From France to today, antisemitism resurges as Jews ignore history, while Israel stands alone defending truth.
As a child, my parents sent me to Hebrew High so I would absorb at least the basics of Jewish history. That is where I first encountered the story of the Dreyfus Affair—a lesson I once assumed belonged safely to the past.
The affair unfolded in late-19th-century France, a republic that proudly proclaimed equality while quietly tolerating deep antisemitism. Alfred Dreyfus, a loyal Jewish officer, was falsely accused of treason on flimsy evidence. His conviction was driven not by facts, but by prejudice embedded within state institutions. Even when the truth emerged, the system protected itself, not justice.
Only after years of public struggle—sparked by Émile Zola’s courageous exposé—was Dreyfus finally exonerated. Yet the damage was permanent. The illusion that modern citizenship guaranteed Jewish safety collapsed.
For European Jews, the lesson was brutal: acceptance was conditional. Loyalty could be questioned overnight. Equality before the law could evaporate under nationalist pressure. At the time, many believed this was a tragic anomaly—something that could never happen again in an “enlightened” world.
They were wrong. And so were we.
Today, history is replaying itself with disturbing clarity. Within days, Jews were murdered or attacked in Australia, the United States, and Europe. Synagogues are guarded. Jewish symbols are hidden. Antisemitism has become socially tolerated again—often excused as “political expression,” especially when fueled by hostility toward Israel.
Israel, meanwhile, is condemned for defending Jewish lives, while terror-supporting regimes and extremist movements across parts of the Arab and Palestinian political world are excused, funded, or ignored. Governments issue hollow statements, media outlets relativize violence, and Jewish communities are told to remain calm as threats escalate.
This is not accidental. Just as in Dreyfus’s time, Jews are again portrayed as destabilizers, liars, or morally suspect—while those who incite hatred are framed as victims. The pattern is unmistakable.
Unlike our ancestors, we cannot claim ignorance. We had the warning. We studied it. We dismissed it.
History is speaking again, louder this time. And it is telling Jews everywhere the same uncomfortable truth: security based on goodwill alone is a dangerous illusion. Strength, preparedness, unity, and a sovereign Israel are not luxuries—they are necessities.
If future generations read this, let it not be said we failed to learn. History may be cruel, but it is merciful compared to denial.
