Shifting the Fear Narrative

The Jewish community worldwide must make a clear decision: Are we the vulnerable Jews of the past, or the powerful and resilient of the future? 

When posts from groups like the ADL and Stand With Us equate the horrors of the Holocaust to the October 7th attacks, they reinforce a harmful narrative—one that defines us as a weak and vulnerable nation. This isn’t to downplay the horrors of October 7th, which were utterly inhumane and despicable, but rather to describe these situations as vastly different. Unlike Jews in the 1940s, we have a state, power, and military strength. Israel is undoubtedly home to one of the strongest militaries in the world. Yet when Jewish organizations insist that we are in a fight for the Jewish nation’s survival and “never again is now,” it plays into fear, not reality. Such rhetoric doesn’t account for the sheer strength we possess today. This fear tactic risks fueling the continued war in Gaza.  This isn’t saying we should act defenseless when attacks on Israel’s sovereignty occur, but rather exclaiming how important it is that Israel conduct itself in humane ways to provide for mutual security.  In 1973, when Egypt invaded Israel, there was a time when military action was justified to protect the sovereignty of the Jewish state. However, more than 500 days into a failing war campaign in Gaza, military power has turned against Israel. The war in Gaza has not revealed Israel’s strength to the world, but it has put on full display the atrocities that can be committed by a campaign fueled by hysteria and fear.  It is important to note that security among Jews and Palestinians is intertwined. The longer the war drags on, the more unrest spreads around the world—putting Jewish communities at risk. The Jewish conversation must move beyond fear and embrace strength and resilience. Our future depends on shifting the narrative to maintain Israel’s survival and moral leadership.