Elion Even-Esh, who served in an elite unit in the Israeli Defense Forces where he learned Krav Maga (an IDF-developed style of self-defense) and later served as a captain in the US Marine Corps, has made it his mission to “instill strength and confidence” in the Torah-observant communities of the United States. Photo: Courtesy.

The fact that the Jewish people are a minority brings with it unique and inherent risks. That minority status exposes us to dangers that others can afford to overlook.

The question is not whether Jewish communities need to protect themselves — the question is how.

October 8, 2023 — and every day since — has reminded many Jewish people around the world that these threats are very much a part of our modern reality. It’s not to say that violence against Jewish people is ubiquitous, but rather, it is a serious and ongoing threat that must be considered and dealt with.

Solutions applied to the 1990s do not necessarily apply today. Leaders of communities have a responsibility to prepare their constituencies for all eventualities. This includes the need to defend themselves collectively — but also individually — from physical harm. This is a very hard realization to internalize, but nonetheless, people who ignore this do so at their own peril.

A confident and healthy Jewish community — one that knows how to defend itself — is a community far less likely to be bullied.

Jewish institutions must integrate this mindset into daily life. Schools, synagogues, camps, and community centers should treat self-defense as part of Jewish education, no less important than Hebrew, history, or math.

Training in self-defense should be as normalized as attending a Shabbat service. It should be woven into the fabric of our institutions so that young Jews grow up with both a strong Jewish identity and the confidence to defend it. School principals, religious leaders, and youth group leaders are the ones with the responsibility to lead this charge.

There are four pillars of protection that every Jewish community should embrace.

First is advocacy — engaging elected officials, decision-makers, and civic leaders to ensure Jewish concerns are heard and addressed.

Second is influence — which comes through culture, media, and interpersonal relationships that shape public opinion.

Third is security — which is provided by law enforcement, private protection, and community-based security networks.

But there is a fourth pillar that is too often neglected: personal self-defense.

If and when the first three pillars fail, the fourth pillar — the pillar of self-reliance — should be strong.

Jewish people are not necessarily known for being “tough guys,” but maybe it’s time for that stereotype to change. The best way to deal with a bully is to confront them and let them know that there’s a consequence to their action.

Realism demands we confront the fact that not all threats can be reasoned with. Individuals and groups who harbor open hostility toward Jewish people will act on it when they believe they can do so with impunity. The only effective deterrent is strength — physical, communal, and psychological.

Options include firearm ownership where permitted by law, but it must also include physical preparedness — training in Krav Maga, boxing, judo, karate, or other disciplines that instill both skill and confidence.

Videos surface almost daily of Jews being harassed, attacked, or intimidated on the streets of major cities. This is not a call for radicalism or violence — but a call for level-headed realism.

New realities call for a new game plan. People learn self-defense so that they never have to use it. Moving forward, young people should walk with confidence through their lives. The great Hasidic Rabbi Nachman of Breslov once said, “The whole world is a narrow bridge and the most important thing is to not be afraid, it’s to not be afraid at all.”

Through defense education, this teaching will move from being just an inspirational saying to becoming a lived reality.

Daniel Rosen is  the Co-founder of a Non-profit Technology company called Emissary4all which is an app to organize people on social media by ideology not geography. He is the Co-host of the podcast  “Recalibration.” You can reach him at drosen@emissary4all.org

Palestinian Hamas terrorists stand guard on the day of the handover of hostages held in Gaza since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack, as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled

It’s remarkable. The same activists who shout themselves hoarse at Western protests, who flood social media with memes and reels, somehow manage to hold two (or three, or ten) contradictory claims in their heads at once without blinking.

Like Soviet propagandists or Goebbels’ Ministry of Public Enlightenment, they rely on volume, not consistency. Because in propaganda, coherence is optional — but outrage is mandatory.

As Joseph Goebbels infamously put it: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” That is the strategy: not persuasion through reasoning, but relentless repetition.

Here’s a sampling from the Hamas-friendly, Israel-hating narrative machine:

Before October 2023, Gaza was an “open-air prison” or even a “concentration camp.” But also, before October 7, it had many wonderful features — including being a “beautiful Mediterranean beachside paradise” — that Israel supposedly destroyed. Which is it? Concentration camp or paradise? Apparently both, depending on which slur works best.

Contradiction #2: Statehood or Extermination?

