Antisemitism is a beast that dates back thousands of years. Documents from the Roman Empire prove that Jew-hatred existed even before Jesus was crucified on Golgotha.
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Throughout history, there have even been cases of antisemitism in countries that had absolutely no Jews. It is because Jew-hatred has very little to do with what Jews actually do. Rather, it is a disease that plagues the nations of the world.
Israel, being a Jewish state, adopted battling antisemitism as one of its primary goals. And while it can, and should, stand up to antisemitism, it must remember that it cannot change the world and demand it act without prejudice.
It is other nations who should be ashamed that Jews cannot walk the streets of Paris or Brussels wearing kippahs or the Star of David without being harassed or attacked. Upon them rests the moral obligation to heal themselves.
Israel should help Jewish communities abroad when in need of help, but when it comes to foreign policy, it should first and foremost focus on state interests, and put them above any other considerations.
There is no reason for the Israeli government not to work with world leaders who do not support the Jewish people. Jewish communities survived in the Diaspora for over 2,000 years precisely because they understood this insight.
When it comes to the current crisis with Poland, the Israeli government adopted an approach that is far from pragmatic.
Downgrading diplomatic relations with Poland is unnecessary and detrimental to Israel's foreign relations, even if the United States also criticized Warsaw for the law.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid's remarks about Jerusalem not being afraid to stand up to antisemitism and "immoral behavior" by Warsaw is incredibly jarring. Factually, it is incorrect, and politically, it is harmful.
Israel does not have many friends in the European Union, and Poland (one of Europe's largest countries both in terms of area and population) is an asset it cannot afford to give up, especially since Warsaw has proved more than once that it is a trustworthy ally.
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