There are Jews who are passionately anti-Zionists. There are dozens of Islamic states, but you would be hard stretched to find Muslims who resist the very notion of an Islamic state. Even if you did, they would not have the zeal about eliminating Muslim countries that you find among Jews when it comes to the existence of the Jewish state. In fact, it seems that Jews who are active in organizations like BDS or Jewish Voice for Peace (for Palestinians, not for Israelis) make it their life’s goal to see the elimination of the Jewish state.

To understand from where such hatred comes we need to look at the roots of the Jewish nation. By and large, nations develop based on families and clans that have developed or by a common habitat or origin. The nation of Israel is different. It is a nation that was formed in the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as they went from the Fertile Crescent to the land of Canaan, then to Egypt and back to Canaan until they became the people of Israel when they agreed to unite “as one man with one heart” at the foot of Mt. Sinai.

The three patriarchs of the Jewish nation spread the ideas of bonding and unity, brotherhood and love of man. They discovered that the way to build a cohesive society is to rise above the ego rather than suppress it. To them, the ego was not an enemy that must be silenced. Instead, the more their egos grew, as reflected in their frequent disputes, the more they rose above them and reached higher levels of unity. To them, God was a benevolent force whom they described as “The Good Who Does Good.” They aspired for the entire nation to have this quality of benevolence, and established a society that supported the realization of that yearning.

At that time, people who joined the nation of Israel did so because they believed in the idea, not because they had some biological or territorial affinity to the Israelites. As a result, from its onset, the Israeli nation consisted of unparalleled diversity of ethnicities and backgrounds, united by the notion of unity above differences.

Because the Hebrews did not suppress their egos, but rose above them, thus planting the nature of benevolence deeper in their hearts, they remained with two conflicting inclinations. One is what we call “the evil inclination,” which is a desire to be self-absorbed and exploit everyone for personal benefit, and the other is the “good inclination,” namely Abraham’s tendency toward connection, mercy, and benevolence.

Until approximately 2,000 years ago, the Jews maintained a healthy balance where the ego would increase and they would manage to unite above it. But as we know from the authentic Jewish writings, around 2,000 years ago unfounded hatred overcame the Jews, egoism took over, leading to the ruin of the Temple and the expulsion of the Jews from Israel.

However, to this day, every Jew contains both inclinations. While the self-centered one is currently on top, an unconscious “memory,” like a latent gene, exists within each one. Although it is hidden, it impacts many of the emotions and views that Jews develop toward the Jewish people and toward the state of Israel.

There are many variations to this root, but on the whole, when it manifests in a form of separation, Jews feel resentment toward the state of Israel and become more anti-Zionistic. These states vary from person to person, and at different times people may harbor different feelings toward Israel and Jews. But one thing is for certain: Even if Jews deny it from themselves, they cannot remain indifferent when it comes to the state of Israel and the Jewish people.

Anti-Zionism in itself is not the problem. The problem is the disunity of the Jewish people. The entire world observes what is happening in Israel and between Israel and diaspora Jews. The alienation, conflicts, and sometimes outright animosity we display fuel the hatred of the nations toward us. Like it or not, we set an example to the world by the mere fact that we are constantly under scrutiny. Our disunity projects itself to the rest of the world, and when the world is disunited, wars ensue, mistrust spreads, the economy stalls, and people feel alone and depressed. And they blame it on the Jews.

We don’t need guidance from anyone; we can educate ourselves and learn once more to rise above our egos and unite. This is the panacea that the world is searching for. Eliminating the Jewish state won’t solve the world’s problems. If anything, it will delay their solution because the people of Israel will still have to unite and thereby set an example.

Especially now, as anti-Semitism is rising the world over, we can leverage this age-old hatred and unite above our egos, thus becoming once again the united people of Israel, a model of unity and brotherhood that the world needs so desperately. We have a lot of work ahead of us; let’s not waste time.

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