By Carol Ann Schwartz, JNS
As we continue to speak out against antisemitism, we must also build community, helping women and men feel empowered to take pride in and celebrate their Jewish and Zionist identities.
As we celebrate the 77th year of Israel’s independence this Yom Ha’atzmaut, the need for Israel’s existence as the world’s only Jewish state is paramount for the Jewish people’s survival. As we remember the brave men and women who died fighting to make the promised land a reality and celebrate all Israel has become, we must continue to push back against the rise of antisemitism and anti-Zionism that threaten Israel’s survival. To do that, we must not only advocate for a continued strong U.S.-Israel relationship and a secure Israel; we must fight antisemitism in the United States, and fortify and empower the Jewish community to take pride in our heritage.
Before 1948, many Jews returned to their ancestral homeland in support of founding a modern-day State of Israel and to escape the antisemitism and persecution they were facing across the globe. When Israel declared independence 77 years ago, new waves of Jews, especially from Arab lands, joined the pioneers and those who had continuously lived in the Land of Israel for millennia.
In the last 77 years, Israel has grown into a flourishing democracy, an economic powerhouse, and a leader in the fields of health care and technology. Israel is a haven in the Middle East for women’s and LGBTQ rights, with a robust judiciary and a diverse multiparty parliamentary system that offers the right to vote to all its citizens.
Today, however, the safety of Jews is once again under attack. Leading up to and following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitism accelerated across the world, often resulting in dangerous and violent confrontations.
Over the past decade, antisemitism in the United States has increased by 893%, according to the Anti-Defamation League, which also found that nearly one-half of the world’s adult population currently holds deeply entrenched antisemitic views. In the United States, hate incidents against Jews reached an all-time high in 2024.
Like every form of intolerance, antisemitism not only puts Jews at risk. It puts all of us at risk. It dehumanizes people and makes them targets.
In 2024, for the first time since the ADL began tracking Jew-hatred, its annual audit found that 58% of all reported antisemitic incidents were anti-Zionist—meaning they were attacks on Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state and homeland for the Jewish people.
The normalization of anti-Zionism is threatening the civil rights of Jews around the world. Anti-Zionism goes beyond criticizing Israel; it perpetuates tropes and false narratives about Jews and Israelis, and proclaims that Jews do not have a right to self-determination.
Antisemitism and anti-Zionism threaten Israel’s security, its citizens and the Jewish Diaspora. On Oct. 7, Hamas and Palestinian terrorists invaded Israel's border and went on a rampage—killing, raping, mutilating and kidnapping civilians, soldiers and anyone in their path. They slaughtered some 1,200 men, women and children. Since then, Israel has endured relentless, near-daily attacks from not only Hamas but also from Hezbollah and other Iran-backed terrorist groups.
The very hatred that gives rise to these current attacks on Israel is what makes Israel’s existence vitally important for all Jews. To ensure the safety of Jewish people around the world, we must not only strengthen policies that combat antisemitism but, at the same time, maintain and strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Israel and the United States face a complex set of threats from shared enemies, including Iran, that jeopardize the safety of both countries. The ability of U.S.-Israel defense initiatives like the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and the Arrow defense system to repel the vast majority of Iran’s drone and missile attacks against Israel sends a strong message that keeps us all safe from Iran’s military aggression.
U.S.-Israel partnerships on technology, defense and medicine deepen the countries’ ties and introduce innovations that would otherwise be out of reach for most patients and citizens worldwide. Moreover, the Abraham Accords are normalizing previously strained relationships, creating new alliances and establishing economic ties in the Middle East that benefit the entire world.
This isn’t just a matter of policy. It’s personal.
Late last year, Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, surveyed Jewish women to collect their stories and be their voice. We found that antisemitism affected the daily lives of 64% of respondents. More than 60% of them reported feeling afraid, while more than 50% reported they have taken steps to hide their Jewish identity. The experiences the women shared included being yelled at and threatened by strangers in public; ghosted by close friends and family; excluded from activities; and isolated in their workplaces by managers, colleagues and customers. Many of the women shared that they are afraid of losing their jobs because they are Jewish.
But among the stories of isolation, fear, uncertainty and sadness were stories of bravery, kindness and resilience. One respondent said, “The more hate I encounter, the more I speak out, and the more I wear my [Jewish] star and show my Judaism. I refuse to let hate rule the day.”
That is a lesson for all of us. As we continue to speak out against antisemitism and the need for a Jewish state, we must also build community, helping women and men feel empowered to take pride in and celebrate their Jewish and Zionist identities. Each time we speak out, stand up and show our values, we are helping people find the power to be brave and resilient. We are educating our communities, working to counter hatred and standing up for Israel’s right to exist.
