America or Israel: You can’t have both
It was always a great concern for many French Jews who knew that if Marine Le Pen, member of the far-right National Rally political party became France’s new president, she would curtail dual citizenship. Why? Because hundreds of thousands of them have Israeli citizenship as well.
For them, it was more of an insurance policy – knowing that they may, one day, need to flee the European country which has taken in millions of Muslim migrants, many of whom are virulently antisemitic.
Having that Israeli status ready in hand would assure them that they would not end up like their ancestors who found themselves unable to escape once the Nazis occupied France. So, who could blame them for taking the precautionary measure of dual citizenship to the Jewish homeland?
Now, Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno from Ohio has followed suit, presenting a bill to ban dual citizenship. Born in Bogota, Colombia, it was easy for Moreno to give up his native-born status, since the future looked bright back in 1972 when he immigrated to the US, along with his family.
Many American citizens from other countries might also not be too reluctant to give up their original citizenship, especially if the places from where they originated offer less than their new homeland.
But that is not true for Jewish Americans, who, much like their French counterparts, must now think in terms of having that coveted insurance policy of Israeli citizenship should things go badly for them in America.
America post-October 7
Most American Jews have not applied for Israeli citizenship because, up until recently, it wasn’t necessary. The US was the country where at least three or four generations of their families had lived. It was the one place upon which they relied, knowing that nothing or no one could ever persecute them for their ethnicity.
But America has changed dramatically since October 7, 2023. Woke and progressive ideology put an end to the long-standing tolerance that had been a hallmark of American society. And first on the list to bear the brunt of the oppressor class were the Jews.
While the antisemitic urge may have been carefully suppressed, the moment that Israel retaliated for the brutal massacre of her citizens at the hands of Hamas terrorists, the genie was let out of the bottle with seismic force.
Distorted and inverted, the shocking events were manipulated to a false narrative that portrayed Israel’s military as the aggressors who were perpetrating a genocide, in full disregard of international laws.
From there, it didn’t take long for that libelous characterization to make its way to Jewish citizens who resided outside the Jewish homeland, seeing them as an extension of the same despised ethnicity as the IDF.
That was the moment when the security and safety of Jews, taken for granted for nearly a century, came to a screeching halt. As young, Jewish students began to feel the heat on their campuses, they soon realized that they could no longer rely upon their university administrations to guarantee their safe arrival to classes – or, for that matter, protect their rights.
Forced to choose
The same ugly sentiment began to spread in the workplace and through political channels. Jews were no longer looked upon the same way, and once that feeling was internalized, many began to inquire about the possibility of immigrating to the one place they had never considered for a second.
But that’s because they never really needed to look at Israel as the refuge it was originally established to be, assuring that six million of our people would never again be slaughtered like sheep.
So, what happens to them if such a bill banning dual citizenship should pass? They will then be forced to choose between America or Israel, because they won’t be able to have both!
Given the rapid escalation of anti-Jewish sentiment, to the point where one’s last name might be a liability to their success when running for political office, American Jews could come to the likely realization that they will not take a chance and wait around for things to get better. Sadly, they never did in the 1930s.
It’s come to the point where attacks against Jews, in America, Europe, and Australia, are commonplace, with no immediate end in sight. Recent reports say that Australian antisemitism remains at a historical high, where, according to the Anti-Defamation League, 1,654 incidents were registered in the year 2025 alone.
In the US, things are not much better. Here are some findings from the ADL over the past year.
US antisemitism
Over half of Jewish Americans (55%) report experiencing some form of antisemitism.
Some 79% of all respondents are concerned about antisemitism.
Nearly one in five (18%) were either the victim of an assault, experienced threat of physical attack, or experienced verbal harassment due to their Jewish identity in the past year, while more than a third (36%) witnessed actual or threatened antisemitic violence.
Jewish Americans experienced antisemitism in many contexts, with the most common ones including online, public spaces, the workplace, and educational institutions.
Safety concerns are widespread among American Jews; over 50% are somewhat, very or always worried about personal safety, a third have discussed with others what they would do in a “worst case” scenario, and 14% have developed a plan should they need to flee the country due to rising antisemitism. These rates are significantly higher for those who experienced direct antisemitic harm.
Jewish-Americans who experienced direct antisemitic harm or witnessed antisemitic acts within the past 12 months exhibited higher rates of symptoms used to screen for anxiety and depression.
Finally, one in five Jews who wore something distinctively Jewish before October 7 have since taken it off.
Given the above concerning developments, has Sen. Moreno even considered how his proposed bill would adversely impact the American Jewish community, at a time when sentiment against them is so highly charged?
He should, because it affects millions of them who are still living in the US – and are surely worried now that New York has an incoming mayor who has vowed to arrest the Israeli prime minister should he set foot in his city.
As unexpected and bizarre as all this sounds, Jewish Americans may very well be facing the choice of America or Israel, because if Moreno has his way, they will no longer be able to have both.
This article originally appeared on The Jerusalem Post and is reposted with permission.
A former Jerusalem elementary and middle-school principal who made Aliyah in 1993 and became a member of Kibbutz Reim but now lives in the center of the country with her husband. She is the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, based on the principles from the book of Proverbs - available on Amazon.
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