Supporters and family members of hostages kidnapped during the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, hold lit torches during a protest ahead of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jan. 16, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Shir Torem

“As soon as you settle in America, gather your children, and go to Israel. Then, once you see that land, I want a letter from each of you, telling me in detail how it is over there.”

Those were the words of my grandfather, Misha, the family’s great patriarch, who was born in a tiny shtetl near Vitebsk in 1902 into the family of a rabbi.

He grew up to become an important surgeon, fought in three wars, had most of his immediate family murdered by the Nazis, survived Soviet antisemitism, and finally outlived his wife and all his children, including my father.

My grandfather was a Jew by faith, by race, and by identity. He was a true Zionist who believed that Jewish destiny was not just in its religion, but also in its absolute right to be able to determine its own independent future. For him, as an unbreakable Soviet Jew, betrayed by his country’s promises about egalitarianism and equality, bruised by the most humiliating acts of antisemitism, he believed in the State of Israel, the only place in the world that would not compromise a Jewish life.

My grandfather carried that Zionist flame within him for the rest of his life, but never got to see his promised land. Years and years later, I traveled there on his behalf, but I fell in love with it all on my own.

Jews in Israel learned not to compromise. They defended their state, so their land would never be taken, and their children would never be without a home. Israel knew how to listen to its own voice — until 2011, when Gilad Shalit, held captive by Hamas for 1,934 days, was exchanged for 1,027 Palestinian and Arab-Israeli prisoners. Of these, 280 were sentenced to life in prison.

Among them was Yahya Sinwar, serving four life sentences, who masterminded the October 7, 2023, attack.

As of late, while in the midst of its existential crisis, Israel is trying in vain to seek the world’s understanding and respect. It mistakenly believes it can achieve both. The world does not want to understand Israel, nor the Jewish plight within the context of Israel.

In 1976, Palestinian and German terrorists hijacked an Air France plane with Israeli passengers, diverting it to Entebbe, Uganda. Demanding prisoner releases, they threatened to kill hostages. Israel launched a daring rescue mission, freeing nearly all hostages but losing three in the process, including mission leader Yoni Netanyahu. The most heated debate took place before the actual resolution of this operation between then Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who strongly believed in the deal in the absence of the military option, and Shimon Peres.

He later shared with his speechwriter Yehuda Avner : “When it comes to negotiating with terrorists, I long ago made a decision of principle, well before I became prime minister, that if a situation were ever to arise when terrorists would be holding our people hostage on foreign soil and we were faced with an ultimatum either to free killers in our custody or let our own people be killed, I would, in the absence of a military option, give in to the terrorists. I would free killers to save our people.”

Shimon Perez, on the other hand, who at the time was Israel’s Defense Minister, held a different view. To him “deal” meant giving in to hijackers for the first time in Israel’s history. Although we all know Perez as the ambassador of peace, during that crisis he strongly believed that negotiation with terrorists was off limits because it was not part of Israel’s make up.

He said: “If we give in to the hijackers’ demand and release terrorists, everyone will understand us but no one will respect us. If, on the other hand, we conduct a military operation to free the hostages, it is possible that no one will understand us, but everyone will respect us, depending of course on the outcome of the operation.”

Israel under Rabin was on the verge of negotiations, but once the IDF presented the military plan, the decision to proceed was made, despite the risk of casualties. Thus, another chapter in Israel’s history of rescue missions was written. This demonstrated to both its enemies and the unfriendly international community that Israel would not compromise its national integrity to gain society’s understanding and insincere sympathy.

Why does Israel’s usually unbreakable spirit seem so influenced by actors with, at best, marginal interest in it? This may sound naive, as Israel needs major players like the US. However, that shouldn’t justify pushing Israel into bad deals.

The October 7, 2023, attack presented Israel with its most devastating hostage crisis. As of February 10, 2025, eighty of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas remain in Gaza, with at least a third believed dead. Hasn’t Israel been here before? How could this deal be made after such a tragedy and most complex military operation, which drastically diminished Hamas?

