Monday, October 19, 2026

Institute for National Security Studies blaming Israel for diaspora problems is classic shtetl mentality

the article https://www.jta.org/2026/10/18/ideas/report-israeli-policies-erode-diaspora-jews-security-and-influence?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_20450508&utm_source=JTA_Iterable&utm_campaign=JTA_Sunday_Ideas&utm_medium=email I read with great interest and then disgust,,the report by the Institute for National Security Studies about supposed Jewish leaders across five countries and the price the diaspora is paying for Israeli policies. It's a typical example of shtetl mentality: a report by Jews who think that appeasing antisemites will make things easier for us. Has that ever worked? It has only made things worse.

Their assertion is that Israeli policies regarding Gaza and the settlers exacerbate tensions in the diaspora and endanger diaspora Jews.

This is ridiculous and dangerous on two different levels.

First, have they forgotten that there are millions of Jews in Israel who have lived under threats to their very existence since the country's inception? Israel tried to play Mr. Nice Guy in Gaza. After completely withdrawing in 2005, it adopted a policy of “mowing the lawn,” conducting limited military operations to kill terrorists over the years while facing tens of thousands of missiles launched from Gaza.

Israel tried the peace approach by inviting its Gaza neighbors to work in the kibbutzim near Gaza. How did that work out? Those jihadis simply used their work there as a way to scout out how best to kill the citizens. Have they forgotten October 7? Israel was invaded by thousands of bloodthirsty terrorists who beheaded babies, raped women, mutilated victims, and committed other atrocities. They took hundreds of hostages, killed 1,200 people, and wounded thousands. And these people think Israeli policies are the cause of the problems we're facing?

The very next day, charges of genocide against Israel began. Encampments on more than 300 college campuses across the United States sprang up almost instantly, well financed, as evidenced by the $500 designer tents in which students were living. They were chanting “From the river to the sea,” which means no Israel. They were chanting “Globalize the intifada.” They were calling for genocide. This began on October 8. Do these people really think Israeli policies caused that?

Who's the victim here?

The charge of genocide is a complete lie. The population of Gaza is larger than it was before the war. If Israel were trying to commit genocide, it would be doing a pretty awful job. Hamas doesn't wear uniforms. Its terrorists hide among the civilian population and enjoy support from many civilians. The IDF has reported that there was evidence of Hamas activity in virtually every home or building its forces entered. The wild cheering in the streets of Gaza on October 7 demonstrates that support.

How did the United States and its allies respond to the Japanese and the Nazis? We dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities and firebombed Tokyo and Dresden. Israel was much more careful about protecting civilians in Gaza. Many reports have argued that the ratio of civilian deaths to terrorist deaths was lower than in almost any other conflict in history. And yet this report by Jews blames Israel.

Then there are the settlers. First of all, they're not settlers. They are Israeli citizens living on historic Jewish land that was illegally occupied by Jordan between 1948 and 1967. And the vast, vast, vast majority of violent incidents in Judea and Samaria involve Arabs trying to kill Jews, not Jews trying to kill Arabs. This is another classic left-wing attack on Jews, and this report supports that attack.

The enemies of the Jewish people aren't worried about niceties. They don't believe Israel has a right to exist. Just look at the candidates running for office in the United States today. There is a report that the mayor of Boulder cannot say whether Israel should exist. The Democratic candidate for Senate in Michigan cannot say whether Iran or Israel poses the greater threat.

You're not going to appease these antisemites. There is no appeasing them.

Have the authors of this report no understanding of Jewish history? The focus of the Jewish community should be on the fact that the genocide charges are a lie and that the famine charge was a lie. These terrorists threaten Western civilization, not just Jews. After they're done with the Saturday people, they're going to go after the Sunday people.

Israel has every right to defend itself, and it has done so in a much more careful way than the Allies did regarding civilians during World War II.

This is a shameful report. Classic shtetl mentality

Jews in the diaspora are not going to be better off. if the Jewish leaders start turning on Israel. we'd be much better off if you defend Israel vigorously. just take Israel as the example. they're in a much more dangerous neighborhood than we are and they are much stronger after October 7th because they took a strong position. You're not going to get the anti-semites to like us. you have to have them fear us. The irony of October 7th is that Israel is much stronger. today. Hamas is weaker. Hezbollah is weaker Iran is weaker. Syria's got a new government Israel's by far the dominant military and economic power in the Middle East and yet diaspora Jews are reeling in a defensive mode and we're taking a weak position. based on this report. It's nonsense.


Surely there are many people in the West who understand the dangers of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism and need to be persuaded that the danger is not Israel. The danger is Islamic terrorism and Israel and President Trump are right now the best basis for fighting it and and the world needs to get behind Israel's efforts to fight it.


The Palestinians are a made-up phony people that never existed before the 1960s. There was virtually no serious peace movement. They have tried to kill Jews from the inception. They want to steal Jewish land and create another terrorist Muslim State. Why in the world would diaspora Jewish leaders not use all their energy to fight that which threatens Jews and the West?


Can't these people understand They're trying to divide us to split the diaspora at community from Israel weaken the Jews. That's what Obama tried to do by setting up j Street. It's never worked. It's dangerous. Stupid counterproductive. We need a unified Jewish community. It's bad enough. We have so many traitors among Us, like all those Jews in Congress voting for arms embargo against Israel Aid cut off against Israel. You have the Michigan Jewish attorney general saying maybe Judaism has to go away to for the benefit of humanity. Get on board!


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