In moments of crisis, the Jewish people do not watch from afar. We show up. That is what we do. That is who we are.
From July 21 to 23, a delegation of American Jewish leaders will travel to Israel for a solidarity mission organized by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. These leaders represent the full spectrum of our community: ideological, denominational, and geographic. The purpose is clear: to bear witness, to offer comfort, and to affirm, face to face and heart to heart, that the people of Israel do not stand alone.
This mission takes place in the shadow of war. Just weeks ago, the State of Israel endured a 12-day assault. Iranian missiles struck Tel Aviv. Civilians were forced from their homes. Brave IDF soldiers gave their lives. The pain remains fresh. The wounds remain open. Israel stands, having struck a decisive blow against the Islamic Republic’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Plans for the solidarity mission
Our delegation plans to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, along with senior government officials and frontline defenders. We will visit Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, which was targeted by Iranian missile fire. We will travel to the Weizmann Institute of Science, where key research labs were destroyed. We will speak with soldiers and the air force who took part in combat operations in Gaza, on the northern front, and in unprecedented missions over Iran.
And we will walk through Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, where families of the abducted continue to wait for news. Fifty hostages, dead and alive, remain in Gaza. We will stand with their families. We will embrace them – and be embraced.
When Israelis run to bomb shelters, we feel it in our bones. When they bury their soldier sons and daughters, we mourn with them as one people. And when they rise each morning, resolute and unbroken, we rise with them. This is the meaning of Klal Yisrael. The Jewish people are one.
Active solidarity is a declaration of faith in Israel
This mission is not symbolic. It is a declaration of faith in Israel’s democracy, in the resilience of its people, and in the unbreakable bond that unites our communities across oceans and generations. At a time when Israel is misrepresented in global media and maligned in international institutions, we go to see for ourselves.
Solidarity is not passive. It is active. It is physical. It is present. It demands more than statements. It demands presence. We are proud to be present.
We are also proud that Israel has prevailed against those who sought its destruction: Hamas, Hezbollah, the Assad regime, the Houthis, and the mullahs in Tehran. Surrounded by enemies, Israel endures.
In times of danger, the people of Israel stand on the front lines. In times of doubt, the American Jewish community must stand with them.
This mission is our promise: You are not alone. We are with you today, tomorrow, and always.
The writer is CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Follow him @Daroff.