Diaspora Jews pay the price for Israel’s defiance

The killing of Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza has once again placed Jews in the diaspora in the crossfire of global opinion. Israel’s long-standing position, namely, “We will do what we must, regardless of what the world thinks” may have been sustainable in an era of traditional diplomacy. But in a world dominated by social media, that stance is no longer tenable.

For Jews outside of Israel, the consequences aren’t abstract. Every controversial incident amplifies a narrative in which Jewish identity is inseparable from the Israeli state. The distinction many activists claim, “This is against Israel, not against Jews,” collapses quickly under the weight of lived experience. Whether in universities, workplaces, or online spaces, Jews are increasingly cast as proxies for the conflict in Gaza.

This isn’t without precedent. Greek and Turkish Cypriots abroad were once pressured to “take sides” in their homeland’s conflict, while Armenians during the Nagorno-Karabakh wars faced hostility in places aligned with Azerbaijan. History shows us that diaspora communities consistently carry the stigma of actions they cannot control.

But the Jewish case is different in one crucial way. Zionism, as both ideology and identity, ties world Jewry to Israel in a manner unparalleled among modern diasporas. This means that when Hamas embeds itself among civilians and broadcasts the resulting tragedies to the world, the cost is not only borne by Israel’s image. It reverberates through Jewish lives in Cape Town, Johannesburg, New York, and London.

The old tools – press releases, fact sheets, even formal diplomacy – cannot counter a TikTok video or a viral meme. When people are confronted with contradictory information, they rarely change their minds; instead, they double down. Correcting the facts is no longer enough, it probably does more harm than good.

If we are to defend Jewish identity in this hostile digital climate, a new approach is required. The battlefield isn’t only Rafah or Khan Younis, it’s Twitter, Instagram, and the comment threads of every major news site. Virtual technology and innovative strategy must be applied with the same seriousness we give to physical defence.

Jews in South Africa understand more than most the dangers of being cast as oppressors in a society that venerates liberation struggles. If we are to protect both our dignity and our future, we must adapt. The physical Israel Defense Forces protect borders. The Jewish diaspora must now consider how to protect identity. Israel is not going to do it for us.

• Sidney Peimer, Cape Town