On the Issue of Extremism

It has come to my attention that some Jewish groups have initiated a futile crusade against their fellow Jews. That rather than embrace the sole cause of the continuity of our people they have chosen to instead embrace ego and pettiness. This is part of an unfortunate historical trend that we once again see rearing its ugly head. In the aftermath of October 7th, Diaspora Jews were left with two options. They could ignore, deny, and appease those who hate Jews. In doing so, they will enter an endless spiral in which their concessions are only met with more demands. Alternatively, they could stand up and resist the decades long conspiracy to popularize Jew Hatred. In standing up, we could cement our rights as a people. No longer would our rights be a mere reparation driven by shame or pity. Rather, we finally be recognized as having the basic dignities afforded to all peoples. Instead, in this recent era, it is the Jews who demand dignity and equality that have been labeled as extremist.

To start, what is extremism in the context of a political movement? Any extremist movement would be of a malicious and irrational character. Many Jewish movements have been accused of being extremist; however, I have seen very little evidence of such extremists in the Jewish Diaspora. If they were driven by a radical ideology or hatred, you would expect such “radicals” to target Muslims and their centers of community; just as what has occurred against Jews. Yet, this is not what has happened. For one, Jewish groups like the Betar, have a committed goal and act rationally towards achieving it. Regardless of your feelings towards them, there is little that can be pointed out to show a lack of strategy or calculation. Their goal after all, is the protection and preservation of the Jewish Diaspora and to defend against both physical and ideological assaults on our people. They target people who seek to either import, export or distribute hatred of the Jewish people. No Jew, with an ounce of self-preservation, should oppose such objectives. Many of these “extremist Jews” are Revisionist Zionists and ideological descendants of Ze’ev Jabotinsky. Jabotinsky, in the Iron Wall said, “my attitude to the Arabs is the same as to all other nations –polite indifference.” Jabotinsky and his followers did not hold a personal hatred towards any people. Their focus was indiscriminately against the enemies of the Jewish people; no matter who or where they may be. Their actions: whether it is defending synagogues, confronting “suicide bombers” or resisting pogroms show this. One may not appreciate or like their methods, but it is far from extreme.

For actual extremists, one may look to the “anti-Zionist” movement that seeks to define the Jewish national spirit and memory as radical and extreme. It is their goal to use collective psychological punishment to suppress our people. I had one gentile colleague write of the Betar: “Jewish Americans have a particular duty to make their opposition to this travesty as clear as possible” and that “they give antisemites more ammo than they could ever use.” In other words, if American Jews dare not turn against their fellow Jews, they shall be guilty by association. Preaching, that these Jews have behaved so poorly that it is a natural reaction to despise all Jews. Many of our people have fallen under the spell of such extremists. Proof of this can be found last month when the ADL, Kol Israel and Stand With Us moved to ban Betar from the World Zionist Congress. To be clear: the assertion that Jewish dignity may be challenged or questioned at all is extremism.

Even more so that the Jewish people are under some kind of obligation to remain in good social standing is a threat. There is no circumstance in which one of true moral character would defend such threats towards our people. They have tragically betrayed our people for a cause separate from the Jewish one. The liberationists seductively promise that if they just be “Good Jews” they will achieve liberation for not just the Jewish people but all peoples globally. To be a “Good Jew” you must betray your identity and deny the core tenants of who and what we are. For you may have no interest in the preservation of our culture, our history and our faith. Anyone who has become a “Good Jew” is tragically now an instrument of extremism. They will forgo the Jewish cause for that of others and condemn those who do not. When pressured to defend their fellow Jews or the “liberationist cause” they have chosen the latter. It is the ultimate act of betrayal. Those who accuse Jews of dual loyalty may only look to these individuals who show loyalty to a cause that competes against their own. Those behind the ban of Betar support boycotts of Jewish Businesses, not just in Judea and Samaria, but in Jerusalem. In what world, could a Jewish group, in good faith, claim to stand for our people while boycotting our Ancient Capital? Just recently, the Jewish News Syndicate, alleged in a report that the ADL distorted reports of Jew Hatred by European Muslims. I would accuse these groups, as extremists, for they purport to defend the Jews while protecting our attackers. Is this itself not an act of dual loyalty?

I also wish to touch on the issue of trust between the many Jewish groups. With so many different political ties and ideologies, it can be hard to determine the genuine motivation of a group. I advise you to trust any Jewish group that will swear an oath to Monism. Monism, in short, is dedication to the Jewish cause and solely the Jewish cause. It is the rejection of dual loyalty to other ideologies that distort or distract the unending battle for Jewish dignity and rights. Those who follow Monism will give up everything for the greater Jewish cause. If dual loyalty against the Jewish cause is extremist, then it is the Monist who are of the moral mainstream. We cannot, under any circumstance, allow the Jewish cause to be sacrificed for some dystopic “greater good” as determined by others.

Monism is commitment, and it is selfless. A Jew who follows Monism, will sacrifice his personal ego and himself for the Jewish cause. It’s what allows a Jew to place his personal grievances behind him and unite with his fellow Jews. It is Monism that lets Jews of all kinds never be the enemy of each other. It is why we survive and continue to survive. Despite this, we see an unfortunate return of such attitudes. The expulsion of Betar from the World Zionist Congress is a rejection of Monism. It saddens me that we have failed to learn from our past and are again repeating it. Again, the cause of pettiness has overtaken the Jewish cause. Just as with the Atlantea and the Saison, we see Jew against Jew. Yet, just as before, the prevailing attitude must be “there will be no civil war.” It is my hope, both in the World Zionist Congress and elsewhere, that we learn from our past. Jews across the world are facing an imminent threat and we are more worried about appearing polite and well kept. It is impossible to appease an ideology that cannot be sated in its demands. We must stop rejecting each other as Jews and let our differences be secondary to our mission. Only then, will we finally understand that a people united solely by the Jewish cause will in turn be impossible to divide by any other means.