Supporters of Israel gather in solidarity with Israel and protest against antisemitism, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas, during a rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC, Nov. 14, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Leah Millis

At a time when identity is weaponized and loyalty to truth is punished, Jews and Zionists must stand taller, prouder, and louder than ever before. We are not just surviving history — we are shaping it. The secret to our endurance is not compliance with cultural fads or fear of social punishment. It is our devotion to something far more powerful: community culture.

Cancel culture has no true grip on us when we embrace who we are.

Jews — religious, secular, cultural, or ethnic — have always found safety, purpose, and power in community. Our story is one of resilience: each time we were targeted, silenced, exiled, or attacked, we turned inward to strengthen our people and outward to uplift our allies. That’s the antidote. The Jewish people don’t disappear under pressure — we double down on who we are.

We are people who embrace Zionism not only because of Jewish peoplehood, but because of values. Zionism is an inclusive movement, with not only Jewish Zionists, but Zionists of all faiths, ethnicities, cultures, and nationalities. People who understand that support for Zionism is supporting thoughtful peoplehood, and a desire to better the world for all people, because it is ingrained in Jewish values, which aim to help ourselves just as we help others at the same time.

That must be our strategy now, as anti-Zionist hysteria, masked as progressive virtue, spreads like wildfire. We are being told to be ashamed of our Jewishness. Ashamed of our commitment to Israel. Ashamed of our people. No more.

Zionism is not a dirty word. It is the indigenous liberation movement of the Jewish people in our ancestral homeland. It is justice, survival, and self-determination wrapped into one. And yes, it is still needed, because antisemitism still rages in every corner of the world — even in places that claim to fight bigotry. The venomous attacks we see today, often endorsed or excused by influencers, campus activists, and even elected officials, are not about human rights — they are about Jew-hatred. The attacks on Jews, Zionists, and Israel are all based on attacks against Jews.

The only time anti-Israel and anti-Zionist attacks are not anti-Jew are when those who believe in globalization are equally against every Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, and other nations with a religious or ethnic majority.  But, that does not happen very often, does it?

When the attacks and condemnation are only against the Jewish movement of determination, safety, representation, peoplehood, indigenousness, and nationality — that is when anti-Zionism is antisemitism, when being anti-Israel is antisemitism.

Clear understanding and the ability to confront the hatred and moral hypocrisy of those who claim to be virtuous is necessary when condemning and battling those who hate us, discriminate against us, and try to eradicate us.

Historically, Jews have had problems when we are prominent and weak. We have seen it throughout every historical period across Europe and Arabia, in Christian and Muslim lands. Today, Jews have an option: we can either be less prominent and successful, stop surviving battles against us, and try to stay out of the public eye, or we can choose the option to not be weak, to be prominent, and strong. The second option troubles those who hate Jews and don’t like when we succeed. I chose the second option — be prominent and strong. It is why I focus not on fighting back, but fighting forward.

Jewish pride and Zionist pride are being redefined by those who hate us. And we are allowing them to win the public relations war. We are allowing them to control the narrative — the story of us is being told by those who hate us. How wild is that?!

And, when we fight forward, we are criticized for fighting for our very existence. When we win fights and battles, the haters try to dominate social media, traditional media, and public opinion, thereby criticizing us for daring to defend ourselves and fight for our rights and lives.

Let’s be clear: there is no moral equivalence between Israeli security measures and the terrorist atrocities committed by Islamist extremists. Even the most controversial Israeli policies are not in the same universe as the depravity of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or the governments that sponsor them. Zionist “extremism” is often little more than unapologetic Jewish pride. Islamist extremism, on the other hand, results in kidnapped hostages, public executions, honor killings, and the repression of women, LGBTQ+ people, religious minorities, and dissidents.

We must stop apologizing for being alive, for defending ourselves, for having a homeland, and for celebrating it.

Instead, let’s shift the conversation to action — real action. The anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, at its core, is antisemitic. Its goal is not peace or justice, but the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state. But here’s the silver lining: those boycott lists are also a roadmap.

Use the BDS hate lists as a Jewish pride guide. Support the businesses, brands, artists, and organizations targeted by them. These are the ones brave enough to stand with us. These are the ones who deserve our dollars and our voices. That’s community culture. Not cancellation — connection.

If someone wants to boycott a café because its owners are Israeli Jews or supporters of Israel, great — let’s flood that café with support. If an artist is blacklisted for performing in Tel Aviv, let’s amplify their work and make them heroes. Let’s create our own economy of values, rooted in dignity, not performative outrage.

This is not just about Jews. It is about anyone who believes in truth over propaganda, civilization over terror, and moral clarity over moral relativism. It is about our allies — Zionist Christians, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, LGBTQ+ individuals — and the people who are fighting against Islamic terror, who understand that Israel and Zionism protects them, too, such as Persians who fight against the Islamic Republic of Iran, Indians who battle against Islamism in Pakistan, Druze who fight against Islamic oppression in Arab nations, Christians in African and Middle Eastern nations who are being slaughtered by Islamist extremists, Eritreans who battle for their peoplehood, and Yazidis who struggle to survive amidst Islamist terror.

These are all people who know what is right and are brave enough to say it. These are our allies.

Jews have always been a people who rise. We have endured temples burning, inquisitions, pogroms, genocides, and exiles. And every time, we came back — not just to survive, but to thrive. The Jewish story is one of eternal return, and Zionism is the modern expression of that legacy.

We are uncancelable when we are unapologetic. When we choose pride over fear. When we lift each other up and put our values into action. And that is what the world needs right now — Jews and allies who know exactly who they are, and who refuse to back down.

Am Israel Chai.

Yuval David is an Emmy Award–winning journalist, filmmaker, and actor. An internationally recognized advocate for Jewish and LGBT rights, he is a strategic advisor to diplomatic missions and NGOs, and a contributor to global news outlets in broadcast and print news. He focuses on combating antisemitism, extremism, and promoting democratic values and human dignity. Learn more at YuvalDavid.com, instagram.com/Yuval_David_, x.com/yuvaldavid, youtube.com/yuvaldavid, and across social media.