The Jewish community is under assault. A war has been declared against us. We must mobilize to fight back. Jewish leaders must declare a state of emergency now. As pro-Hamas rallies directly threaten the safety of American Jewry, we are witnessing thousands of Americans, including students in universities and high schools, marching in the streets calling for the destruction of the Jewish state. The new face of Jew-hatred is Palestinian terrorism which is embraced by the intersectionalist mobs, academia, and radical members of the Democratic Party. They are often cheered on by the mainstream media and “social justice”-focused philanthropic organizations. The Jewish community needs to convey the seriousness of the situation and to take actions commensurate with the threats we now face. We urge Jewish leaders to adopt this declaration of a state of emergency: WHEREAS the safety and security of American Jews are of paramount importance; WHEREAS credible and continuous threats have been identified; WHEREAS it is necessary to take extraordinary and immediate measures to prevent, respond to, and mitigate the potential harm posed by these threats; THEREFORE, we urge all Jewish leaders to fulfill moral and fiduciary responsibilities to the community by declaring a state of emergency and by mobilizing the community to fight back via taking the following actions: 1. Reprioritize communal resources to counter these ideological and physical assaults. Direct Jewish organizations to shift their focus from “social justice” to “Jewish lives matter.” 2. Take immediate steps to enhance security measures and foster collaboration among law enforcement agencies, emergency services, and relevant government departments to ensure the safety of Jews in our cities, on college campuses, and within all educational institutions. Demand that Jews receive the same protection offered to other minorities. 3. Educate the community about the nature and extent of the New Jew-Hatred and the radical ideologies which motivate it; it’s essential that we foster a better understanding and awareness within our ranks of the nature of the threat and its various forms — especially for young Jews. 4. Build alliances by actively seeking to develop honest and reciprocal alliances with other community, ethnic, and religious groups willing to stand with us in the fight against Jew-hatred. These must include groups from across the political spectrum. 5. Engage with people in power. Develop comprehensive strategies and concrete plans to influence individuals in powerful positions, lobbying them to take measures to protect the Jewish community and ensure its safety. 6. Pursue legal, political, and cultural strategies to hold accountable those who demonize and assault Jews. We call upon all Jewish organizations to join us in this critical effort. We firmly believe that those who fail to do so must be held accountable for their inaction. In unity and determination, we declare this State of Emergency to safeguard our community, to protect our values, and secure the future of American Jews.
~ The Jewish Leadership Project