Reprints rom The WASHINGTON Times , By Gol Kalev, march 8, 2024
Ever since exiled from Judea, sanctions were periodically imposed against Jews. Oftentimes such sanctions were rationalized.
Last month, in reaction to the October 7th massacre, the Biden administration issued an unprecedented Executive Order sanctioning four Israeli criminals who committed acts of violence against Arabs, such as stone-throwing and setting cars on fire.
This immediately triggered calls for more sanctions on a border set of Israelis, including elected officials and political leaders. The Wall Street journal reported that this is under consideration.
Indeed, the deplorable acts of those four individuals is not the issue. There are by far more anti-Arab violence in France, Sweden and even in America. Mr. Biden himself acknowledged in the Executive Order that those Israelis were targeted also because their “actions undermine the foreign policy objectives of the United States, including the viability of a two-state solution.
Most Israelis oppose the two-state solution, which they view as a threat to the survival of the Jewish state, especially after October 7th. Should they too be sanctioned? Or perhaps be careful about speaking against this sacrosanct western template?
The sanctions also contribute to the false narrative promoted by the Biden administration of “settler violence” – a prerequisite to the infuriating narrative of “there are extremists on both sides,” be it Hamas or the settlers, who stand in the way of the secret formula to eternal peace. Incidentally, much of the violence against Palestinans is committed by non-settler Jews. Hence, it would be more accurate for Mr. Biden to switch the term “settler violence” to “Jewish violence.”
No doubt, Mr. Biden set an incredibly low bar for a future president to sanction foreign individuals who do not agree with his foreign policy objective (can one imagine President Trump imposing sanctions on European individuals who “undermine the foreign policy objective of the United States,” including the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel?)
Most dangerously, the U.S. sanctions play right into the hands of those who are gearing up for the onslaught on Israel expected after the Gaza war.
With his Executive Order, Mr. Biden has just provided a “Kosher certificate” for other countries and organizations to sanction Israelis.
Those are coming: the United Nations set the standard-bearer in the 2009 Goldstone report, deeming the Jewish state self-defense actions as a possible “crime against humanity,” and in recent months, respectable world leaders gave credibility to the modern-day blood-libel that Israeli Jews kill babies(Justn Trudeau), engage in dehumanization, and even “poison our common well” (Anthony Blinken).
With that, along with the “Biden Kosher certificate,” one can expect countries and organizations to try to impose sanctions against Israeli soldiers who fought in the Gaza war. Moreover, the recent sanctions against Russia serve as a proof-of-concept and a template to confiscate assets of Israeli high-tech companies (many of them are owned by reserve soldiers), entrepreneurs, scientists, innovators, as well as to arrest Israelis who fought in the war when visiting Europe.
In short, the attempted eradication of Judaism through paralyzation and demoralization.
Such scenarios would normally seem far-fetched – the United States would vehemently oppose such efforts. But with the Biden Executive Order and its wording, the U.S. dramatically compromised its ability to defend Israelis from such atrocious actions.
The Jewish nation is under a large-scale assault, which in our era is funneled through Zionism. Foreign policy decisions regarding Israel must be made with that in mind.
There were Jewish criminals in Germany in the 1930s during the early stages of the previous large-scale assault on the Jewish nation. Can one imagine the United States imposing sanctions against them in reaction to the Nazis’ rise to power? This would have contributed to a false narrative of “extremists on both sides,” and give legitimacy to the Nazis’ atrocities.
The same is true today. As the existential threat to Judaism has shifted from traditional anti-Semitism (“Jews poison the wells,” “Jews will not replace us”) to anti-Zionism and Israel-bashing, it is imperative that the Biden administration think through the long-term consequence of their Israel-related actions, and refrain from acts that could put Jews and Judaism in danger.
Gol Kalev is the author of “Judaism 3.0: Judaism Transformation to Zionism,” and chair of the Judaism 3.0 Think Tank. He analyzes long-term geopolitical shifts at EuropeAndJerusalem.com. He is also a columnist at the Jerusalem Post and writes for various other publications.
