For decades, the relationship between Israel and Jewish communities worldwide rested on a set of assumptions. Israel was the center of Jewish sovereignty and a focal point of Jewish peoplehood. Jewish communities abroad, in turn, were expected to support Israel politically, financially, and emotionally. The bond was understood as natural and resilient, strong enough to absorb disagreement without constant reinforcement.
The past two years have tested these assumptions.
Some of the change is external. Public discourse has grown harsher and more polarized. Antisemitism has become more visible and, in some places, more socially acceptable. Jewish communities around the world are navigating pressures that are not always fully seen from Israel.
Some of the change is internal. Expectations have shifted. Patience has narrowed. Familiar language about unity has not always matched lived experience, whether in Israel or across the Diaspora.
Deep connection
Yet the underlying truth remains. Israel and world Jewry are deeply connected. The question is not whether that connection exists, but whether it is being actively strengthened or left to rely on instinct, emotion, and crisis-driven mobilization.
That distinction matters because solidarity alone is no longer enough.
Israel’s challenges today extend beyond the military and diplomatic spheres. They include internal division, social strain, and the long-term effects of sustained crisis on governance and trust. Jewish communities abroad face a different but equally serious reality. They are navigating public scrutiny, internal disagreements, and ongoing questions about identity, belonging, and safety.
These experiences are not identical, but they are interconnected. When either side treats the other’s reality as secondary or abstract, misunderstanding takes root and grows. Over time, that misunderstanding morphs into distance.
The recent war revealed both the strengths and the limits of the Israel-Diaspora relationship. Jewish communities around the world mobilized with speed and clarity – through advocacy, humanitarian support, public leadership, and a renewed willingness to confront antisemitism openly. These were not mere gestures of solidarity but expressions of shared responsibility. But crisis-driven engagement, however powerful, does not create durable ties. When engagement is mostly reactive, even strong bonds can weaken.
What is missing is not commitment. It is structure.
Rebuilding the structure
Over the past year, Voice of the People has focused on helping rebuild that structure through sustained cooperation and dialogue. Launched by President Isaac Herzog, the initiative brings together 150 Jewish leaders and changemakers from communities around the world in an ongoing framework designed to strengthen ties between Israel and Jewish communities globally. At its core is a commitment to cultivating generous Jewish leadership – leaders who understand that complexity is not a flaw in the relationship but its defining condition.
The aim is not to impose agreement or reduce complexity. It is to create a space where differences are truthfully acknowledged, and cooperation is built intentionally rather than improvised under pressure. Leadership requires accepting clashing truths at the same time – recognizing that there can be both loyalty and critique, shared purpose alongside deep disagreement.
Dialogue does not eliminate disagreement, nor is it a substitute for policy. It creates shared language, mutual recognition, and the ability to remain in a relationship even when views diverge.
One of the central challenges in Israel-Diaspora relations today is asymmetry. Israelis live with the daily responsibilities of sovereignty, including security decisions whose consequences are immediate and unavoidable. Diaspora Jews live with the daily realities of minority life: public vulnerability, representation, and the responsibility of explaining Jewish identity in environments that are often hostile to nuance.
Since October 7, this gap has become more pronounced. In Israel, critique exists within a framework where Zionism and collective responsibility are foundational. Outside of Israel, criticism often operates within a logic that questions legitimacy itself. This distinction shapes risk, language, and consequence – and it cannot be ignored.
When Israelis assume that Diaspora concerns are detached from reality, trust erodes. When Diaspora Jews dismiss Israeli pressures as purely political choices without acknowledging lived risk, trust erodes in return. Cooperation begins only when these realities are recognized as equally legitimate. That recognition does not require agreement, but it does require generosity.
Improving ties means moving beyond an outdated model of the relationship – one defined largely by advocacy and fundraising on one side, and expectation and frustration on the other. Many Jewish communities want a relationship with Israel that is participatory and consistent, not only emotional. Many Israelis want to know that support from abroad is grounded in understanding, not contingent on perfect alignment.
These goals are not in conflict. They point toward a more mature partnership.
Lasting frameworks
In practical terms, cooperation means investing in lasting frameworks: regular cross-community dialogue; trust-based leadership networks; shared educational initiatives that reflect diverse Jewish experiences; and concrete collaboration in areas where joint action is essential – strengthening community resilience, combating hatred, advancing Jewish education, and reinforcing Jewish identity across borders.
It also requires new norms. Disagreement must not be treated as betrayal. Connection must not require uniformity. Unresolved tensions must be managed rather than avoided – and understood as the engine of serious leadership, not its obstacle. Engagement must be designed for the long term, not only for moments of crises.
The relationship between Israel and world Jewry is not broken, but it is under strain. Strain can lead either to rupture or to renewal. The past two years have shown that old assumptions are no longer sufficient.
Solidarity still matters. It remains a moral instinct and an emotional foundation.
But solidarity is not a strategy.
Partnership is built through structured listening, ongoing engagement, and cooperation that treats Israel and Jewish communities worldwide as shared stakeholders in a common future.
That is where we stand today. And that is the work ahead.■
Shirel Dagan-Levy is the CEO of Voice of the People.