The heinous murder of two Israeli Embassy officials in Washington who were attending an event at the city's Jewish museum, and the throwing of Molotov cocktails in Boulder, Colorado, at a march for the liberation of Jewish hostages in Gaza, both attacks under the cry of "Free Palestine," are the most sinister face of the so-called "global intifada," the slogan shouted by protesters in the streets and at universities calling for violence against Jews and citizens of Israel.
Let us remember that the so-called "second Palestinian intifada," so glorified by those who advocate a "global intifada," was nothing more than dozens of suicide attacks carried out by Palestinian adolescents and adults indoctrinated with hatred, which left a tragic death toll of more than a thousand Israeli civilians.
The climate being created against Jewish communities and rampant antisemitism is the product of a hate campaign that, paradoxically, has nothing to do with Palestinians and more to do with the demonization of Israel and its followers. Antisemites never needed excuses, only appropriate circumstances.
Jewish communities around the world support the State of Israel, its right to self-defense, and to live in peace with its neighbors, including the Palestinian people. They demand the immediate return of the hostages and an end to terrorism. For years, they have supported a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which unfortunately is further away than ever today due to the calamitous Palestinian leadership, which has rejected every peace proposal presented to them. On the one hand, the PLO navigates a quagmire of ambiguities regarding peaceful coexistence with Israel, while Hamas simply wants to wipe Israel off the map.
Jewish communities are not responsible for the actions of the Israeli government and may hold diverse positions regarding them. World Jewry cannot be blamed for what the State of Israel does or does not do, as the promoters of the "global intifada" or some politicians, journalists, and wine merchants do, especially when disinformation, exaggerations, and hostile media campaigns create a virtual reality that is far removed from the facts on the ground. A virtual reality that serves to amplify the message of hatred and violence against the Jewish people.
The perverse flip side of the violent "global intifada" is the irresponsible calls by figures of all stripes for Jews to speak out about the wars Israel is waging for its survival. "We expect a statement from the Jewish community," they say, obviously hoping it will align with their own beliefs or prejudices, also assuming the right to demand what Jews should say or not say.
According to the definition of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), adopted by hundreds of institutions and dozens of countries, including Colombia, antisemitism is “holding Jews responsible for the actions of the State of Israel.”
The Jewish people have four thousand years of history, a presence in the world, and a legacy of universal contributions to humanity. Throughout their long journey, marked by suffering and persecution, prosperity and splendor, they have been guided by deeply rooted values and principles, many of them codified in their sacred scriptures. Their guiding light is their traditions, their history, their collective memory, a manifest destiny, and an unquestionable instinct for survival.
Nothing will change that.
This editorial was originally published in Spanish in El País.
