Do Not Disturb This Fragile Peace: Zionism is not a movement of destruction

By Rabbi Reuven Kahane author of upcoming novel, Amerikan Holocaust and Dr. Shmuel Legesse
Upcoming author of Moral Diplomacy for a Broken World: Inspired by the Vision of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Israel has just emerged from one of the most painful periods in its modern history. The Gaza war took an enormous toll on soldiers, families, and the moral conscience of the nation. For the first time in months, a fragile and precious quiet has descended a moment Israel desperately needs to breathe, reflect, and heal. This is not the moment to ignite new fires. It is the moment to calm the ones still burning inside every home. And yet, even in this delicate hour, we witnessed scenes that trouble the heart of every moral Jew: a small group of Jewish extremists storming a Palestinian village in the West Bank, burning property and escalating violence. These actions contradict Judaism, betray Zionism, and endanger Israel’s security and global standing. They provide exactly the propaganda our enemies pray for.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded with unusual urgency and moral clarity. “I view the violent riots and the attempt to take the law into one’s own hands by a small extremist group with utmost severity,” he declared, stressing that this group “does not represent the settlers in Judea and Samaria.” He called for full law enforcement action and pledged to personally convene ministers to address this phenomenon. His message was unmistakable: this violence is intolerable, illegal, and a direct threat to the nation’s integrity.

Netanyahu is right. These extremists do not represent Israel. They do not represent Zionism. They certainly do not represent the Jewish people. Their recklessness threatens the fragile calm Israelis so desperately need and hands our enemies a narrative they weaponize against us. Zionism is not a movement of destruction. It is a movement of life. The Jewish people do not burn homes we build them. We do not seek chaos we seek peace. And at a moment when misinformation and hostility against Israel are rising across the globe, when Jewish students are attacked on campuses and synagogues are threatened, even one reckless act can damage the entire Jewish world.

This is why we must say clearly and lovingly: Do not disturb this fragile peace. Not the extremists on the fringe. Not the politicians who thrive on division. Not international voices rooting for Israel’s collapse. The Jewish people need unity, not internal war. They need healing, not further wounds. They need space to reflect, pray, and think deeply about what comes next. Right now, every household in Israel is asking the same questions: How do we comfort grieving families? How do we rebuild the South? How do we protect our children from rising antisemitism worldwide? How do we prepare for what may come next?

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, one of the greatest moral voices of our time, taught that “Judaism is a religion of hope,” rooted not in rage but in restraint, empathy, and responsibility. He warned that when politics becomes a battle between “good and evil” instead of right and left, democracy begins to die. He reminded us that societies fall apart not because disagreement exists, but because disagreement loses respect and moral restraint.

This is the danger Israel faces now not only from Hamas or Iran, but from internal fracture. From losing our moral anchor. From forgetting who we are. The world is watching Israel more fiercely than at any time in decades. Antisemitism is rising at levels unseen since the 1930s. Extremists celebrate Jewish suffering online. Enemies twist every incident into propaganda. In such a moment, Israel cannot afford to tear itself apart from within.

This fragile peace is not a luxury. It is oxygen. It is the space soldiers need to heal. The space leaders need to think. The space the global Jewish community needs to unite in protection and prayer. That is why every act of Jewish violence even by a fringe minority is a betrayal of the Jewish people’s mission. It weakens us when we need strength. It undermines the righteousness of Israel’s struggle. It contradicts the Torah, our prophets, our rabbis, and the moral teachings of Rabbi Sacks, who insisted that moral courage not anger is the Jewish way.

We must say this clearly: Violence by Jews against innocent Palestinians is morally wrong.
It damages Israel’s soul and Israel’s future. It must stop immediately. Stopping this violence does not weaken Israel’s security it strengthens it. It protects our integrity. It reminds the world who we are: a people who fight when necessary, but who do not lose our humanity.

Israel now needs wisdom more than rage. Calm more than chaos. Moral clarity more than fanaticism. For 3,000 years, the Jewish people survived not because we were perfect but because we were united when it mattered most. This is one of those moments. We must not give our enemies propaganda. We must not let fringe behavior define the Jewish story. We must not tear apart the unity we desperately need. Let us instead follow the path Rabbi Sacks taught: speaking truth with love, standing firm with dignity, and leading the world not by fury but by moral courage.

Israel will overcome this moment as we have overcome all others if we stand together as one people, guided by faith, moral clarity, and unity of purpose. Am Yisrael Chai