There is intelligence that Hamas is regrouping; this cancer will grow. If Israel retreats after receiving hostages, some in body bags, it has every reason to anticipate a repeat of October 7th. Mothers embracing their children today may tomorrow be replaced by other mothers agonizing over their children’s fate all over again. The job of a parent is to shield their child from danger for as long as they can, but the job of a government, in this case the Israeli government, especially its leadership, is to protect the entire nation from all foreseeable danger, so that “Never Again” is Never Again FOREVER.

Throughout my life, first under the hypocritical iron fist of the Soviet empire and later as an immigrant in America, where some of the most important values and traditions of America’s greatness are too frequently compromised, I have always admired Israel, a nation salvaged from near extinction. I have revered Israel for its unwavering commitment to its core mission since its founding as a sovereign nation: the defense of its land and its people. For at least 63 years, it never faltered in this.

After the first three women were released this year, I heard: “Why not celebrate with them? They feared this day wouldn’t come. Celebrate with those young women!” or “Happy now? You got your deal, your hostages. Move on, stop this bloodshed.”

Frankly, it doesn’t concern me that non-Jews refuse to see this deal’s weakness; it saddens me that my people neglect how harmful it is for Israel and Jews.

As a human and mother, I want every hostage home, no matter the price. Seeing mothers with daughters breaks my heart with happiness, heartbreak, and disappointment. As a Jew, mother, and Zionist, these people are in hell because of deals like this, like 2011’s, which led to October 7th. Today’s rushed deal anticipates similar tragedies, different mothers lamenting, children orphaned. A new government will seek a new solution.

An understanding world is a luxury Jews and Israel cannot afford. To survive, Israel must fight.

The world will never understand or forgive a nation which, after losing 6 million to genocide, created its own state from the ashes and became a maverick of modern civilization. Had Jews and their promised land been losers, surrounded by enemies, swallowed by neighboring states, and become Israelis with a victimhood mentality, the world might have forgiven their roughness. But Israel’s story is different. The past 77 years, however difficult, have been a victory for Israel and every Jew there. Strong, courageous victors fighting for their people, knowing they are all potential hostages, these Israelis will never be sympathized with. All that remains is respect, existing without love or understanding, founded on reason. It would be impossible not to respect Israel’s refusal of weak deals — its only duty being to protect its country from future tragedies.

Anya Gillinson is an immigration lawyer and author of the new memoir Dreaming in Russian. She lives in New York City. More at www.anyagillinson.com. 

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Arsonists heavily damaged the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, Australia, on Dec. 6, 2024. Photo: Screenshot

There was a time when leaving Australia never crossed my mind. Well, that’s not entirely true. Having an Israeli wife and being a passionate Zionist, we always considered the possibility of returning. But it was always a choice — one rooted in love for our ancestral homeland, not fear. For generations, Jewish Australians believed this country to be a place of safety, freedom, and opportunity.

Yet, in conversations with ordinary, everyday Australians, an unthinkable question was raised: What happens if things don’t change regarding the rising tide of antisemitism? Where would we go if this tide of hatred continues and we had to leave?

Conversations with children of Holocaust survivors revealed that their parents came to Australia because they believed it was a place where such horrors could never happen again. The mere fact that we are asking these questions today should be a line in the sand — a national wake-up call.

Something has gone terribly wrong in this country.

A Moment of Moral Clarity — Ignored

The events of October 7, 2023, changed everything. The Hamas massacre should have been a moment of moral clarity for the world. Instead, what followed in Australia was a rapid and deeply disturbing escalation of antisemitism. Excuses for terror. Celebrations of mass murder. An outright rejection of Jewish pain.

Days later, as Jewish Australians gathered at the Sydney Opera House to mourn, they were met with a mob chanting “Gas the Jews.” Not in Berlin in the 1930s, but in Sydney in 2023.

