A thriving Diaspora is not a failure of Zionism

In a recent column published ahead of Israel’s Independence Day, journalist Hagai Segal argued that American Jews who choose not to immigrate to Israel are, in effect, failing a central Zionist obligation. 

The frustration Segal expressed (in Hebrew) reflects a sentiment many Israelis share. In a country founded on the vision of the ingathering of exiles, it is natural to expect that Jews around the world will eventually make Israel their home.

That frustration is understandable. But the conclusion is not.

It rests on an assumption that deserves closer scrutiny, that the future of the Jewish people depends on its concentration in a single geographic center, and that Jewish life outside Israel is inherently a lesser form of commitment.

Jewish history suggests otherwise.

For long periods, the Jewish people did not exist in one center but in several. In antiquity, Jewish life developed simultaneously in the Land of Israel and in Babylonia. This was not a temporary failure to fulfill an ideal, but a stable and creative reality. Foundational texts and institutions emerged outside the Land of Israel and went on to shape Jewish life for centuries.

This pattern continued across generations. Jewish communities in Spain, Central and Eastern Europe, and later North America became vibrant centers of intellectual, cultural, and communal life. The strength of the Jewish people lay not in geographic uniformity, but in the ability to sustain a shared identity across different societies and political contexts.

In the modern era, American Jewry plays a particularly significant role. It is not simply an unrealized pool of potential immigrants. It is a strategic partner. Its influence within American public life, along with its contributions to academia, culture, philanthropy, and public advocacy, has been an important component of Israel’s resilience and international standing.

Diaspora communities were also part of the broader effort that made the establishment of Israel possible in 1948. The relationship has always been reciprocal. Israel is a center of Jewish life, but not its only one.

As David Ben-Gurion once suggested, not every Jew must live in Israel, but every Jew should remain connected to it. The precise wording may be debated, but the underlying idea is clear: connection matters no less than location.

None of this diminishes the importance of immigration to Israel. Choosing to build a life in Israel remains a meaningful and admirable commitment. But it is not the sole measure of connection or responsibility. In today’s reality, engagement can take many forms, political support, economic investment, cultural exchange, education, and sustained personal ties.

For that reason, framing Diaspora Jews as disloyal or deficient is not only inaccurate but counterproductive. It does not encourage closer ties. It risks pushing communities further away at a time when connection is more important than ever.

There are, of course, real challenges. In parts of the Diaspora, Jewish identity is weakening, and criticism of Israel is sometimes sharp and unsettling. These trends deserve attention. But the response should focus on engagement rather than judgment. Stronger relationships are built through dialogue, shared projects, and mutual respect.

In this spirit, I would extend an invitation to Hagai Segal and others to visit ANU – The Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv. One of its central exhibitions tells the story of the Jewish people as a civilization of multiple centers: Jerusalem and Babylonia, Spain and Ashkenaz, East and West. It presents a long-standing conversation that has unfolded across centuries between Israel and the leading Diaspora communities of each era. That conversation has not always been marked by agreement, but it has always been sustained by a deep sense of connection.

Israel does not need a weaker Diaspora, here or elsewhere. It needs a strong one, connected by identity and by a sense of shared purpose. The question is not why they are not all coming. The question is how we remain one people, even when we do not live in the same place.

The strength of the Jewish people has never come from a single center alone. It has come from the ability to hold complexity, to navigate disagreement, and to build bridges between different worlds. That is not a weakness. It is the essence of its strength.