This article was first published in The Washington Times’ higher ground on Friday, March 8, 2024
Watch Gol Kalev’s strategic analysis:
The Big Picture: Gol Kalev argues that Judaism is going through a historic transformation and Zionism is becoming the anchor of Judaism (Judaism 3.0).
Therefore, age-old opposition to Judaism is now expressed through anti-Zionism and Israel-bashing
Read summary of the Judaism 3.0 Thesis: Zionism is the anchor of Judaism
Watch the recent Judaism 3.0 discussion: Anti-Zionism as the new Anti-Semitism
Applying the frameworks of Theodor Herzl to today
Article: Herzl can help defuse today’s strategic issues (Jerusalem Post)
Online Course: Applying Herzl (Brazil Jewish Academy)
Judaism 3.0 event: Applying Herzl to today’s strategic issues (Begin Center)
More video analysis: Gol Kalev on American Sunrise
including
The unintended conversation: Two-state solution in Europe?
Another Oslo? Another withdrawal? Israelis united not to make the same mistakes
The Media is an actor in this war:
Related Article: The Day After: The ideological assault on Israel
The Jerusalem Post, January 5, 2023
Abstract: Israel must take into account new interrelated geopolitical realities that will likely emerge from the war.
Post-two-state solution: The Gaza war put a decisive end to the two-state solution. This is not due to Hamas’s attack nor to its 72% support rate among Palestinians. It is also not due to Israeli and Palestinian rejection of the template. The two-state solution died due to Western reaction to Oct. 7.
The two-state solution was based on the establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state with various restrictions to accommodate Israel’s security needs, such as Israel controlling the Palestinian state’s airspace and border crossings.
The UN, the media, and Western politicians killed the two-state solution when they placed Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks in the context of the occupation of Gaza. They indoctrinated the world that Gaza was under occupation, in spite of the fact that Israel fully withdrew from Gaza in 2005. If Gaza was under occupation, then certainly the future state of Palestine would be under occupation:
There would be Israeli military presence, settlement blocks, and ample restrictions. Hence, global public opinion would utterly reject the idea of an “occupied” state of Palestine, which is the cornerstone of the two-state solution: Full Article
Scroll down for videos connecting Judaism 3.0 frameworks to today’s situation
Related: The ideological assault that fuels Hamas physical assault
Related: Anti-Zionism is a threat to Global Stability
Anti-Zionism – the contemporary path to eradicate Judaism (Sept. 13, 2023)
Jerusalem Post Special Magazine: Are we in Judaism 3.0?:
Gol Kalev shows how anti-Zionism has turned into an existential threat to Judaism, in a Jerusalem Post article series (2022)
The implications of Judaism 3.0:
This generation’s existential threat to Judaism
Applying Herzl’s thinking to counter Israel-bashing
Occuptionalism: The new form of Colonialism is hijacking the Palestinian cause
Occupationalism is enabled by the Jerusalem-based “Conflict Industry,” known for its lavish parties, insularity, high turnover and its own social hierarchy
European blood libels continue, but now there is a solution
Recognizing that we are in Judaism 3.0 would address existential threats to Judaism, but it would also provide Jewish clarity that would advance humanity
Judaism 3.0: Turning threats to Judaism into enablers of its survival
Like antisemitism in Herzl’s time, today’s Israel-bashing and assimilation of American Jewry also have hidden assets in them
Passover to Shavuot and the American-European divide
How the transition affects today’s geopolitics, the flaws of democracies and the emerging rift: Americanism vs. Europeanism
Threat to Judaism through friends, influenced by Israel-bashing movement
Applying Herzl’s thinking, the threat to Judaism might come through our friends. Such Israel-bashing-light was showcased in the Basel Zionism celebrations in 2022
A broad recognition of Judaism 3.0 would release the Arabs of the Middle-east from debilitating European dogmas that have occupied their true character for the last 100 years
See in Link: Applying Judaism 3.0 to the countering Israel-Bashing
See also The Jerusaelm Report 2022 New Year Magazine: Judaism’s transformation to Zionism – Countering the Israel-bashing movement
Recognizing that Judaism has transformed would rob the Israel-bashers of their starting point: The premise that Judaism is merely a religion.
