The future of Israel-Diaspora relations will not be determined by major institutions alone, although they will continue to have influence.
Israelis are focused on internal political realignments after the wars with Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran, while also grappling with how to think about their relationships with the Palestinians and the wider Arab world.
With the future of US involvement growing increasingly unpredictable, both the internal and external dynamics in Israel are fluid and volatile. In that context, the concerns of Diaspora Jewry are, at best, secondary.
Israelis are fascinated and horrified by antisemitism. Some see it as vindication of their own life choices. Others, understandably, see that – notwithstanding awful events such as those at Bondi Beach or Manchester – the lived reality of Israeli life has been dramatically more traumatic over the past two years.
This is best illustrated by the fact that for every two British Jews that make aliyah, three Israelis move to the UK. There are similar trends in other countries.
Changing attitudes
Diaspora Jews have a huge range of changing attitudes toward Israel, many of which were brewing before October 7 and have been challenged and/or sharpened since those awful events.
The unleashed anti-Zionist antisemitism and the severe criticism of Israel’s policies – even though there is often no clear line dividing the two – have forced Diaspora Jews, especially progressive ones, into a struggle on two fronts.
The first is confronting the massive rejection of supporters of Israel and Zionism by liberal society, as manifested by NGOs, the arts, universities, and progressive politicians. This comes on top of the longstanding – but increasingly hardline – rejection of Israel by many in Europe’s growing Muslim populations.
The second front is dealing with a decreasingly liberal “official” Israel, which is closely observed by liberal Diaspora Jews through the lens of Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank, and towards Israel’s Arab minority.
The growing influence of both haredi and ultra-nationalist politicians, often with an explicitly anti-liberal agenda, has meant that non-Orthodox or politically progressive Jews feel not just alienated but increasingly under attack from Israel’s official establishment.
Moves that appear to undermine the strength of Israel’s famously vibrant democracy or independent judiciary are also of concern to many.
Quitting Israel engagement
Many liberal Jews are quitting Israel engagement. They are not generally joining anti-Israel demonstrations or groups. They see the antisemitic anti-Zionism that has infected much of the progressive world and are determined not to strengthen its forces.
But they feel discomfort, disillusionment, or disgust with recent Israeli actions and prefer to refocus their Jewish life around progressive Jewish causes, with Israel relegated to a minor role at best. Some of these are active on social media, while others prefer to quit quietly.
Many liberal Jews, including some who are influential in wider progressive circles, have gone full-scale anti-Zionist and have largely left the organized Jewish community. They participate in anti-Israel demonstrations with the general population or in their own Jewish groups.
They are usually contemptuous of the organized Jewish community, and the antipathy is mutual. We must acknowledge that many of these people do not regard themselves as having left the Jewish community. They see themselves as inheritors of a long tradition of the Jewish Left.
Certainly, many Diaspora Jews are emphatically not struggling with their relationship with Israel, even if they have reservations about more extreme elements within the current government.
They see the practitioners and enablers of anti-Zionist antisemitism as fellow travelers of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. They are not conflicted by Israel’s prosecution of the war, and their relationship with Israel is largely intact.
Their support of Israel manifests in multiple ways. Just seeing the pro-Israel activity in synagogues, schools, and Israel-focused agencies demonstrates that for many of these people, support for Israel remains rock solid.
While older Diaspora Jews are more likely to stay within pro-Israel circles, we should not ignore that there are many young Jews in synagogues, youth movements, and on campuses who are pursuing pro-Israel agendas from multiple ideological perspectives.
The future is unlikely to be one-dimensional. But for the sake of generalization, we can see that many liberal Jews, particularly younger ones, are less engaged with – and more critical of – Israel than their parents. This trend is likely to continue as long as Israel’s political trajectory continues to move to the Right.
Finding the answer
So what is to be done? The extreme anti-Zionists are largely unreachable and should not be our focus. But the large number of liberal Jews who show ambivalence, but not hostility, toward Israel is a crucial resource for the Jewish people in general. This is in addition to the staunch Israel supporters who remain foundational for Jewish communities.
Millions of Israelis are themselves liberal and share many of the values of liberal Diaspora Jews. There is huge potential for direct partnerships between individuals, families, organizations, and communities.
Progressive Diaspora Jews might feel that the State of Israel’s government does not currently like them, but that does not mean they are without allies in Israel. The growing number of Israelis moving to the Diaspora could also be an important resource for dialogue and exchange.
The pro-democracy demonstrations in Israel three years ago, as well as the civil society NGOs who provided support for hostage families, were driven by liberal and progressive Israelis who lost faith in the government but not in the country.
Some framed this work as “true” Zionism. These young Israeli leaders offer a pathway for liberal Diaspora Jews to support, volunteer, and network.
Organizations like ours, which are non-party political, will continue to model engagement with the Israeli government and across the Knesset, with exceptions only for those individuals whom we regard as a serious threat to the image of Israel or Judaism.
Many Diaspora Jews who feel frustration with Israeli policy are turning to active engagement with their peers in Israel. In fact, they are following the example of haredi and more right-wing Diaspora Jews who are active and vocal in their support of their Israeli peers, to whom they relate as fellow travelers.
Central organizations in Israel or the Jewish Diaspora are by no means the only forces that will set the agenda for Israel-Diaspora relations over the next 20 years. But we should do all we can to enable Israelis and Diaspora Jews of all perspectives to meet and enrich one another.
Kol Yisrael arevim zeh ba’zeh – “all Jews are responsible for one another.” And that is a responsibility we must all regard with the utmost seriousness.■
Michael Wegier is chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.