And the response? Political dithering. Weak condemnation. No accountability. That moment set the tone for what followed — a relentless surge of antisemitism, ignored, excused, or even encouraged by those in power.

Jewish students are being harassed on university campuses, shouted down, and excluded from public spaces. The so-called “protests” at the University of Sydney and other institutions are not about dialogue. They are intimidation campaigns.

Jewish businesses are being vandalized. Social media is awash with unfiltered hatred. Corporate Australia, once a champion of inclusivity, now turns a blind eye as its Jewish employees are pressured into silence.

Politicians who once claimed to stand against all forms of racism have, in many cases, enabled this wave of hate — the Greens and Labor and even the so-called “Teal” independents.

Are We Having the Same Conversations as Our Grandparents?

None of this is hypothetical. It is happening, and it is happening fast.

I find myself wondering: Were these the same conversations my grandparents had in Eastern Europe before they fled? Did they sit around the dinner table, debating whether it was time to go? Did they convince themselves that things would pass, that their neighbors wouldn’t turn against them, that the governments they trusted would ultimately protect them?

And what about my in-laws, who fled Iraq and the Arab world? Their families lived there for centuries — until, within a single generation, they were driven out. Did they have these same conversations before the choice was made for them? Before it was no longer a question of if, but how quickly?

For the first time in my life, I understand those conversations in a way I never thought I would.

Australia is Still Home — But For How Long?

That is the question many in our community are asking. Some are actively exploring options—where they might move, what opportunities exist in Israel, the United States, or elsewhere. Others are simply bracing themselves, watching, waiting, hoping that Australia will wake up before it’s too late.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

But change requires action — not just from the Jewish community, but from all Australians. The government must stop treating antisemitism as an abstract issue and start enforcing real consequences for hate crimes. Universities that allow the open intimidation of Jewish students should face serious funding cuts. Corporate leaders who claim to stand for diversity must ensure that includes Jews. The media must stop excusing antisemitism under the guise of “criticism of Israel.”

Most importantly, everyday Australians need to stand up. Just as we would never accept racism against any other group, we must refuse to normalize the hatred of Jews. Silence is not an option.

The fact that we are discussing a “Plan B” is a national crisis. But it is not too late to change the conversation. The real question should not be where will Jews go if this continues — but, how do we ensure this stops?

If we fail to ask — and answer — that question now, we may find that the decision has already been made for us. And by then, it may be too late.

Michael Gencher is the Executive Director of StandWithUs Australia, an international education organisation that supports Israel and fights antisemitism. Michael immigrated to Sydney from Canada in 1991, and was CEO and Head of Community within the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, where he was instrumental in promoting education, fostering dialogue, and addressing antisemitism.

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From left to right: Reverend Dr. Gerald McDermott, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, Rabbi Dr. Elliot Cosgrove, Dr. Carrie Wood attending “Ecumenical Zionism” at Columbia University’s Jewish Theological Seminary on Feb. 5, 2025. Photo: Academic Engagement Network (AEN).

The Academic Engagement Network (AEN) — a nonprofit which promotes academic freedom and honest scholarship on the subject of Israel — held on Feb. 5-6 two New York City area seminars which aired important ideas about Jewish relations with the Christian world and the Black community in America.

Columbia University hosted the first event, “Ecumenical Zionism: Jews, Christians, and the Land of Israel,” at the Jewish Theological Seminary, a discussion on the ways in which both Jewish and Christians scriptures pointed to the restoration of the Jews in Israel following an extended exile. The featured speakers included Anglican priest Gerald R. McDermott, Regents University professor Dr. Carrie Wood, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, and Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch — who told The Algemeiner on Monday that such a dialogue is necessary.

“First of all, no nation, even the strongest of nations, can exist without allies and without friends,” said Hirsch, whose podcast In These Times has welcomed some of the world’s most renowned academics and public figures as guests. “We often forget that there are only 15 million Jews around the world who can still use all the friends we can get. Any community that offers friendship to the Jewish community is welcome.”

