Ze’ev Jabotinsky wearing the uniforms of the Jewish Legion of the British army, with his two sisters, Bela and Nina. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The recent attack on a synagogue in California is simply awful. Worldwide, it seems that innocent people at prayer are under attack, and open season on Jews is par for the course. Unfortunately, the reality is that history has always seen Jews violently attacked.

In light of these developments, every synagogue in the world should have armed protection.

Ze’ev Jabotinsky — the ideological forefather of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party — wrote in 1932:

It is very, very sad that Jews are compelled to learn to shoot. But we are compelled and it is useless to argue against the compulsion of historic reality. That compulsion says you may be well educated, you may learn to plow the land and to build houses, you may speak Hebrew … but if you do not at the same time know how to shoot, there is no hope. That is the lesson of the reality of our time and that is the prospect for the lifetime of our children.

Where it is a question of war you do not stand and ask questions as to what is “better,” whether to shoot or not to shoot. The only permissible question in such circumstances is on the contrary “what is worse,” to let yourself be killed … without any resistance or to undertake resistance with all its horrible questions. … The blackest of all characteristics is the tradition of the cheapness of Jewish blood.

The words of Jabotinsky remain relevant today. The Jewish people must never forget the need to protect themselves.

Ronn Torossian is a Public Relations executive.