Lack of post-war plan for Gaza risks undermining military gains, report warns

“The territory lies in ruins without a credible plan for reconstruction or governance by someone other than Hamas.”

Israel stands “at a crossroads,” it says. “The blows dealt to Hezbollah, the fall of Assad, and the damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear ambitions have created an opening to forge a new regional order – one that could align key Sunni states with Jerusalem against a weakened Shiite axis.

“But without a political horizon for Gaza, there is a risk that short-term military success will harden into long-term strategic isolation.”

Abroad, “the threat to Jews is of growing concern as portrayals of Jews as enemies of humanity are gaining traction, no longer fringe rhetoric,” the JPPRI states.

“In Europe, individuals with documented antisemitic records are ascending to positions of political authority, while Jewish visibility retreats under sustained pressure.

“In the United States, Jewish representation in elite academic institutions is steadily diminishing, and identification with Israel among young Americans – particularly within the Democratic Party – is declining precipitously.”

But it also finds hopeful signs in the growth of the global Jewish population “driven by gains both in Israel and in many diaspora communities.

“And while, for the first time in years, Israel’s migration balance has turned negative, with more citizens leaving than arriving – the emerging Israeli diaspora has the potential to serve as a living bridge to Jewish communities worldwide, strengthening bonds and revitalising ageing populations abroad.”

It says Israel should take account of the “diaspora perspective” in its decision-making, holding formal consultations at least twice a year.

It calls for Israel to adopt a national strategic plan to combat antisemitism since fighting it is “important not only in order to protect diaspora Jewry, but also to safeguard the vital interests of the state of Israel itself”.

Most Western Jews have “experienced antisemitism directly and avoid public displays of Jewish identity,” the JPPI says, “Many are seriously considering emigration. In the United States, younger Jews face increasing social exclusion and ideological polarisation.

“Some respond by drawing closer to Jewish life and community, while others feel isolated or progressively decenter Israel in their Jewish identity – sometimes becoming vocal critics of the Jewish state.”

It also recommends that Israel publish more promptly reports setting out the legality of its actions.

The report wonders whether the “golden age” of American Jewry “may be drawing to a close”.

While the nationalist right in the USA “repurposes classic antisemitic tropes to fit contemporary frameworks”, the progressive intersectional left “recasts Jews as privileged White actors who are inherently complicit in systems of oppression,” the report says.

In an accompanying essay, the veteran US foreign affairs adviser Elliot Abrams predicts; “The coming years will be more contentious for American Jews, over US relations with Israel and over their own place in American society. What seemed for a while natural and wholly accepted will now require a fight. The good news is that Jews have many allies in this fight, and it can be won.”