All Jews are Israeli

Although I was born in Israel, I was raised in the U.S. after my family left during the chaos of the Second Intifada. Growing up, I lived like any other American kid—speaking fluent English, attending American schools, and absorbing the culture. In many ways, I was no different from any other Western diaspora Jew. Yet, my identity as an Israeli was never in question.

So, why do I have the privilege of confidently calling myself Israeli while others feel disconnected? The answer lies beyond physical birthplace. The connection to Israel cannot be measured by distance or time spent there…and that’s when I understood that although not all Israelis are Jews…all Jews are Israeli.

Historically, Jews have maintained an unbroken connection to Israel. Long before Israel was re-established as a modern state, Jews referred to themselves as ‘Am Yisrael’—the people of Israel. Even in exile, Jews pray toward Jerusalem, our holidays revolve around the agricultural cycles of the land, and every significant moment in our texts ties back to Israel.

The only thing keeping a Jew from becoming “Israeli” is merely paperwork. Diaspora Jews are not less “Israeli” or less connected to the land than a Jew who was born there. Even in Jewish law, the mitzvah of aliyah (the commandment to return to the land of Israel) recognizes the right of return for every Jew.

“All Jews are Israeli” is not just a slogan I’ve slapped on a hoodie or used for shock value on social media—it underlines our shared identity. Mainstreaming this phrase will also help the growing gap between Israel and the Western Jews. The gap isn’t just about politics—it’s a crisis of identity. Many Western Jews see Israel as a distant “other,” forgetting that the fate of Israel is the fate of Jews worldwide. This divide plays into the hands of antisemites who aim to separate Western Jews from Israel to weaken us.

The statement “All Jews are Israeli” strikes at the root of the problem. It reclaims what’s been lost in the West: the understanding that Israel is not just a country…but our home. By seeing ourselves as inherently Israeli, we dissolve the false separation that distance and ideology have built. That’s why in times of tragedy—like the massacre of 10/7—it’s only natural that grieving for the Israeli victims feels like we are mourning for the Jewish people as a whole. It’s the ache of a shared soul, where this loss is carried in the heart of every Jew across land and sea.

This is what I want to remind people of: no matter where you’ve lived your whole life—you are not separate from Israel. Being Israeli is not about having a passport or living in Tel Aviv. It’s about recognizing that we are all part of the same story. The land of Israel lives in all of us, equally. It is our shared responsibility to keep that connection alive.