American Jews Need a Wake-Up Call — Before It’s Too Late

Israel has a growing problem with America — and American Jews need to confront it honestly. The horrors of October 7th should have awakened a sense of clarity and solidarity. Instead, the aftermath has revealed just how fractured we’ve become.

Rather than rallying behind the Jewish state in a time of existential crisis, many in the American Jewish community—particularly younger and progressive segments—have turned against it; not to mention certain very visible Haredi sects as well.  Some are now among the most vocal critics at protests, on campuses, and across media platforms, aligning with groups that not only condemn Israeli policy but challenge Israel’s very right to exist.

At the same time, a strategic miscalculation is unfolding among more traditional and right-leaning Jews. Disillusioned with the left, they have sought refuge among populist conservatives, assuming that opposition to “wokeness” would translate to unwavering support for Israel. But we’ve overlooked something critical: the conservative populist movement is not defined by loyalty to allies—it is driven by an “America First” doctrine. And Israel is not America.

To that movement, US aid to Israel increasingly looks like a costly foreign entanglement — especially when the majority of American Jews consistently oppose their domestic agenda. They aren’t combing through voting patterns looking for the 30% of Jews who align with them. They’re looking at the whole and asking: Why invest political capital defending Israel when most American Jews vote against us on every other issue?

This is a real and growing sentiment, echoed by influential voices like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens. Whether some dismiss them as antisemitic or not, the fact remains: they are shaping public opinion and drawing larger followings. To ignore them is to ignore a political reality that is shifting beneath our feet.

Even Donald Trump — who many regard as Israel’s strongest modern ally — must be understood for who he is: a transactional actor. Yes, he moved the embassy to Jerusalem, brokered the Abraham Accords, and took a hard line on Iran. But if he sees an opportunity to secure a broader Middle East deal without Israel at the center, he’ll take it—especially if it plays well with voters and helps define his legacy.

We’ve seen the outlines of this already. The release of Edan Alexander — the last remaining American hostage in Gaza — was a huge humanitarian win for America and Israel. But it also means that the United States, from a political standpoint, no longer has the same urgency to stay deeply engaged in resolving the broader Israeli hostage crisis. The pressure has lessened. The cause, politically speaking, has been “checked off.”

Israel will have to continue that battle alone.

That’s the broader lesson here: Israel must learn to stand on its own. Not because America has abandoned it, but because no foreign power will fight another nation’s battles forever. Sovereignty means self-reliance. And American Jews must prepare for a reality in which US support is more conditional and less predictable.

But if we’re going to ask America to keep standing with Israel, we must also take responsibility for the divisions within our own community. Our internal fights — between secular and religious, progressive and traditional, Zionist and anti-Zionist — have left us scattered and weakened. The days when the American Jewish voice spoke with moral clarity and communal strength are fading.

It’s time to rebuild that foundation. That doesn’t mean suppressing disagreement—it means finding unity where it matters most: our safety, our values, and our future. And that means reckoning with how Israel’s war in Gaza is perceived globally. No matter how justified we believe the military actions to be, perception is reality. Without a defined endgame, prolonged conflict looks like aimless destruction—and the world is watching.

None of this means we abandon our Zionism. But we must be smart about how we express it. Supporting Israel can’t come at the expense of alienating the country we live in. We can advocate, donate, pray, and work to strengthen Israel—but we must also be invested in the health and unity of America, and its political future.

Otherwise, we risk being politically homeless: too Zionist for the left, too progressive for the right, and increasingly distrusted by both.

This is the time for clarity. Israel needs to be strong. American Jews need to be smart. And all of us need to remember that the fight for Jewish survival has never just been about borders. It’s about identity, unity, and understanding the world as it is—not just as we wish it to be.