Israel matters to Jews, but those in the Diaspora don't know what's best for it

With the rise in global antisemitism, it becomes clearer every day that what happens in Israel has an impact on Jews all over the world.

By ZINA RAKHAMILOVA
American Jews marching in New York with Israeli flags. How can we bridge the divide between Israel and the Diaspora? (photo credit: REUTERS)
American Jews marching in New York with Israeli flags. How can we bridge the divide between Israel and the Diaspora?
(photo credit: REUTERS)
As we approach Israel’s third election in one year, something strikes me as problematic with the way information about the upcoming vote has been communicated. My social media news feed has been flooded with people from all over the world advocating for a party or publishing classic pro- or anti-Netanyahu rhetoric.
Some people have gone as far as to claim that people who vote for certain parties are either “fake Zionists” or “racist Israelis.” Normally, one would be happy to see Israelis so passionately engaged in political outcomes in this country, except there is one problem: The people posting the content are not Israeli.
Many activists and people involved in Jewish life outside of Israel care deeply about this country. Just a year and a half ago, I too felt that anything affecting the Jewish state had a direct impact on my community and myself. After moving to Israel, however, not only was I engulfed in a culture and mindset very different from what I was used to, but experiences opened my eyes to different aspects of this country that I never would have known about back in Toronto.
I have traveled to the Gaza border for geopolitical tours more times than I can count. I walked into Hamas and Hezbollah cross-border attack tunnels with the IDF. I sat inside Ofer Prison and watched the lawyer who is representing Ari Fuld’s murderer hone his defense. And I have traveled to the most unique parts of the country and spoken to people I never would have encountered anywhere else.
My experiences living in Israel and dealing with the day-to-day challenges of being a new immigrant have changed the direction in which I feel the country needs to go.
Someone sitting behind his or her computer in the United States or Canada feels comfortable labeling my views as “fake Zionist” or “extreme.” They haven’t sacrificed what immigrants have to live in this beautiful but deeply bureaucratic country. So how can any who doesn’t live with the daily challenges of Israeli life think they can dictate our future government?
I am not saying that people living outside of Israel shouldn’t care about the fate of this country, but they do not have to live with the consequences of decisions the Israeli government makes. These include the consequences of giving away land for peace, or the consequences of military occupation or living alongside a militarized Palestine.
Some Americans justify this by claiming that their tax dollars directly fund Israel’s security and peace initiatives. It’s very nice that the United States has a strategic relationship with Israel, but tax dollars are not votes. The relationship benefits the US just as much if not more as it does Israel. The financial aid agreement states that Israel is required to invest everything it gets back into the US economy, creating numerous job opportunities for Americans.
This relationship benefits both parties. It should not be used as a means of justifying an agenda. If in some hypothetical, unfortunate reality, the US ceased funding Israel entirely, Israel would find a way of getting what it needs for its own security. Israel does what it needs to do to survive. Many other countries realize this and want the strategic assets and technologies coming out of Israel.
In short, Israel will be fine.
I reiterate that caring about the fate of Israel is important. With the rise in global antisemitism, it becomes clearer every day that what happens in Israel has an impact on Jews all over the world. People outside of Israel should care about the country, but until you live here and feel what it’s like from the inside, you can’t possibly know what’s best for its people.
The writer is the cofounder and COO of Social Lite Creative, a digital marketing firm that specializes in geopolitics.