American Jewry, apart from the Orthodox and a minority of the committed secular, is demographically imploding.
Paradoxically, this is happening while American support for Israel is at an all-time high and traditional anti-Semitism at a record low. Non-Orthodox Jewish education is catastrophic. Intermarriage levels have reached 70%.
Although right-wing anti-Semitism makes headlines, the real threat emanates from the far Left and Muslim extremists.
In the past, liberal political forces were Israel's strongest supporters and the penchant of American Jews for liberalism was justified.
However, over the past two decades, the far Left has become viciously anti-Israeli, even supporting terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
This trend reached a peak under President Barack Obama, who made overtures to Iran and treated Israel politically as a rogue state. Not a single mainstream Jewish leader had the courage to protest Obama's anti–Israel bias and, aside from African-Americans, Jews remained his greatest supporters.
When Donald Trump was elected president, hatred of him from the bulk of the Jewish leadership reached hysterical levels.
Many Jewish leaders falsely accused Trump of fascism and even anti-Semitism, despite his Jewish friends and family members and his outstanding support for Israel.
The Anti-Defamation League, headed by Jonathan Greenblatt, behaved like an extension of the anti-Trump opposition. The ADL frequently ignored or dismissed much of the left-wing anti-Semitism and soft-pedaled its criticism of Black Lives Matter, an organization that accused Israel of ethnic cleansing.
The Reform movement's leader, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, behaved similarly, usually with the support of Conservative Jewish leaders.
In this environment, the anti-Israeli-government group J Street was absurdly portrayed as moderate and a legitimate vehicle to soften the more radical Jewish groups openly seeking the demise of Israel.
By remaining silent and appealing for tolerance toward anti-Israel groups like Jewish Voice for Peace, the Jewish establishment created a defeatist climate, paving the way for the current communal chaos.
This impacted large numbers of Jews, especially the young who had virtually no Jewish education and for whom Israel had already become marginal.
In turn, this strengthened the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and created an atmosphere where it was considered chic for unaffiliated Jews to publicly condemn Israel.
Twenty years ago, it would have been inconceivable for anyone other than delusional Jewish fringe groups to attack Israel. Today, it requires courage to stand up against these radical anti-Israeli Jews.
These self-hating Jewish deviants have combined with Muslim extremists and the far Left to intimidate those Jews committed to Israel. They are at the forefront of the BDS movement, deny Israeli spokespeople the right to speak, and support the depiction of Israel as an "apartheid state." The extent of the madness is reflected in groups of Jewish radicals publicly reciting Kaddish, the mourner's prayer, for Palestinians killed by Israelis defending their borders.
Sadly, many Jewish leaders urge tolerance toward groups hostile to Israel and, rather than confronting them, entreat them to dialogue. Regrettably, many Hillel groups provide venues for such dialogue.
Whereas in the past, Jewish support for Israel was almost a given, today many liberal Jews – especially their leaders – at best feel awkward supporting Israel. Wishing to conform to their self-image as "enlightened," many feel comfortable publicly condemning the Israeli government.
The current, almost unprecedented, unity of the Israeli people transcends politics over issues such as war and peace and defensive responses to terrorism, including the efforts by Hamas to breach Israel's boundaries. Despite this, many liberal American Jews feel the need to condemn Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his democratically elected government. Often, they go further, even castigating the Israel Defense Forces for allegedly responding disproportionately to terrorists.
It is in this context that actress Natalie Portman's outburst, a symptom of the current climate, was a public relations gift to Israel's enemies despite her subsequent mealy-mouthed utterances. She would never have contemplated behaving in such a manner a few years ago, before the atmosphere had become so poisoned that criticism of Israel by Jews barely raises eyebrows.
Those committed to Israel must stand up and be counted. They should set aside the absurdity of promoting the "big tent" and seeking to engage in dialogue with Jews opposed to Israel's right to defend itself.
They should publicly condemn and demand the resignation of leaders who criticize Israel's security policies, which a broad Israeli consensus supports. They should call on their leaders to castigate those among them who denigrate Israel.
They should expel from their ranks those who support, defend, ally themselves with or tolerate BDS or those seeking Israel's destruction.
Jews who ally themselves with Islamic extremists or the anti-Semitic far Left are equivalent to Jews who would have supported the Nazis had Hitler not turned on them. They should be rejected from Jewish gatherings or synagogues. They are equivalent to the "mosers" of the Middle Ages, who betrayed their communities and should be treated accordingly.
Until there are Jewish leaders who are fully committed to supporting Israel during these critical times, the ongoing disintegration of the bulk of the non-Orthodox American Jewish community will proceed unimpeded.
