Complementing the experience described in the column, “Visiting Israel During Heightened Tensions” (August 22, 2024), a friend of ours came back this week from a visit to Israel with an important observation. The average Israeli they spoke to expressed real anxiety as to where America was heading. They are keenly aware of the importance of the upcoming election and have great fear if Harris and the Democrats win.
This thought needs to be explored further. Israel is a tiny country in the midst of an existential battle, surrounded on all sides by heavily armed enemies whose avowed purpose is to totally eradicate Israel and its Jews, who they call “The Little Satan,” and America, who they call “The Big Satan.” Israel is now in prolonged active combat with Gaza to its east, Hezbollah to its north, PA terrorists on its “West Bank,” and the Houthis to the south. All these, of course, are only proxies for the real head of the snake, Iran, which is now on the threshold of nuclear capability.
Yet, Israelis are more fearful of what is in store for America than for themselves. They are defiant and tough enough to be confident of their own ability to survive the future, but not of America’s ability to survive four more years of radical leftist rule and still remain a strong power.
Jews, by their nature and nurture, have always been liberal, and are constantly in the forefront of civil rights movements and compassionate causes wherever they can make a difference. The Jews have an expression, “Am Echad B’Lev Echad — One People With One Heart.” This pertains to their mutual fellowship all over the world.
However, in these days of turmoil, it is sad to admit that this may not be true anymore. The Jews in Israel realize their vulnerability and coalesce in the face of danger to put their nation’s and Jewish survival ahead of their politics. However, the majority of Jews in America put their politics ahead of their nation’s and Jewish interests.
In the next few months we Jews in America must find a way to make “God Bless America” and “Am Yisrael Chai” into one unifying ideal, otherwise we will both suffer.
