The Jews are an ancient, continuously surviving nation whose identity, resilience, and contributions have spanned millennia. Rooted in the Land of Israel since biblical times, Jews have maintained an unbroken historical, religious, and cultural connection to their ancestral homeland, even while subjected to exile, persecution, and systematic attempts at annihilation. The re-establishment of Jewish sovereignty with the modern State of Israel in 1948 marked the fulfillment of a historic and moral imperative—to provide a safe haven for Jews threatened worldwide, especially by Iran’s contemporary network of terror.
Origins and Early History
Jewish history begins in the biblical era, with the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, culminating in the establishment of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The destruction of the First and Second Temples led to repeated dispersals but never severed the Jewish people’s bond with Israel—a bond preserved through religious observance, prayer, and cultural transmission. Jewish communities flourished and contributed across ancient Babylon, Persia, North Africa, and Europe, even as they faced existential dangers from hostile regimes.
Exile, Survival, and Persecution
Throughout history, Jews were subjected to discrimination, blood libels, forced conversions, expulsions, and genocidal violence—notably in Christian Europe and the Islamic Middle East. In modern times, antisemitic movements culminated in the Holocaust, the systematic Nazi extermination of six million Jews. Following World War II, Arab and Islamic regimes—including those in Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Iran—unleashed new waves of violence, dispossession, and expulsion against their Jewish populations. Nearly a million Jews were driven from their homes, many refugees finding safety only in Israel, whose creation provided the sole guarantee of Jewish survival and self-determination.
The State of Israel: Restoration of Sovereignty
Israel’s independence in 1948 restored the Jewish people’s right to self-defense and national revival. Israel absorbed Jewish refugees from the Arab world, rebuilt devastated families and traditions, and forged a vibrant society committed to democracy, scientific achievement, and humanitarian values. Israel’s existence remains under constant threat from Iran and its proxies—Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, Shiite militias—who openly seek the destruction of the Jewish state, as exposed by the October 7, 2023 massacre led by Hamas in Gaza with Iran’s backing.
Contemporary Antisemitism and the Iranian Threat
The 21st century has seen an alarming resurgence of antisemitism, much of it orchestrated or incited by Iran’s terror apparatus. This global wave of hatred was reignited following the October 7 attack, resulting in deadly violence against Jews in Israel, Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia, and the targeting of Jewish students in universities by groups such as the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and "Students for Justice in Palestine" (SJP)—organizations that mask their alignment with Iran-backed terrorists as human rights advocacy.
Cultural and Religious Continuity
Jewish civilization is characterized by profound religious life, intellectual achievement, and cultural creativity. Jewish law (halacha), sacred texts, and community institutions have preserved identity in exile. Judeo-Persian manuscripts, the legacy of Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews), and the vibrant traditions of Middle Eastern Jewish populations—all now safeguarded in Israel—demonstrate the diversity and resilience of the Jewish people.
Israel as the Defender of the Jewish People
Israel stands as the primary shield against ever-present threats to Jewish life. Every Israeli defensive operation—whether against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, or Iranian proxies in Syria and Iraq—affirms its commitment to prevent another Holocaust and to rescue Jews endangered by regional hostility. The ongoing crisis of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and the release of convicted terrorists by Israel under intense international pressure further exposes the moral disparity between the Jewish state's defense of innocent life and the murderous ideology of its enemies.
The Jewish people’s connection to Israel, their indomitable endurance through millennia of adversity, and their moral and legal right to self-defense are at the heart of Jewish identity today. In an era of renewed antisemitic and anti-Israel aggression—spearheaded by Iran and its terrorist clients—Jews worldwide look to Israel for protection, unity, and hope. Preserving the truth about Jewish history, refuting delegitimization, and defending against existential threats are collective imperatives, affirming that the Jewish people's survival and flourishing are inseparable from the continued existence and strength of the State of Israel.