The “No Jewish State Solution” Coalition

People rarely say it outright, but it’s there: for many, the debate isn’t about a one- or two-state solution—it’s about no Jewish state at all. Seeing a pop act, on successive weeks, sing “Death to the IDF” at Glastonbury and then perform a routine in Athens in front of a Palestinian flag whilst giving a Nazi salute and goosestepping forces us to address this topic.

Since 1947, when the UN voted to establish a Jewish homeland in part of its ancestral territory, a broad and diverse coalition has emerged—some explicit, others more subtle—who believe that decision was a mistake. Their reasons vary and include (in a broad estimation of population segments holding these views):

– Arab and Islamic voices who see the land as rightfully Palestinian or Islamic,

– Anti-colonialists who view Israel as a Western imposition,

– Humanitarians and liberals who believe the cost of maintaining Israel is too high, especially with the impact on Palestinians and most especially Gaza,

– Jewish critics who feel Israel compromises Jewish ethics and isn’t ‘worth the downside’ or that a Jewish State is no longer necessary,

– Post-Holocaust critics who argue Israel was a guilt offering at the expense of Palestinians,

– Conspiracy theorists who believe Jews control the world from Israel,

– Antisemites who simply hate Jews and see Israel as a convenient target,

– Extremists who supported Israel’s creation with the sinister aim of concentrating Jews in one place for future destruction,

– Small groups of Ultra-Orthodox Jews who deny a religious right to the land without messianic redemption.

This vast and powerful unofficial coalition, with very differing viewpoints but converging on the same solution, comes together in the streets under various guises—superficially in response to the pain in Gaza, but also with a clear agenda that Israel should be gone. Slogans like “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free” and the increasingly vocal “Death to the IDF” reflect this sentiment.

It is worth noting that there is a whole other wing that stokes these crowd and this agenda and that is the ‘distraction’ as a form of magic crowd – who push the Israel/Gaza issue to hide their own conflicts and regional tensions. With this receiving so much attention, countries with seriously dangerous human rights issues not only avoid their discussion but actually get to appear virtuous.

Alongside these groups are many ‘followers’ who, without information to the contrary, embrace these ideas as ‘mainstream’ or cool.

As an editorial by Brendan O’Neill in The Australian on Saturday in response to the Glastonbury Festival stated:

“Think about what this means. On that balmy Saturday, two groups of people were thinking ‘Death to the IDF’: the supposed progressives rocking out at a music festival in Somerset and the neo-fascists of Hamas who were laying the deadly trap that 24 hours later would claim the precious life of a young British Jew. The weed-smoking neo-hippies of Glastonbury and the regressive militants in that army of anti-Semites called Hamas.”

While many in this coalition speak of a two-state solution, what they actually advocate—explicitly or implicitly—is a No Jewish State Solution.

Why I Disagree with These Voices

1. Historic Right

The Jewish connection to the land is not a myth—it’s history. Abraham walked it. King David ruled from Jerusalem. Jesus was born a Jew in Bethlehem. Jews have lived in the land continuously for millennia. If historic rights matter for Indigenous peoples elsewhere, why not for Jews?

Of course, Arab and other nations have lived here throughout history, but that in no way negates the absolutely clear and overwhelming Jewish tie to the land.

“The Jewish claim to indigeneity is based on a three-thousand-year-old continuous history and the status of the land since ancient times as the focus of Jewish life and yearning.” — Hoover Institution

2. Colonialism and the Holocaust

Israel is not a colonial project. Jews were not conquerors—they were returning home. During the Holocaust, Britain blocked Jewish refugees from entering the Mandate, sealing their fate. After Israel’s founding, approximately 850,000 Jews were expelled from Arab lands where they had lived for generations. Israel became their only refuge.

Judaism doesn’t seek converts or empires. It teaches that all people of all faiths are equal and merit the right to life in the world to come. It’s a people of 15 million with one tiny state, surrounded by dozens of Muslim and Christian-majority nations. That’s not colonialism—it’s survival.

