Submitted by Aaron Binik-Thomas
Israel is the only Jewish refuge on earth
Every week, it’s something new. A synagogue firebombed. A mezuzah torn from a doorpost. College students chased from their classes. Protestors marching while openly calling for and justifying the murder of Jews.
At the time of writing this, two major incidents occurred.
First, the UN repeated an old pattern of blood libel. They claimed that unless food entered Gaza within 48 hours, 14,000 children would starve to death. Just twelve hours later, they issued a correction: if no food entered Gaza at all, 14,000 people might die of starvation within a year. These are two very different statements. But the correction didn’t matter. As Churchill said, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth can get its pants on.”
That is the battle we’re in. We are fighting to dismantle Hamas and to bring our kidnapped brothers and sisters home. Our enemies are fighting to destroy our reputation. Today, it’s not just bullets and bombs. It’s character assassination. It’s about dominating social media. It’s about rewriting history and repeating lies until the uneducated don’t even have a chance to learn the truth. And somehow, entire crowds of our neighbors are being brainwashed, recruited by terrorists, and joining in calls for our destruction, all while claiming they stand for peace.
We may never win the media war, especially when terror apologists target the young, the idealistic, and the easily influenced.
Then came the second incident.
In Washington, D.C., a man (may his name be erased) murdered two Israeli Embassy staffers in cold blood. Afterward, he walked into a nearby Jewish event like he was greeting old friends. He was calm, composed, and confident. As police led him away, he shouted, “Free Palestine,” a phrase we are told again and again is peaceful. Nothing says “peaceful protest” quite like murder.
At one point in our history, Zionists used phrases like “Free Palestine” and “Liberate Palestine” to protest British colonial rule. How tragic and ironic that those same words are now used by our enemies to call for our destruction.
What kind of world is this? What kind of logic leads someone to think that killing Jews in America will solve a war on the other side of the planet?
It reminds me of something my father once said. War and destruction come naturally to mankind. We have always been more violent than peaceful.
So we ask the question: What is it about being Jewish that makes so-called peaceful protestors want to commit violence? What is it about standing with the oppressed that makes people justify genocide against our people?
I’ve called it the stupidity epidemic. Because when you look around and see what’s happening, it’s hard not to say, “You can’t seriously believe this. Can you?” It’s beyond frustrating. It’s surreal.
Which brings me back to my core, consistent message. Zionism is not optional. It is essential. Every Jew should visit Israel at least once in their life, especially while they’re young. We must support her.
And not only that. We need to raise our children to be bold and educated, to love their people and their homeland. If we send them off to college unprepared, they don’t stand a chance. As a father, I refuse to set my children up for failure.
I love America. I’m grateful to live here. I consider myself a proud patriot. But I keep my passport ready. More than 2,000 years of survival instinct remind me that I must always be ready. Jew-hatred is rising around the world. It is loud. It is violent. It is public. It makes the world less safe. And unfortunately, it is not disappearing anytime soon.
Israel is the only Jewish refuge on earth. It is our backup plan, our homeland, our safety net. Last month, it was Washington, D.C. Next month, it could be anywhere. It could be you. It could be me.
Zionism is a modern word, but not a modern invention. It is rooted in our faith, going back to the Babylonian exile. Our prayers, holidays, and traditions all revolve around the Land of Israel and Jerusalem.
In the 1800s, as modern Zionism took shape, Jews around the world came together to answer one question: What can we do to protect ourselves? We built congresses, agencies, and support networks. We spoke loudly, published often, and organized constantly. We created our own places of refuge.
Today, those organizations serving us must be stronger. They must be louder. And so must each and every one of us.
Return to the time where Jews of the world and of the Yishuv were authors, movers and shakers, and poets. Write passionate posts on your social media. Write letters to the editor. Correct your friends and colleagues when they spout out the wrong information. Be an advocate for yourself and your people. Thank your friends and neighbors who are allies.
Years ago, after the Second Lebanon War, there were signs all over Israel with photos of hostages taken by Hezbollah. They read: “Don’t let your apathy kill them.”
We in the diaspora need to remember that phrase. Don’t let your indifference kill us. Get vocal.