McDermott, author of Israel Matters: Why Christians Must Think Differently about the People and the Land and editor of The New Christian Zionism: Fresh Perspectives on Israel and the Land, stressed during the Feb. 5 event that such support, even when coupled with hotly contested eschatological claims, is present throughout the Christian community.

For centuries, he explained, the Catholic Church taught supersessionism, a replacement theology in which God’s covenant with the Jewish people, as well as the Jewish people’s claim to the land promised to them, is abrogated by the advent of Christianity. However, a substantial portion of the Christian world came to reject this view after a rediscovery of the Jewish scriptures precipitated by the Protestant Reformation fostered the conviction that the restoration of the Jews in Israel is a necessary expression of God’s will and faithfulness. In the 19th century, this view found one of its most consequential articulations in the doctrine of dispensationalism, a belief that the Jews’ return to Israel would signal the coming of the Messiah — or for Christians, his return — and the end of the world as people know it. For tens of millions of Christians around the world, especially those living in the US, it is this belief which commands support for Zionism and the security of the State of Israel.

A “new” Christian Zionism is gaining acceptance among scholars, McDermott explained, noting the Christian world’s discovering arguments for Zionism which avoid the leaps of dispensationalist theology. It looks beyond the notion that the reestablishment of the Jews in Israel has eschatological significance and points instead to the many Christian scriptures which affirmed the centrality of the Jewish people to God’s plan for mankind and foreshadowed their homecoming to Jerusalem.

Mutual agreement on the irrevocability of God’s promises to the Jewish people persists even amid profound disagreement between Christians and Jews on the identity of the Messiah and Christianity’s innovation on the concept of monotheism — i.e., the Trinity, the idea that God is three entities, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It also binds the destinies of Christians and Jews while being a potent defense against attacks on Israel and the Jewish people, according to McDermott.

“It is a deep theological reason why we should support Israel in this war against the new Nazism. Jews have more title to the land than any other people. God called them to share the land in justice, and they have shown time and again they are willing,” McDermott said, concluding his remarks. “Like Hitler’s Nazis, Iran and its proxies are conducting genocide, the attempted elimination of a whole people, the Jewish people. If we Christians thought it was right to destroy Nazism in World War II, then we should support Israel in her efforts to destroy this new Nazism.”

AEN’s second event took place over several hours at three universities — including the City University of New York-Brooklyn College, New York University, and Cooper Union — and explored the history and continued importance of Black and Jewish cooperation on civil rights as well as the cultures of Black Jews throughout the world. Led by Dr. John Eaves, a politician and founder of Black and Jewish Leaders of Tomorrow, the gathering engaged audiences in a thoughtful dialogue on a sensitive issue.

Dr. John Eaves, politician and founder of Black and Jewish Leaders of Tomorrow, speaking about “Black and Jewish Allyship” at New York University on Feb. 5, 2025. Photo: AEN.

As previously reported by The Algemeiner, the Academic Engagement Network has set its sights on reviving the formidable Black-Jewish alliance, which toppled the Jim Crow laws in the segregated south in the 1960s and prompted a massive expansion of social and civil rights. Eaves, an African American Jew who grew up in the southern US, has been a major partner of that effort, touring the country to stress the importance of pluralism, interracial harmony, and equality before the law.

“Judaism is a whole lot more diverse than people give credit, and I’m proud of the fact that I am part of this diverse religious family” Eaves said to an audience of Jewish students at Cooper Union, discussing what he has done to share Judaism with African American youth and kick start a new era of solidarity. “And so, we’re doing unity dinners across the country. We’re bringing Black students and Jewish students from [Historically Black Colleges and Universities] and Jewish students who are part of Hillels and variously predominantly White universities in Atlanta, in New Orleans, in Washington DC, in Houston, in Philadelphia, in Baltimore, and several other cities.”

He added, “What we’ve found is that the Black students and the Jewish students reach an incredible conclusion, and that incredible conclusion which is so simple and so basic: we’re more alike than we’re different.”

Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.

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