It is not only Jews in the Diaspora who are affected by antisemitism, so is Israel. You cannot, and should not, disconnect the two. While antisemitism is allowed free reign, without fighting back, the lives and future of Jews everywhere are in danger. Examples of that can be seen throughout history. And HaShoah is a defining one. One does not get anywhere by submitting to or trying to ignore a bully.

To say it is the moral duty of non-Jews to cure themselves of the scourge of antisemitism is an extremely empty concept, both for its lack of concern for any likelihood of such ever happening and also for the fact that it’s the protection of Jews we are talking about here – their right to equity in the world of human beings – not the elevation or not of the moral fibre of non-Jews.

Hannah Arendt is not someone I am particularly impressed by insofar as providing any light on the subject. Yes, she wrote on totalitarianism and is famous for it. It should not be forgotten that she also allowed her more ideological/philosophical concepts to get in the way of a fuller, more deep reportage on the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem. Her simplification of ‘the banality of evil’ (based to my mind on a circularity of argument that becomes superficial), is a generalisation that erodes fuller realisation and acknowledgement of actuality and reality. It does nothing but harm, as it is parroted without further thought by many. It certainly does not push forward for any kind of exploration or further understanding.

Anti-defamation organisations in the Diaspora are of the utmost importance, not only for the protection of Jewish people, and as bodies that can be turned to for assistance by Jewish individuals and communities, but increasingly for confronting non-Jews who harbour injustice, lack of balance and sometimes hatred for the Jews in their midst, and for Israel. The two go together – the Jews in the diaspora and Israel. The media and social media in countries other than Israel are more and more turning to unfair, biased reportage, which in turn feeds antisemitism, which in turn feeds more hatred for Israel and wish for its demise. Anti-defamation organisations work tirelessly against this and we would be far worse off without them.

Taking monies away from funding these organisations and putting it into education? Whose education? The non-Jews we are talking about are not interested in being ‘educated’ – they must be fought instead, more and more loudly, more and more combatively – we will not submit to bullying lying down!

It is time for Israelis to understand more fully the very real connection between Israel and Jews in the Diaspora and how what affects one affects the other.

Yes, Israel is a small country, but that hasn’t stopped it punching above its weight, nor has it stopped it streaming ahead in many fields of development important to the world. It should never lose sight of the importance of protecting its own underbelly from antisemitism.