As the Iran war escalates, a familiar and painful pattern is once again emerging. The military confrontation may take place thousands of miles from many Jewish communities, yet the consequences are felt immediately and intensely across the Jewish world. Synagogues increase security, Jewish schools review emergency procedures, and Jewish families think twice before displaying symbols of their identity in public.

This reality is not theoretical. It is happening now.

Last week, several Jewish institutions in the Netherlands were attacked in incidents that shocked the local community and prompted urgent security responses. The message is unmistakable: when conflict involving Israel intensifies, Jewish communities everywhere become targets. The perpetrators do not distinguish between Israeli government policy and Jewish life abroad. To them, the two are interchangeable.

The surge of antisemitism that followed the onset of the Israel-Hamas war demonstrated how quickly hostility can spread across continents. Jewish community centers in Europe were vandalized. Students on university campuses reported harassment and threats. Synagogues required armed guards in cities where Jewish life had previously felt relatively secure.

Now, as the war with Iran unfolds, Jewish communities once again find themselves on the front line of unintended consequences. Throughout modern history, geopolitical crises involving Israel have produced ripple effects for Jews worldwide – from political protests to outright violence against Jewish individuals and institutions. When wars are fought in the Middle East, Jewish communities in Paris, Amsterdam, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Toronto, and New York feel the impact within hours.

This doesn’t mean that Israel should make military decisions based on how those decisions might affect Jews abroad. Israel is a sovereign state responsible first and foremost for the security of its citizens. When it faces existential threats, it must respond according to its own strategic needs.

But acknowledging this principle does not mean ignoring another obvious reality. The actions of the Israeli government carry global consequences for Jewish communities. Those consequences deserve to be part of the conversation, even if they are not the determining factor. Remarkably, they are rarely discussed at all.

Israel’s security establishment is characterized by a structured decision-making process. Military operations are examined from multiple perspectives. Legal advisers evaluate the implications of every significant action. Senior commanders debate operational considerations. The chief of the general staff receives input from a gender affairs adviser. These layers of consultation exist because modern warfare is not only about tactics and firepower. It is also about law, diplomacy, public perception, and social impact.

Given this reality, one must ask a simple question: why is there no formal advisory role within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) dedicated to assessing the implications of military actions for Jewish communities around the world?

Appointing an IDF Diaspora affairs adviser would not be tantamount to dictating strategy or overriding security priorities. The role would instead ensure that military command understands how specific operations might reverberate far beyond the battlefield. Such an adviser could brief commanders on likely spikes in antisemitic incidents following major operations, coordinate with Jewish organizations responsible for community security abroad, and assess how different types of military action could affect Jewish institutions in vulnerable regions.

In other words, they could bring a perspective that is currently missing into the room.

This proposal is not about shifting responsibility away from those who commit antisemitic acts. The blame for attacks against Jewish communities lies squarely with the perpetrators and with the societies that allow such hatred to flourish. No government decision ever justifies violence against innocent people. But ignoring the predictable consequences of geopolitical actions does not make those consequences disappear.

Jewish communities abroad are not simply observers of events in the Middle East. They are often regarded by others as representatives of Israel, whether they wish to be or not. When tensions escalate, they are the ones who must reinforce security, reassure worried parents, and explain to their neighbors that they should not be held responsible for the policies of a distant government.

Across Europe, North America, and Australia, Jewish institutions already devote enormous resources to security. Many synagogues resemble fortified edifices. Jewish schools conduct regular safety drills. Community leaders spend countless hours coordinating with law enforcement agencies. Every new conflict adds another layer of anxiety.

This is why the absence of any formal mechanism within Israel’s military command to consider possible implications for the Diaspora is so striking. It assumes that the fate of Jewish communities abroad exists entirely outside its strategic picture.

The Jewish people has always been interconnected across borders. Israel was founded not only as a refuge but as a central pillar of global Jewish life. The relationship between Israel and the Diaspora has long been presented as a brotherhood, and brotherhood requires awareness of shared realities.

Recognizing the vulnerability of Jewish communities worldwide does not weaken the IDF, an institution that has long known how to mobilize support and solidarity from the Diaspora when needed. If anything, such recognition strengthens the broader Jewish world by acknowledging that security challenges do not end at national borders.

Wars may be fought by states, but their consequences are often borne by communities far removed from the battlefield. Jewish communities abroad understand that Israel must defend itself. They do not expect to determine its military strategy. But they deserve at least to be part of the strategic awareness. Because when the fighting begins in the Middle East, Jews everywhere brace themselves for what comes next.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)