"Jews are safer in Israel."

Supporters argue that Jews are safer in Israel, citing rising antisemitism in Europe and North America since October 2023. They claim diaspora Jews are targeted for their identity, while Israel provides military protection and national unity. This framing casts Israel as the ultimate safeguard for global Jewry.

Empirical data shows that the “spike in antisemitism” includes both real hate crimes and large volumes of criticism directed at Israel’s policies, especially regarding Gaza. Conflating protest and political critique with antisemitism obscures the line between anti-Jewish hate and accountability for state violence. Groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow document how legitimate dissent is increasingly labeled antisemitic ().

Moreover, Israel’s military actions often heighten, not reduce, global hostility toward Jews. After the October 7 war escalated, antisemitic threats rose across the West, not because Jews everywhere suddenly became unsafe, but because Israel’s conduct was projected onto Jewish communities. In this sense, state violence exported reputational and physical risk to Jews globally, fueling backlash, protest, and sometimes misplaced hate.