Israel and the Diaspora share one destiny - opinion

‘Today we come together as a family, one big mishpacha, to march for Israel,” said President Isaac Herzog to the 300,000 people who gathered in Washington, DC, in support of Israel. 

In front of a historic and diverse crowd of American Jewry, Herzog made it a point to praise the unity of the global Jewish community after the October 7 terror attacks in Israel.

His warm words and platitudes for Jews worldwide were well-deserved and rooted in action. 

After the horrible massacre, as the government purportedly failed to provide its displaced, distraught, missing, and mourning civilians with solutions to their myriad of troubles, it was Israel’s civil society that volunteered in full force to fill the void. They have been doing it all – from organizing food for evacuees and hastily mobilized troops, to providing basic day-to-day supplies and necessary military equipment, and even working to locate survivors of the massacre.

But Israelis were not on their own during the initial phase of the war. Diaspora Jewry immediately rallied to Israel’s side, raising hundreds of millions of dollars, organizing solidarity visits to Israel, participating in massive support rallies, and of course, combating false narratives and antisemitism flooding college campuses and the news.

Diaspora Jews support Israel despite years of neglect and disparagement

Their uncompromising support comes after years of neglect from the Israeli government. Many, including members of this current regime, have disparaged these people, claiming that most of them are not “real Jews” and if they are, their Judaism is not welcome in Israel. 

Unfortunately, their words were accompanied by actions: the government promoted laws preventing non-Orthodox Jews from making aliyah, advocated for the cancellation of the Grandchild Clause in the Law of Return that allowed the third generation in a family with a Jewish grandparent to immigrate to Israel, attempted to make non-Orthodox practices at the Western Wall punishable with fines or jail time, and more. 

Yet, despite the disappointment felt by much of the world’s Jews towards the officialdom, they knew that the people of Israel needed them, and they came through. Big time. 

No country can exist in isolation from the world. It is bad for its economy, it hurts its citizens’ living standards, and in times of need, it depends heavily on its allies and partners.

Even more so, Israel cannot and should not exist while isolating world Jewry from their home away from home.

Our bond with world Jewry did not begin with the tragedies of October 7. Their fate has been intertwined with ours from the beginning, and the ongoing wave of global antisemitism striking fear in Jewish communities worldwide only proves our shared destiny. At one point, there was even an initiative to give Diaspora  Jewry an honorary 121st seat in the Knesset, offering them a seat at the table in recognition of this bond. 

Whether this is an appropriate act of recognition might be debated, but this much is certain: being part of a family means being there for one another, in good times and bad, for better or for worse. No family member is above the other, and all deserve to feel that their love is reciprocated. 

Unity does not mean uniformity. Like all families, we might have disagreements, but it is our obligation to extend an olive branch and accept that Israel is the only Jewish country in the world. For all Jews. From all streams of Judaism. 

Diaspora Jewry firmly stands with us now during our moment of need. Will Israel be there for them after the war and acknowledge their connection and practice of Judaism?

The writer is CEO of the Women of the Wall.