Standing With Israel Means Sharing Its Risks

Many politicians, journalists, NGOs, and analysts have pointed out that the writing was on the wall the whole time. That we should have known a shooting attack could occur one day, given the pro-Hamas, anti-Jewish ideologies being spread on college campuses by organizations like SJP or AMP and social media, particularly since October 7th. Violence slowly escalated, starting with verbal attacks and protests, moving to more organized and effective demonstrations, and finally to extreme violence and terror, with the murder of the two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington D.C.

The truth is, hindsight is always 20/20. And while we knew extreme violence was possible, there wasn’t much more we could have done to prevent an incident. American Jews and even devout Christians stepped up as much as they could. Whether it was through lobbying, organizing counter-protests, spreading awareness, reporting incidents, filing lawsuits, many boldly took to standing up strong for Israel in any feasible way.

At the same time, it is not far-fetched to say that many people in the back of their minds feared an eventual shooting incident. It was understandably not something anyone wanted to bring up, because it would put fear into people who wanted to step up in support of Israel. It is much easier to shove that prospect under the rug, limiting preparation for non-violent threats.

Moreover, the stoppage pro-Palestinian organizations that lead to attacks is difficult from a governments perspective, given the free speech rights of America. While it’s easy for the government to condemn slogans like “Global Intifada” and “Death to All Jews,” it’s much harder to justify shutting down organizations that, on the surface, appear simply pro-Palestinian while still allowing public backing for Israel, even though internally, many of these groups encourage their followers to actively participate in a “global Intifada,” as evident in the Washington D.C. shooter’s manifesto he wrote shortly before his attack.

The shock of this attack felt by Jews all over the world, but especially those in the U.S. and Washington D.C. area, is the reality that Israelis have heartbreakingly gotten used to. Any Israeli, especially those living in Judea and Samaria, knows that their choice to settle in Israel comes with the risks of not infrequent terror attacks as well, just because they live in Israel. While the IDF and security forces do an amazing job in preventing terrorists, regrettably some just find a way to get through. Israelis know, however, that the land and mission they are standing for is bigger than themselves, and are naturally resilient and build when faced with adversary, like building a new structure in the place Tzeela Gez, H”YD, was murdered.

What American Jews, and Jews in the Diaspora as a whole must decide, is if they truly want to stand with Israel. The U.S. has entered a new stage in this ideological battle of Israel vs. the world, and that being outwardly pro-Israel while Israel defends itself at home can be dangerous, whether you live in Israel or support it from the outside. The alternative is hiding any Jewish or Pro-Israel identity, and staying away from those areas, neighborhoods, events, getting caught in the act. As Israel continues its intense operation in Gaza to hopefully root out Hamas once and for all despite harsh criticism from many foreign governments and global institutions, it will become clear which politicians, activists, and Jewish citizens are willing to stand with Israel and its morals and values not just in spirit but in sacrifice. Standing with Israel today does not mean cheering from the sidelines, but being willing to share in its risks, just like every citizen in Israel has always done and continues to do every day.