Our community’s options

1. We can hope and daven that anti-Semitic (meaning pro-Hamas, meaning favoring genocide of our people both in Eretz Yisrael and Galus) politicians will be defeated at the polls, at least in the Anglo-phonic countries, We need to be wary since all the English speaking countries have major political parties that openly are sympathetic with Hamas and its allies. While a program of learning and davening is easy for us to implement, taking non-violent action in the face of blood thirsty murderers, raises the shailoh of being somekh al nissim (relying on miracles).

2. If we need to defend ourselves, we need to have a large number of people who are physically fit, are familiar with armed and unarmed combat, and have the skills to operate weapons (not just marksmanship, but electronics, auto mechanics, industrial skills to build and operate weapons, first aid, etc.). Furthermore, we should never consider compromising on Torah and MItsvos to do this (unlike our Israeli cousins who made the IDF the ikar, and Torah the teflah). This would probably require having our schools drop electives other than the “subjects” mentioned above, and take “Physical education” very seriously (not “fun and games”). Our summer camps can easily turn their non-learning time to preparedness. The small number of adult programs now existent could be expanded and refocused. The goyim may be annoyed if their Jewish neighbors appear to be preparing for a fight, even if the United States with its long tradition of a citizen militia and private gun ownership.

3. Consider moving to Eretz Yisrael. For some individuals this will be a hardship such as those owning real estate in frum neighborhoods, or adults whose careers do not readily transform into jobs in Israel (such as lawyers who will need to master a new legal system and gain the high degree of fluency in Ivrit that their profession requires, or Torah teachers since there are already more than Eretz Yisrael can support). More importantly, if the governments in the western world are willing to tolerate anti-Semitism and support Hamas (and Iran’s) program to “globalize the intifada” (i.e. spread their campaign for genocide of Jews worldwide), that means Israel will be totally isolated politically and economically (meaning no options for purchasing weapons, no receipt of funds or support from other countries). Most of Israel’s upper class will find the necessary sacrifices unacceptable and will emigrate, destroying the high tech “Start-Up nation” that is the core of Israel’s prosperity and security.

Personally, I’m skeptical if armed resistance to anti-Semites will work (it certainly didn’t during the crusades, or 1648 or the Holocaust – though we did try), and Israel’s long term prospects are not good. So that suggests a need to make a very public embrace of Torah and Mitsvos, which in itself will be a public “resistance” to the anti-Semites (be they Hamas, Nazi-wannabees, or assimilated Jews who are already very annoyed about continued existence.