Our mates should not those that, till just lately, by no means talked about that Gazan casualty figures come from a well being ministry run by Hamas — a mistake they might by no means make if, say, they had been relaying figures produced by the Russian authorities. Or who describe the folks murdered on Oct. 7 as “Jewish settlers,” by no means thoughts that they had been residing in cities and kibbutzim which can be a part of sovereign Israel. Or who communicate of people that homicide infants and kidnap aged girls as “fighters” or “militants.”
Our mates should not at universities the place each third constructing appears to be named for a Jewish benefactor. Colleges like Stanford, which now defends the precise of scholars to chant “from the river to the sea” — a name for the annihilation of a complete state — on free speech grounds are sometimes the identical locations that, solely just lately, barred a student from campus for “racist social media posts.” Free speech is ok as a regular, not as a double customary.
Our mates should not these within the educational and company D.E.I. workplaces or the diversity trainers who suppose that Jews don’t depend as a minority or who attempt to shunt Ashkenazi Jews right into a “whiteness accountability” group. Variety that thinks solely of race is anti-diversity; inclusion that functionally excludes Jews will not be inclusive; fairness that treats Jews as second-class victims will not be equitable. This needs to be axiomatic.
Our mates should not within the universe of individuals represented by the likes of Tucker Carlson and the friends on his present. Underneath the guise of a prudential overseas coverage, the neo-isolationist proper is morphing into the anti-Israel left, repeating its tropes that Israel is “annihilating Gaza.” These are the folks whose considering can be mainstreamed by a second Trump time period.
The checklist might be longer. Understanding who our mates aren’t isn’t nice, notably after so many Jews have sought to be private mates and political allies to folks and actions that, as we grieved, turned their backs on us. But it surely’s additionally clarifying. Greater than 3,800 years of Jewish historical past retains yielding the identical bracing lesson: In the long term, we’re alone.
What can Oct. 8 Jews do? We will cease being embarrassed, equivocal or defensive about Zionism, which is, in any case, one of many world’s most profitable actions of nationwide liberation. We will name out anti-Zionism for what it’s: a rebranded model of antisemitism, based mostly on the identical set of libels and conspiracy theories. We will exit the establishments which have disserved us: “Defund the academy” is a a lot better slogan than defund the police.
Jewish America abounds with dreamers and entrepreneurs who took loopy dangers of their careers to search out worth and create issues that by no means existed earlier than. It’s time they apply the identical expertise and vitality to creating new establishments that hew to genuinely liberal values, the place Jews want by no means be afraid. In time, the remainder of America could observe.