Summary of above articles:
Gol Kalev shows how Israel-bashing is today’s existential threat to Judaism, having both a populous dogmatic retail component – Occupationalism, and institutional destruction mechanisms that deploy modern-day blood-libels. In such circumstances, Hasbara (Israeli PR) is futile. Yet, a broad global recognition that Judaism has transformed to Judaism 3.0, and Zionism is now its anchor, would dramatically mitigate the threat.
Related. Jerusalem Post Magazine Cover-articles by Gol Kalev:: EUROPE & JERUSALEM
The resurfacing of European Colonialism
Hijacking the Palestinian cause
European opposition to the Jewish state
Time for a new European peace conference
Europe should benefit from Herzl’s vision
For inquiries/comments: info@europeandjerusalem.com
Judaism 3.0 launch: Revolutionary approach to coutnering Israel-bashing
Watch Gol discuss his new book in an i24 interview
Watch Gol Kalev address to the Jerusalem Leaders Summit
Related article: anti-Zionism is anti—humanity
Praise for Judaism 3.0
“A courageous thesis that must be part of any serious discussion of the future of Israel and the Jewish people.”
Michael Oren, historian, former ambassador of Israel to the United States
“Gol Kalev does not just know Theodor Herzl – he lives and breathes Theodor Herzl…This book should trigger the conversation the Jewish community needs about Israel, Zionism, Judaism and Identity. Bravo!”
Professor Gil Troy, author – The Zionist Ideas
ייA remarkable ideas book that is about much more than the state of Judaism…One of the most important books about Judaism, Zionism and global trends of our times.”
Catherine Carlton, former Mayor of Menlo Park, Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur
“This book should play an important role in the discussions about the future of world Jewry and its relations with Israel.”
Natan Sharansky, former Chairman of The Jewish Agency, former Deputy Prime Minister of Israel
“Gol Kalev’s book has the merit to transform the very essence of the State of Israel to becoming an objective expression of Jewish identity“
Dr. Georges Yitzhak Weisz, author – Theodor Herzl: A New Reading
“This book has sparked as much conversation as it has because the premise is so interesting, so counter-intuitive and demand of us that we think many thing anew. That is perhaps the greatest gift a book can give.”
Dr. Daniel Gordis, author – We Stand Divided
“Fresh new thinking about the relationship between Judaism and Israel. Kalev picks up where Herzl left off…A must read for people of all religious and political backgrounds who want to get a deeper understanding of the state of Zionism and Judaism today.”
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem
About the Author: Gol Kalev is a former Wall Street investment banker who has been researching Herzl and Zionism. Growing up in Tel Aviv and serving in the Israeli army, he then lived in New York and now resides in Jerusalem. He also spent time in various European cities and has traveled through both the American and European countryside, learning about contrasting world-views.
He has been chairman of The AIFL Think Tank since 2011 (now the Judaism 3.0 think tank), which explores the state of Zionism and Judaism, and has been writing analysis articles about Zionism, Europe, global affairs and long-term geopolitical shifts for the Jerusalem Post, Jerusalem Report, Israel Hayom, The Daily Wire, The Media Line, Newsweek and Foreign Policy.
He has been praised for his unique understanding of Judaism by people throughout the political and religious spectrum. In this book, he delivers the state of Judaism as he sees it: Zionism as the anchor of Judaism.
Visit the Judaism 3.0 website: Judaism-Zionism.com
Mazo publishing is offering organizations and companies who wish to purchase 100 copies or more, a special edition of Judaism 3.0 with a dedication page. For information:
Europe and Jerusalem 