In a recent Facebook comment I found myself responding to anti-Israel hatred by a person who claimed to be a Jew with my statement that this person, a stranger to me, “is not a Jew”. I said “Swedes do not attack Sweden, Danes do not attack Denmark. Real Jews do not attack Israel”.
This is a new insight for me. I realize that the founding of the state of Israel has changed the relationship of Jews to one another.
It is time for us to declare that Israel is the homeland of Jews and if you don't like Israel you are not a Jew.
This has absolutely nothing to do with discussions about internal policies of the Israeli government. Israel is a democracy (unlike any of its neighbors). Israeli Jews love their country and they aggressively debate the policies of their government.
This does not in any way justify Jews outside of Israel, who are not participating in the Israeli electorate to spend any part of their life attacking Israel.
They are not Jews. It is time for us to declare that a Jew is a person who does not attack Israel. Jews living outside of Israel are not Jews if they attack Israel. It is the same for Swedes and Danes or Japanese. And it is obvious.
(Photo of my favorite beach in Tel Aviv.)