I stumbled across an Instagram post recently which had me reading the comments. The post was put up by a popular Jewish influencer who asked the non-Jewish public what it would take for them to stand up for their Jewish friends/neighbors/workmates/acquaintances.

There were some wonderful and heartfelt comments made by those who were adamant on standing up for the Jewish people.

But one of the comments by a Jewish reader caught my eye and it really bothered me.

Let me preface this by saying that I’m absolutely sure that she didn’t mean for it to sound like she had written it, but the words she chose felt like a slap in the face.

She wrote that we shouldn’t rely on outsiders to protect us or save us anymore. History has proven that when push comes to shove, we are on our own. That we should stand up for ourselves, band together, be proud of who we are and be true to ourselves. We should fight back and defend ourselves.

So far, I agreed with her comment. A hundred percent. What followed was the problem. She said that if things get bad and it forces us to leave Western society, worst case scenario we have Israel.

I respect and understand more than you know those who want to stay in the West. My family was able to flourish and grow in Canada after the war almost wiped them out. Albeit, it was not the warmest welcome, but for a long time, Canada provided enough safety and protection for its Jews post WW2. Strong communities were built that grew into safe places that provided Jewish education and Jewish culture. I acknowledge the deep roots and ties and loyalty to a country that enabled Jewish life to flourish, and I understand the desire to stay in the only place you call home. Uprooting yourself and moving halfway across the globe with significant hurdles to climb over like language, jobs and culture are not simple things. I would be the last to argue that.

Israel is the worst case scenario here?

Israel is doing EXACTLY what she suggested: it’s standing tall, it’s uniting, it’s fighting back, it’s defending, and it’s proud.

It’s proud to be a shelter, a haven and a homeland for its people. It’s proud in its accomplishments and contributions that make this world a better place. That pride is evident in the ridiculous amount of flags that are literally draped and hanging all over this country. If there’s an empty surface anywhere, you’ll find a........

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