3. The “Cost” Argument

Yes, the suffering is immense. The tragedy in Gaza is heartbreaking. But Hamas deliberately embeds itself in civilian areas, uses human shields, and invests in terror tunnels instead of its people. Israel faces a cruel dilemma: defend itself by seeking to defeat Hamas and rescue its hostages—and be condemned—or don’t, and cease to exist.

This raises four questions:

1. Can Israel survive without confronting threats like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran?

2. Should Jews abandon their homeland to avoid conflict?

3. Would Jews be safer without Israel?

4. What about others in the rest of the world?

My answer: No to all.

Weakness in this region means annihilation. If Israel lets its guard down, it’s over. The alternative—Jews giving up their state—is a return to the vulnerability of the Crusades, pogroms, and the Holocaust. That’s the image of the Jew some people seem to prefer: powerless, stateless, and silent.

I believe that some of the interests above have broader targets than Israel, the Jewish State, or the Jews but are out to change Western society—some by violence, some through the financing of education, and others by the birth rate and ballot box.

If Israel were to fold, it would be an absolute disaster for the West (IMPO) and wouldn’t stop the bleeding.

4. Zionism’s Evolution

Zionism wasn’t always universally embraced by Jews. It was a radical idea—reclaiming sovereignty after 2,000 years. But history proved its necessity. The Holocaust, expulsions from Arab lands, and rising global antisemitism all affirmed that Jews need a home. Not just spiritually—but physically.

Today, some fringe Jewish groups vocally oppose Zionism, often appearing in protests or aligning with anti-Israel movements. But the noise of these fringe groups is vastly over-magnified. They represent an absolutely tiny percentage of the Jewish people. What others call a movement is, in reality, a distortion of the broader Jewish consensus. The overwhelming majority of Jews worldwide support Israel’s right to exist, and religiously, a significant number of Jews—including myself—see it as a critical and important step in the destiny of the future of the Jewish People and the world.

What About Peace?

People often ask me: what is my solution to peace? Do I believe in a two-state solution?

There is no question to the fact that I dream of and want peace. Regarding the mechanism and the two-state solution as considered in the 90s, the frank truth is—I’m not sure. I used to. During the Oslo years, I was hopeful. I desperately want to live side by side with my Arab neighbors in peace. I want an end to war. I want Israel to continue as a democracy offering full rights to its citizens. I want peace.

But my naivety was shattered. It will take a lot to convince me that trading land—land smaller than Lake Michigan—will lead to anything other than making it easier to destroy us. I see potential peace with Lebanon, Syria, and other states in the region. But I struggle to see a path to peace with the Palestinians while so many openly reject my right to exist here.

History shows that under Arab control, our religious sites would not be preserved or accessible—they would likely be destroyed.

I hate not having a clear answer to this, just as I hate hate. The world, however, is not simple—by God’s design—and I am prepared to admit I don’t know the answer yet. I’m not in politics, and I don’t pretend to be.

Conclusion

Despite all this, I believe there are billions of people who do not fall into the camps above. Many are rightly uncomfortable with what is happening in Gaza and what happened in Israel. But they still support the need for a strong State of Israel—among them, the vast majority of Jews worldwide.

It was important for me to try to break down the fact that for many there exists a real agenda which is more than wanting a ceasefire or an end to the suffering of the Gazan people. It is something much more insidious—it is about a “No Jewish State Solution.”

As the late Chief Rabbi Sacks stated:

“In the Middle Ages, Jews were hated for their religion. In the 19th and early 20th century, they were hated for their race. Today they are hated for their nation-state, and that is radically new, and that is what makes anti-Zionism. Not criticism of Israel. I mean, for heaven’s sake, I don’t know any Israeli who doesn’t criticize Israel, so criticizing Israel does not make you an anti-Semite. But anti-Zionism—the idea that Israel alone, among all nations, has no right to exist—that is the new mode of antisemitism.”

Israel has its issues—including extremists I abhor—but we are succeeding where many thought we would fail. That success is actually fueling some of these groups to increase that noise. We will, please God, grow in strength, see no more tragedy, bring the hostages home, and defeat the forces of evil.