What Do We Really Mean by Palestinianism and Israelism?

I am asking how your Shabbat was. How was your week?

Well, ours included a little midnight party, thanks to a Houthi missile fired on Friday night toward Jerusalem and central Israel. Thankfully, it was intercepted — but we still huddled in the security room, with our grandkids asleep around us.

Just another night in Israel. Just another reminder of why we must empower society for good — why we must empower the world for good.

This week, I want to share a few thoughts. They’re not new — but they’ve resurfaced with urgency through a piece by Rabbi Stewart Weiss in the Jerusalem Post Magazine and some piercing wisdom from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

Rabbi Weiss draws a powerful metaphor from the Purim story. He says that in order to beat our external enemies, we must first overcome our internal ones. And that internal battle? That’s unity. Only when the Jews realized their shared purpose—fighting for their people—did they unite. And only then did they defeat Haman, not just militarily but spiritually. Even enemies came to support them.

Today, we are again tested. Not only by missiles from outside — but by fractures within. Protests, anger, political disillusionment. On Wednesday night, I had to walk home because the roads out of central Jerusalem were blocked. It’s not just theoretical anymore. It’s personal.

This week’s Torah portion, Pekudei, couldn’t be more timely. It’s about giving an accounting — of resources, leadership, and trust. Moses offers a transparent breakdown of the donations used to build the Mishkan. But as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explains in his essay “Above Suspicion: Integrity in Public Life”, Moses didn’t do the audit himself. It was conducted by Levites under the direction of Itamar — an independent agency.

Even Moses knew that trust must be seen.

Rabbi Sacks writes:

“Moses issued a detailed reckoning to avoid coming under suspicion for the personal use of donated money.”

“The counting was undertaken not by Moses himself, but by Levites under the direction of Itamar.”

“Power tends to corrupt… Men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain. Without a reputation of honesty and incorruptibility, judges cannot ensure that justice is seen to be done.”

These words are burning with relevance.

Now look around. Ronen Bar — the head of the Shin Bet — is still in place. No apology. No accountability. Yet some still hail him as a hero. Why? Where is the reckoning? Where is the transparency?
This is what Pekudei demands, this is what Rabbi Sacks modelled, and this is what is missing—in Israel and far beyond.

The erosion of integrity is global. The UN accuses Israel of unspeakable crimes without evidence, while regimes like Saudi Arabia and Iran sit on human rights panels. The UN Women’s Rights Council is chaired by a country where women can’t travel freely. It’s absurd. And dangerous.

Let’s return to a deeper ideological issue raised by Einat Wilf — a former peace activist. She was involved in multiple rounds of negotiations and saw something consistent: every time Palestinian leaders were offered statehood, they said no. After one such rejection, Arafat launched an intifada.

Why?

It only made sense when she read a 1947 speech by British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin:

“For the Jews, the principle was the creation of a sovereign Jewish state. For the Arabs, the principle was to resist, to the last, the establishment of Jewish sovereignty in any part of Palestine.”

This, she realized, is the core issue.

What is Palestinianism?

It is not primarily about creating a better future for Palestinians. It is a rejectionist ideology defined by its opposition to Israel. Palestinianism is not about borders or rights — it is about erasing Jewish sovereignty.

It teaches victimhood and martyrdom. It glorifies death. It has infiltrated Western discourse, weaponized human rights language, and united the far left and far right in a strange alliance of hate.

What is Israelism?

Israelism is rooted in history, faith, and rebuilding. It is the belief that the Jewish people are indigenous to this land — that after centuries of exile, they have returned not to conquer but to renew. It is about planting, creating, innovating, educating, and coexisting. It is about choosing life, even in the shadow of death.

Israelism is flawed and human — but it strives. It protects women’s rights, builds hospitals, advances technology, and invites all citizens into its democracy.

Palestinianism vs. Israelism: A Core Values Comparison

So I am asking — and I invite you to ask yourself:

• Would the world be safer without Israel?
• What has Israel — and the Jewish people — contributed to the world?
• What has Palestinianism contributed?
• What would the world look like if Israel disappeared?
• Would we see peace — or would we know what we already see: repression, extremism, silence, and the erosion of human dignity?

I couldn’t sleep on Friday night because of rockets from Yemen. But the deeper fear isn’t just missiles — it’s the global confusion between good and evil, between justice and propaganda, between accountability and chaos.

Rabbi Sacks taught that integrity in public life isn’t optional. It is essential. Because when leaders stop being accountable, trust collapses. When justice is no longer visible, people stop believing in it. And when that happens, extremism fills the void.

This is the moment to choose Israelism — not just as a national identity but as a moral path forward.

That’s my reflection for the week.

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