This article was originally published by The Jerusalem Post on 6/25/25.
On June 21, 2025, the United States and Israel deepened their historic partnership, as American warplanes struck Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan in a decisive blow against barbarism.
For the first time, the U.S. allowed an ally to lead: Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, using F-35 jets, cleared Iran’s skies and softened targets, paving the way for U.S. B-2 stealth bombers with GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs and Tomahawk missiles to dramatically diminish Iran’s nuclear ambitions. President Donald Trump hailed this as a triumph of freedom over evil, a moral stand in the fight between terror and liberty. This unprecedented cooperation, with Israel initiating and the U.S. completing the mission, sets a bold example for diaspora Jews to reject passivity and embrace self-reliance in the face of global threats.
Since the horrific attacks of October 7, 2023, the world has relentlessly dictated to Israel: don’t enter Rafah; negotiate with Hamas; trust Qatar to broker ceasefires with the Hamas terrorists; avoid confronting Hezbollah; ignore Houthi assaults; and never strike Iran. The message is clear: absorb blows, tolerate civilian casualties, dismiss enemies’ threats, and let others shape your fate. This counsel of passivity echoes a historical trap that has endangered Jews for centuries.
In the diaspora, Jews face similar advice: stay silent; avoid provocation; and trust law enforcement, politicians, or societal goodwill to protect us. Antisemitism, we’re told, won’t escalate. Don’t fight back; focus on building coalitions; tone down advocacy; and rely on systems for safety. Many comply, conditioned by centuries of vulnerability, to believe restraint ensures survival. The Holocaust, when six million stateless Jews perished as the world stood by, cemented this caution. Without a state or army, Jews in Europe were defenseless.
Yet Israel has rejected this paralysis, forging a destiny of strength and self-reliance. The 2003 flyover of Auschwitz by three Israeli F-15 Eagles, a powerful symbol of this transformation, captured Israel’s resolve.
In 2003, a squadron of Israel’s F-15 Eagles flew over Auschwitz, and Maj. General Amir Eshel, who led the flyover, stated on behalf of the IDF: “We pilots of the Israeli Air Force, flying in the skies above the camp of horrors, arose from the ashes of the millions of victims and shoulder their silent cries, salute their courage and promise to be the shield of the Jewish people and its nation Israel.” This vow underpins Israel’s actions—dismantling Hamas, crippling Hezbollah, and targeting Iran’s nuclear programs—now amplified by the U.S. partnership. In contrast, diaspora Jews often cling to a false belief that others will protect us, a divergence that demands action.
The surge of Antisemitism has shattered all illusions. On May 21, 2025, in Washington, D.C., Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were murdered outside the Capital Jewish Museum by Elias Rodriguez, who shouted “Free Palestine” in a hate crime the FBI called terrorism. On June 1, 2025, in Boulder, Colorado, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national illegally in the U.S., threw Molotov cocktails at a Run for Their Lives rally, injuring 12, aiming to “kill all Zionist people.” Synagogues are defaced in London and Los Angeles. Jewish students face hostility at Columbia and UCLA. Jewish businesses endure vandalism. In Europe, France reports unprecedented violence since 2021. Yet, leaders urge patience: trust police, wait for calm. The U.S.-Israel operation charts a bolder path.
Israel’s security is existential. Since October 7, it has crushed Hamas’s military in Gaza, preventing another massacre. In 2024, it eliminated Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and its missile arsenal, weakening Iran’s network. Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear and missile sites at Natanz, Isfahan, and Tehran, killing IRGC commanders Saeed Izadi and Behnam Shahriyari, set the stage for the U.S. to finish Iran’s nuclear threat. This U.S.-Israel model refuses to let dangers materialize.
This mindset is preparation, not aggression. In June 2025, Israel led, and the U.S. followed, based on the premise that our survival is non-negotiable. Diaspora Jews, relying on local authorities, face limits exposed by the 2018 Pittsburgh shooting, 2022 Colleyville crisis, D.C. murders, and Boulder attack. In Europe, knife attacks in Amsterdam demand self-reliance.
The diaspora need not stand alone. Israel’s resources—intelligence, cyber-defense, training—can empower communities. Shin Bet workshops could protect synagogues in New York. Israel’s moral support affirms that we are not isolated. In return, we must advocate for Israel’s right to self-defense. This synergy fortifies us both.
Diaspora Jews must reject the notion that antisemitism is fleeting. Threats from radical Islamists, far-left ideologues, and right-wing extremists escalate. The D.C. and Boulder attacks are part of a global wave. We cannot outsource safety. We must invest in security: trained guards, digital defenses, rapid-response networks. We can train youth, mirroring Israel’s preparedness, and foster Jewish pride.
Security is not isolation. The Islamo-leftist alliance threatens Jews and democracies. The U.S.-Israel partnership against Iran exemplifies cooperation. Diaspora Jews can forge coalitions with many other groups, retaining control over our safety.
Jewish history teaches survival demands resolve. The U.S.-Israel operation—Israel dismantling Hamas and Hezbollah, both neutralizing Iran’s nuclear threat—sets the path. We must invest in defenses, train our youth, deepen ties with Israel, and build alliances. Rejecting passivity, global Jewry can forge a future as architects of our destiny—united, resilient, and unafraid.