June 9, 2026

We write out of profound anguish and exhaustion over a growing pattern of extremism, provocation, and moral failure that is damaging Israel, fracturing Jewish unity, and imposing enormous burdens on Jewish communities throughout the diaspora, including in our own community in Minnesota. 

As David Horovitz recently described, Israel is being shamed, harmed and weakened. We feel the truth of that observation every day. The consequences do not stop at Israel’s borders. Diaspora Jews are left to absorb the fallout — on campuses, in civic life, in the media, in interfaith spaces, and within our own communities — while defending Israel against a tidal wave of misinformation, distortion, and outright lies. 

We understand that confronting lies, distortions, and malicious falsehoods about Israel is now part of the difficult reality diaspora Jews face every day, and we continue to do that work out of love and commitment. What is so profoundly demoralizing is being forced at the same time to answer for actions and behavior that are genuinely outrageous, morally indefensible, or partially true — actions that hand Israel’s enemies exactly the material they seek and make the work of defending Israel infinitely more painful and difficult. 

The examples are becoming impossible to ignore: the conduct of Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir surrounding the flotilla detainees; the ongoing violence carried out by extremist settlers against innocent Palestinians; reports of degrading treatment of detainees and prisoners; inflammatory political stunts designed to provoke rather than govern; and a broader atmosphere in which too many public figures appear willing to sacrifice Israel’s moral standing and reputation abroad, for short-term domestic political gain. 

President Isaac Herzog recently condemned what he called the “brutishness” of settler violence, describing such acts as violations of “every basic moral, legal, and Jewish norm,” while also appearing to criticize the degrading treatment of detainees and prisoners under Ben-Gvir’s authority. That matters. These concerns are not coming only from critics abroad or from diaspora Jews struggling to defend Israel in increasingly hostile environments. They are also being voiced from within Israeli society itself — by journalists, civil society organizations, respected religious leaders, security officials, and even by Israel’s own president. 

Nor are these isolated incidents. We watch with dismay as elected officials engage in behavior that would be shocking in any democracy: stunts designed to inflame tensions, efforts to intimidate Arab citizens, and actions that project contempt rather than responsibility. At a moment when Jewish communities around the world are already facing unprecedented hostility, it is difficult to understand why public figures entrusted with Israel’s future seem so willing to hand ammunition to those who seek to demonize the Jewish state and the Jewish people. 

Indeed, we take heart from the fact that many Israelis are confronting these challenges directly. Just last month, the coexistence organization Roots/Judur convened a major anti-violence conference in Gush Etzion, bringing together respected rabbis, veteran leaders of the settlement movement, community activists, and the IDF commander responsible for the region. Participants addressed the growing problem of extremist violence directed at innocent Palestinians and the threat it poses to the rule of law, Israel’s democratic character, Jewish values, and the safety of both Palestinians and Israelis. The conference represented an important public acknowledgment of the problem from voices deeply rooted within the Religious Zionist community itself. 

These efforts remind us that the struggle against extremism is not a struggle between Israel and its critics. It is a struggle taking place within Israeli society, led in large part by Israelis who love their country and refuse to accept violence, vigilantism, and moral corruption as inevitable.  

Which only raises the question more urgently: if so many Israelis recognize the danger, why are these laws not being enforced? Why are those carrying out unprovoked violence against Palestinians so rarely held accountable? 

The consequences extend far beyond the immediate victims. When Israel fails to enforce its own laws against Jewish extremists, it creates the appearance that certain forms of violence are tolerated or excused. It weakens confidence in Israel’s commitment to the rule of law and makes it far more difficult for diaspora Jews to argue that Israel’s democratic institutions are capable of addressing wrongdoing through their own legal processes. 

Those of us defending Israel abroad frequently find ourselves explaining that Israel possesses independent courts, a free press, professional investigators, and mechanisms of accountability that distinguish it from many of its neighbors. That argument becomes harder to sustain when extremist violence carries few consequences. 

Beyond the political and diplomatic damage lies something even more painful: these actions violate the Jewish ethical values we teach our children and try to embody in our communities. To terrorize innocent people, celebrate cruelty, or wield power without moral restraint is fundamentally at odds with the Judaism we were raised to cherish, and through which the State of Israel was founded. 

The consequences are not theoretical. They are borne by diaspora Jews every day. At a time when Jewish communities in places like New York are navigating increasingly fraught political and social environments, sending Minister Bezalel Smotrich, one of Israel’s most polarizing and inflammatory figures, to attend the Israel Parade does not strengthen our position. It places additional burdens on communities and colleagues already struggling to defend Israel against both false accusations and legitimate concerns arising from the conduct of Israel’s own leaders.  

This pain is personal for us because our relationship with Israel is personal. Through years of partnership, friendship, and shared community with Israelis — including our partnership regions in Rehovot and Sovev Kinneret— we have built bonds that feel like family. These relationships represent the very best of Israel and of the Jewish people.  

And that is why the normalization of extremism is so devastating. A pyromaniac can destroy in moments what others spend years trying to build. 

We refuse to surrender our love for Israel or our commitment to the Jewish people. But we also refuse to remain silent while reckless political actors erode Israel’s moral standing, fracture Jewish unity, and make the work of defending Israel more difficult with every passing day. 

Diaspora Jews are not spectators to these consequences. We are living them.  

And we deserve better from those who lead the Jewish state.