Tribalism? How very unmodern…unsophisticated…ignorant…uneducated!
Don’t we live in a society in which the individual is the highest expression of humanity? Don’t we live in the modern world, which is interconnected with wondrous transportation that will get us anywhere on the planet in a matter of a few hours? And the instantaneous communication available to us is even more amazing! We are connected to everyone, and everyone is connected to us!
Except…October 7th happened, and Jewish Tribalism needs to make a big comeback…and fast.
Demonstrators chanting that Hitler was right…”From The River To The Sea” as a catchphrase…Jews being prevented from walking into campus buildings…Jews unwelcome on the streets of sophisticated European capitals…Jews being killed by protestors… all under cover of many governments’ curious sloth in upholding the law.
And to make matters worse, Israel is being demonized by supposedly sophisticated world organizations like the UN, the ICC, the ICRC, the EU, and dozens more. And the tepid and inconsistent support from the United States, which has traditionally been Israel’s solid ally is calling into question Israel’s position as part of the West’s bulwark against encroaching Islam. Never mind Europe, which is rapidly being subsumed by Islam’s march.
No longer can Jews see ourselves are part of this great experiment in liberal democracy, enlightened self rule, and robust respect for all…because we are being singled out as unworthy of those protections and support!
The message is clear; Jews are not welcome as full members of Western culture because of our connection to our ancestral home. Israel is the modern focus for 2,500 years of Jew-Hate, and the fury with which the world expresses its frustration that it has not disappeared under a tidal wave of Arab and Muslim hatred is on full display.
How to respond? Raise Judaism and Jewish culture above the ephemeral connection to the West. Return to the Tribe. Focus on Jewish culture and the Jewish people before participating in the larger Western culture.
There is a huge amount of overlap, it is not life-changing, but it does require that attention be paid. Jewish businesses require our support. Synagogues require our membership. Jewish culture requires our defense. And most of all…the Jewish people must participate in its own defense and stop relying on a Western culture that is in the process of rejecting us as full-fledged members.
But that does not mean that we are alone. Outside of the tent cities on our campuses and the progressive hell-holes of our cities is a vast and wonderful country that has been steadfast in its support for Israel and Judaism. And they are being confronted by similar pressures, since all religion is under attack.
That Jews, Judaism and Israel are on the battlefront does not mean that people of other faiths are safe. As Islam says…”First the Saturday people, then the Sunday people.”
