BRIEFING ROOM

This week we celebrated Purim. The triumphant story of good vs. evil. For us, it has even more significance because the true hero of this story was a female named Queen Esther, and at JAC, we believe in the power of women.

Celebrations in Israel this Purim, usually a joyous holiday, were marked by frantic dashes to the bomb shelters with costumes everywhere, as Iranian drones targeted Israel. In the true spirit of resilience, evacuees carried their Purim cheer with them and danced and sang in the bomb shelters despite the roar of sirens and bombs overhead. The party continues because life goes on, and we find joy in moments that are sometimes unimaginable.

As the week progressed, policy debates began on both sides of the aisle about the war. But one thing that should never be debated is Israel’s right to exist and its right to live safely within secure borders. This war with Iran has made it even clearer that Iran poses a threat to the other Arab countries in the region. Their reign of terror inside and outside their country must end. Their ability to fund terror organizations must end, and so must their capacity to produce nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

During this time, we must stand with Israel and put politics aside. Our elected officials need to hear our voices with a unified message that Iran is the bad player here, and not Israel. We can not allow the haters to take advantage of this moment. 

According to the ADL Center on Extremism, there has been a rapid rise in anti-Jewish narratives spreading around. Major world events, like this, are being used to further promote antisemitic ideas, normalize extremist rhetoric, increasingly blur the line between fringe conspiracy theories and political commentary, and encourage action under the guise of anti-war sentiment. We have certainly seen this before following Oct. 7th.

The story of Purim reminds us that threats to the Jewish people are not new. What is new is that today there is a sovereign Jewish state capable of defending its citizens. That ability must be preserved and strengthened. To stand for Israel’s right to defend itself is to stand for the fundamental principle that every nation and every people deserves to live without fear, to celebrate their holidays without sirens, and to raise their children in safety — including the Iranians.