“Israel is a racist ethno-state.” But the same activists chant: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” — and in Arabic, “Palestine will be Arab.” Destroying Israel and denying Jews the right to live on the land, in order to establish a 23rd Arab ethno-state is fine; but Jewish sovereignty in any form is racism.

Contradiction #3: Hostages? What Hostages?

“There were no hostages taken on Oct. 7.” Yet also: “Look how well Hamas treats the hostages!” So which is it — none taken, or proof of Hamas’ supposed hospitality?

Contradiction #4: Peace or Perpetual War?

“Ceasefire now!” they scream. But even in the same demonstrations: “Long live the Intifada!” and “Israel will soon be destroyed.” So, do they want peace — or endless war until Israel no longer exists?

Contradiction #5: Starvation Theater

“Israel is starving Palestinians.” Yet also: “Look how humiliating it is to make Palestinians line up for food.” And all the while, Gazan TikToks in the past few months have shown crowded restaurants, buzzing bakeries, and delicious dessert spreads. 

Contradiction #6: The Civilian Shield Shuffle

“Hamas doesn’t target civilians.” Yet also: “There are no Israeli civilians — every Israeli is a settler and fair game.” Translation: all Jews, from babies to Holocaust survivors, are targets — but don’t you dare notice.

Contradiction #7: Holocaust Gaslighting

“Your Holocaust victim card expired long ago.” Then: “The Holocaust never happened.” Then: “Hitler was right.” And somehow also: “What’s happening in Gaza is worse than the Holocaust (that didn’t happen).”

Contradiction #8: October 7 — Didn’t Happen, But Totally Justified

“The October 7 massacres didn’t happen.” Or: “Israel killed its own citizens.” Yet Hamas literally filmed its murders. And when confronted: “All resistance is justified by any means.” Some even add: “Yes, but those women deserved it — they were dancing near Gaza.” Denial and justification in one grotesque package.

Contradiction #9: Weak, Strong, or Both?

“Hamas are just freedom fighters with rifles.” Yet also: “Hamas is winning the war and will wipe Israel off the map.” Powerless victims and unstoppable conquerors — simultaneously.

Contradiction #10: Hospitals or Tunnels?

“Hamas builds schools and hospitals.” Yet also: “Hamas dug 700 km of tunnels” defended as vital for defeating Israel. If they can dig almost twice the New York City subway underground, why not more trauma wards? Because tunnels are for terrorists, rockets, and hostages; hospitals are militarized props for propaganda — not places to make sure civilians get help above all else. 

Contradiction #11: Genocide Math

For over 15 years, activists claimed Israel was committing genocide. Yet Gaza’s population nearly doubled during that time, and since 1967 has grown six-fold — from 400,000 to over 2.2 million. Now, post-October 7, they cry “genocide” again. Civilian deaths are tragic, but they stem from a war Hamas started, while hiding under and next to ordinary Gazans.

Yesterday’s lie ignored population growth; today’s ignores Hamas’ responsibility and the relatively low civilians to combatant casualty ratio in this war. Both are hollow slogans, not facts. There is also data strongly suggesting that the Gazan population has not decreased overall during the war. That doesn’t happen in actual genocides.

Contradiction #12: Ancient or Modern?

“Palestinians are Canaanite.” Or: “Palestinians are an ancient people.” Yet no Arab person self-identified as Palestinian before the 19th century. Palestinian culture, language, and religion are Arab, not Canaanite. Jews, by contrast, have 3,000 years of ancient coins, inscriptions, and prayers tying them to the land. And Jews have never left the land for thousands of years. Even Hamas admits this fight isn’t about Arabs being Canaanites — it says openly its goal is a global Islamic caliphate.

What These Contradictions Really Show

This dizzying list isn’t a bug — it’s the strategy. Like every totalitarian movement, Hamas and its defenders know the trick: don’t persuade, overwhelm. Flood the zone with lies faster than they can be debunked. As Goebbels taught, repeat them until they feel true.

And once you see it, the whole anti-Israel narrative collapses. It’s not a movement for peace or justice, but a noise machine of lies and contradictions. It’s not about protecting Palestinians, but about demonizing and erasing Jews — and not about truth, but about rage.

Micha Danzig is a current attorney, former IDF soldier & NYPD police officer. He currently writes for numerous publications on matters related to Israel, antisemitism & Jewish identity & is the immediate past President of StandWithUs in San Diego and a national board member of Herut.