The Jews of the Diaspora Have Been Abandoned

Daniel Bettini argues that the extreme statements of Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, along with photos and videos of IDF operations, are causing severe reputational damage to Israel and especially to Diaspora Jews in Europe, who find themselves attacked and forced to defend themselves against a rising wave of antisemitism.

Daniel Bettini, in an opinion column on Ynet, argues that the extreme statements of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, such as the call to "eliminate 30-40 Gazans every day," and his populist videos about the death penalty, are causing immense damage to European Jews. According to him, every tweet by Ben Gvir is echoed within minutes around the world and provokes aversion toward Jews everywhere. Bettini notes that leaders of Jewish communities in Europe condemn the racist statements, and that Jews find themselves between a rock and a hard place – trying to project closeness to Israel but being attacked because of its policies. He brings a personal example of a friend, a famous singer and actor in Italy, who is suffering a wave of hatred for being Jewish and a lover of Israel, and is forced to defend himself against accusations that he does not sufficiently condemn the "genocide in Gaza." Bettini warns of a rift within the Jewish communities themselves, between supporters and critics of Israel, and calls on Israel to wake up and restrain itself to prevent the real danger to Diaspora Jews.

The Jews of the Diaspora Have Been Abandoned