In the face of mounting antisemitism and the ongoing impact of the recent war, Israel and the Diaspora are renewing their bond - rallying through public advocacy, philanthropy, and Aliyah, and reaffirming Israel’s role in "Tikun Olam", repairing the world for all.
The Jewish New Year offers a moment for reflection - on our collective condition and the bonds that hold us together. The past two years have brought a harsh reality - unprecedented waves of antisemitism have turned the streets of major European cities into anti-Israel rally grounds, while U.S. campuses have become hubs of incitement.
Hardly a day passes without antisemitic incidents - some violent - targeting Jews and Israelis worldwide. This atmosphere deepens the insecurity felt by Jews in the Diaspora and Israelis abroad, who find themselves under attack from nearly every direction. Yet under this cloud, one truth stands out more clearly than ever: the bond between Israel and world Jewry is strong - a bond of shared destiny and mutual responsibility that forms the foundation for resilience in the face of mounting challenges.
Israel and the Jewish Diaspora today find themselves caught between powerful opposing forces. On one side stands the progressive left in the West, influenced by "woke" culture and narratives portraying Israel as a colonial outpost. On the other, the nationalist-populist right seeks to distance itself from Israel, seeing it as a liability rather than an ally. Both trends create a dangerous reality. The far left’s anti-Zionism slides easily into open antisemitism, while the far-right dresses up old hatreds in new clothes.
For Jews in the Diaspora, especially in the U.S., the attacks come from both directions at once. Polls show a dramatic decline in support for Israel across both major political parties. In New York - the city with the largest Jewish population in the world - a mayor openly hostile to Israel is likely to be elected. This reality calls for renewed thinking about joint strategies and shared leadership, both in Israel and across world Jewry.
The Battle for Hearts and Minds
The recent war began with a surge of international sympathy for Israel, but as time passed, that wave ebbed. Israel’s advocacy efforts failed to deliver a comprehensive response, and the story of October 7th and the fate of the hostages was pushed aside. It is easy to feel anger at the imbalance in global media coverage, but frustration is not a strategy. To counter the flood of disinformation, new tools are needed: short videos for social networks, visual storytelling, animations - simple yet sharp content designed for the pace of the 21st century.
Diaspora Jewry must also be mobilized to create a global Jewish digital network that can respond in real time to online discourse. This approach transforms a shared challenge into a shared opportunity - and in fact, the World Jewish Congress has already begun doing so.
Israel’s high-tech community has also stepped in. Startups, venture capital funds, and technology leaders joined the advocacy effort from the war’s first days. They have used social media, international organizations, and direct ties with business partners to show Israel’s true face. These are highly influential ambassadors, in constant contact with the world’s leading financial and technological players, who recognize Israel’s role as an innovation powerhouse. Such initiatives must be nurtured and sustained; too many of them faded after the initial months of war.
The initiative launched by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to establish a public diplomacy headquarters is a significant step - but it must coordinate all advocacy bodies: The Ministry of Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, the National Information Directorate, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, the Government Press Office, and others. To succeed in the hard fight for global public opinion, Israel and world Jewry need a coherent strategy, proper resource allocation, and close coordination. Only through joint, synchronized, and effective work can Israel and the Diaspora protect their interests - and perhaps even turn the battle for public opinion into a shared victory.
This struggle is not confined to the media. In recent months, the U.S. Congress launched a major investigation into antisemitic content on Wikipedia - an important sign that America’s political system can still be mobilized against hate. In Latin America, a court in Argentina ruled just last year that Iran and Hezbollah were responsible for the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people. By defining Iran as a "terror state", the ruling enables victims to appeal to the International Criminal Court - proof that even three decades later, there remains determination to fight state-sponsored terror.
From New Philanthropy to Rising Aliyah
Financial support from the Diaspora has accompanied Israel since its earliest days. In the past, funds were pooled in a "national treasury" and distributed by central institutions. But today’s generation of donors wants direct impact - to invest in growth engines and create tangible change.
A leading example is Sylvan Adams, President of the World Jewish Congress Israel region. Adams represents a model of "new philanthropy' - not just donations, but investments in sports, education, research, and health, areas that strengthen Israeli society and improve its international image. His initiatives, from sponsoring sports teams to funding advanced medical research, show how philanthropy can serve as an economic, social, and image-building lever.
Today, Diaspora donations are also helping repair concrete damage, such as supporting Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva and the Weizmann Institute after Iranian missile strikes.
Meanwhile, the surge in antisemitism has only strengthened the desire of many Jews to move to Israel. From October 2023 through the end of the past Hebrew year, some 31,000 new immigrants arrived - a powerful expression of the deep and unbreakable bond between the Jewish people and their homeland. Diaspora Jewish organizations have played a vital role in this trend.
Rebuilding Together: Toward Unity and Renewal
With the approach of the new year, Rosh Hashanah, Israel faces a monumental task - returning the hostages, strengthening security, and rebuilding the economy. This is a national effort, and the Diaspora Jewry will also play a central part in it. The two halves of the Jewish people - in Israel and abroad - nourish and empower one another.
As the New Year begins, we must issue a call for unity: to bring hearts closer, to rally around shared challenges, and to act together as Israel and the Diaspora. And we must remind ourselves and the world of the timeless truth: "The eternity of Israel will not lie".
Even in these difficult days, it is vital to remember Israel’s unique contribution to humanity. Through technology, medicine, agriculture, cyber, and beyond, Israel continues to realize the Jewish principle of "Tikun Olam" - repairing the world not only for itself, but for all humankind.
Despite wars, threats, and hardships, the people of Israel live, thrive, contribute, and shine - not only for the Jewish people, but for the world.
The author is the Chair of the World Jewish Congress-Israel.
