robin's intuition is dead on; there is no mending to the fissures. But there isn't meant to be. People will only grow further from each other over time since this is the trajectory of the evolution of the ego, and no country cultivates the ego like America.

A solution will be found only when people decide that the unity of the nation is more important to them than the triumph of their own view. I hope and pray that the American people will rise above their numerous conflicts and bridge the chasms in society. However, without understanding that canceling the other side also cancels them, I do not see what will be the impetus that will drive them to save the US from collapse.

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If there is one consensus among all the political parties in Israel, it is that a new nuclear deal between the US and its partners and Iran is bad for Israel. I do not dispute this view, but I think it misses a crucial point. First, we need to understand that Iran's nuclear ambitions stem not only from a fanatical zeal to annihilate the Jewish state. More than religious fanaticism, it is politics. The Iranians are very clever and very well-grounded people. Their threats and their nuclear weaponization are political means to an end, which is to become a powerful player in the global arena.

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Therefore, even if they do have nuclear weapons, I doubt they will use it because it will hurt their interest; they will lose more than they will gain. They will pester us and hurt us in various ways, but they will not put themselves at risk. In terms of political strategy, Israel should do what it can to stall Iran's progress as much as it can. At the same time, we must remember that Iran, too, will only go so far in its extremism.

But there is something more important than trying to prevent Iran from getting the A-bomb. We need to understand our own role in the global scheme of things and play our part. If we play it correctly, we will solve our problems without any wars or external conflicts.

The world is built in such a way that if you want the good to overpower the bad, you need to play by the rules that govern reality. You cannot make your own rules and expect to win. When it comes to playing by the rules that govern reality, we Jews have a crucial role, and this is the part that we must play.

The situation on the ground before us changes according to the way that we Jews relate to one another. The better we relate to one another, the better our situation will be. Better yet, the better we relate to one another, the better will be the situation of all of reality, not just our own, but in the entire world.

The first step toward doing this is to understand that we cannot destroy anything because all parts of reality are required in order for humanity to reach its goal. What is required, however, is for all the parts to connect to one another correctly.

A correct connection means that we relate to everything in reality that we regard as bad as an opportunity, as a call to increase the good so that it covers it. By bad and good I am referring to one thing only: bad means hatred and division between people, and good means unity and concern for one another. Therefore, for every bit of hate that we find among us, we make a joint effort to cover it with care, or as King Solomon said (Prov. 10:12), "Hate stirs up strife, and love will cover all crimes."

We, Israel, must begin this special kind of work, which is currently nowhere to be found, and demonstrate how we transcend our negative feelings toward each other. We will be able to do this only if we elevate the value of unity and concern for one another above all other values. This is why Rabbi Akiva said that the all-inclusive rule of the Torah – our code of law – is "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Once we begin to work in this way, even before we actually establish a society that operates this way, by simply trying to raise mutual concern above mutual hatred, we will project a positive influence on the entire world.

The world's eyes are always on Israel. Its opinion about us reflects our opinion of each other. Currently, we slander, despise, and detest each other, and the world feels likewise about us. We can proclaim that we are like everyone else, but it is undeniable that the world is always focused on us, and nothing we can do will change it. Since we are always at the center of attention, what we display is what the world thinks of us.

Therefore, if we resolve to rise above our hatred and nurture solidarity and unity instead of division and derision, the world will notice right away and recognize and appreciate our effort. If we make that effort, the bad example we are setting now will change into an example of unity, solidarity, and mutual concern.

In that case, the fact that the world is watching us will work in its favor and in ours. Just as currently the world is following our bad example and is therefore full of strife, if we unite, it will learn from our example and cover the crimes with love, to use the words of King Solomon, the wisest of all men.

In conclusion, Iran is not our problem. Neither are Hezbollah, Hamas, or the Palestinian Authority. If we make peace with one another and cultivate inner unity and solidarity above all our different views and perspectives, everyone will appreciate and welcome our existence as a model country for the world.

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A recent survey of Germans and Muslims living in Germany conducted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) found that 60% of both populations consider antisemitism to be a widespread phenomenon in Germany that has increased over the past 10 years. But the study also brought to light the wide gap between the two populations in terms of the reasons for this hatred and showed how deeply rooted antisemitism is in all sectors of society.

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According to the survey, 34% of the general German population and 54% of Muslims living in Germany agree with the statement, "Jews today use their status as victims of genocide during the Second World War in their favor." The survey also revealed that 18% of Germans and 46% of Muslims agree with the statement, "Jews have too much power in the media," and similar percentages think, "Jews have too much power in politics."

This AJC poll has been released at a time when German authorities report record high levels of antisemitism. In 2021, there were 3,028 hate crimes targeting Jews. That is the highest number ever registered since police began tracking reported antisemitic incidents in 2001.
I am not surprised by these statistics that show how bad the situation is for Jews in Germany. I do not relate to them in terms of right or wrong; I evaluate them as a factual reality that does not seem to improve over time. I have not seen any decisive action by Jewish organizations to eliminate this phenomenon because what is done to address antisemitism amounts to merely formal measures: antisemitic incidents are widely reported, funds are received to address the problem, an ineffective campaign is carried out, and then the cycle begins again.

The current situation is just like before the Holocaust when a spike in antisemitism was reported but nothing was really done to eradicate it. On the contrary, the Holocaust unfolded. Just endlessly talking about the constant threat to Jews without thoroughly solving the problem is an empty effort. It prevents nothing now, just as it never prevented anything in the past.

German Jews should also take into account the fact that German demographics and mentality have changed. The current population is no longer a generation highly conscious of the Holocaust and the Third Reich involvement, so what do they care now? While Germans may still express support for the Jews and Israel because it remains a national pressure on them to do so, deep down, the sorrow or sense of guilt has disappeared. They are already fed up with the issue and do not understand what we want from them. Such attitudes are eating away at the status of Jews in Germany who stay there despite antisemitism because they still feel that they are doing well, but one might ask, for how much longer?

The same goes for the status of bilateral relations between Germany and Israel. Germany has been considered by Israel as a strong ally in Europe. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel, for example, said in 2008 that Israel's security was part of Germany's national interest. She felt obliged to speak about it and expressed her sympathy for the Jewish people because of Germany's past. She belonged to the generation when that was common, a kind of polite commitment that is quickly becoming no longer relevant. A new government is in power, and the mentality of the people has also changed regarding Israel.

In other words: In the volatile world we live in today, there are no guarantees of unbreakable partnerships. We Jews need to reach a point where we become partners to one another among ourselves so that our future no longer depends on external support. We can trust no one but ourselves. Our nation was founded in order to realize the principle, "love your friend as yourself," and by doing so, to become a conduit of such connection toward humanity–the meaning of us becoming "a light unto the nations". In the final analysis, the more divided we are, the more antisemitism rises; and the closer we are to each other, then likewise, the more the world will relate positively to us.

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