The aim is not to impose agreement or reduce complexity. It is to create a space where differences are truthfully acknowledged, and cooperation is built intentionally rather than improvised under pressure. Leadership requires accepting clashing truths at the same time \u2013 recognizing that there can be both loyalty and critique, shared purpose alongside deep disagreement.<\/p>\n
Shirel Dagan-Levy, CEO of Voice of the People, argues that the past two years have tested the relationship between Israel and Diaspora communities. (credit: Avraham Hatzor)<\/p>\n
Dialogue does not eliminate disagreement, nor is it a substitute for policy. It creates shared language, mutual recognition, and the ability to remain in a relationship even when views diverge.<\/p>\n
One of the central challenges in Israel-Diaspora relations today is asymmetry. Israelis live with the daily responsibilities of sovereignty, including security decisions whose consequences are immediate and unavoidable. Diaspora Jews live with the daily realities of minority life: public vulnerability, representation, and the responsibility of explaining Jewish identity in environments that are often hostile to nuance.<\/p>\n
Since October 7, this gap has become more pronounced. In Israel, critique exists within a framework where Zionism and collective responsibility are foundational. Outside of Israel, criticism often operates within a logic that questions legitimacy itself. This distinction shapes risk, language, and consequence \u2013 and it cannot be ignored.<\/p>\n
When Israelis assume that Diaspora concerns are detached from reality, trust erodes. When Diaspora Jews dismiss Israeli pressures as purely political choices without acknowledging lived risk, trust erodes in return. Cooperation begins only when these realities are recognized as equally legitimate. That recognition does not require agreement, but it does require generosity.<\/p>\n
Improving ties means moving beyond an outdated model of the relationship \u2013 one defined largely by advocacy and fundraising on one side, and expectation and frustration on the other. Many Jewish communities want a relationship with Israel that is participatory and consistent, not only emotional. Many Israelis want to know that support from abroad is grounded in understanding, not contingent on perfect alignment.<\/p>\n
These goals are not in conflict. They point toward a more mature partnership.<\/p>\n
Lasting frameworks<\/p>\n
In practical terms, cooperation means investing in lasting frameworks: regular cross-community dialogue; trust-based leadership networks; shared educational initiatives that reflect diverse Jewish experiences; and concrete collaboration in areas where joint action is essential \u2013 strengthening community resilience, combating hatred, advancing Jewish education, and reinforcing Jewish identity across borders.<\/p>\n
It also requires new norms. Disagreement must not be treated as betrayal. Connection must not require uniformity. Unresolved tensions must be managed rather than avoided \u2013 and understood as the engine of serious leadership, not its obstacle. Engagement must be designed for the long term, not only for moments of crises.<\/p>\n
The relationship between Israel and world Jewry is not broken, but it is under strain. Strain can lead either to rupture or to renewal. The past two years have shown that old assumptions are no longer sufficient.<\/p>\n
Solidarity still matters. It remains a moral instinct and an emotional foundation.<\/p>\n
But solidarity is not a strategy.<\/p>\n
Partnership is built through structured listening, ongoing engagement, and cooperation that treats Israel and Jewish communities worldwide as shared stakeholders in a common future.<\/p>\n
That is where we stand today. And that is the work ahead.\u25a0<\/p>\n
Shirel Dagan-Levy is the CEO of Voice of the People.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some of the change is external. Public discourse has grown harsher and more polarized. Antisemitism has become more…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":283572,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[111,1902,85,46,13810,8581,43],"class_list":["post-283571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-israel","tag-antisemitism","tag-diaspora-jews","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-jerusalem-report","tag-jewish-community","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=283571"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283571\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/283572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=283571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=283571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=283571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}