Is a New Jewish Defense League Needed?

Commentary

How well have the Jews in New York City been faring under their new mayor? Not too well.

Zohran Mamdani’s continual criticism of Israel—if not actual incitement to do harm to Jewish citizens—might well at least amount to instigation. He has characterized Israel’s campaign in Gaza as a “genocide.” This is an open sesame for Jew haters to get out from under the slimy rocks they have been hiding under.

Anti-Semitic outrages are a serious and disproportionate problem. Jewish New Yorkers account for roughly 10 percent of the population and yet account for more than half (54 percent) of confirmed hate crimes; overall major crime fell sharply in the Big Apple while those against Jews were on the incline.

To be fair, his honor’s Strategy to Combat Antisemitism includes $6.4 million in Partners Against the Hate grants, $1 million for security at synagogues and other houses of worship. The police do protect Jewish schools.

Major Jewish organizations—such as the UJA-Federation, the Jewish Community Relations Council, the American Jewish Committee, and the New York Board of Rabbis—appreciate the security funding but maintain that the mayor “demonizes and delegitimizes Israel” and thus contributes to hostility toward Jewish New Yorkers.

I am not too concerned about vituperation, nastiness, and use of the “K” word. What concerns me far more are the swastikas painted on synagogues, the “no-go” zones for students of Hebrew extraction on Big Apple university campuses, and, far worse, the actual physical assaults and, yes, murders, of people of the Jewish faith.

What should be done?

The head of the police department is a Jew. Jessica S. Tisch has been the New York City Police Commissioner since Nov. 25, 2024. Yet the cops have not been able to quell the high and rising number of outbreaks of violence perpetrated upon the so-called Chosen People.

Is a new version of the Jewish Defense League (JDL) what the doctor ordered?

The JDL protected Jews from anti-Semitic violence and harassment. It included neighborhood patrols, armed and martial-arts training, and confrontational protests.

To be sure, many mainstream Jewish organizations rejected the JDL; they viewed it as dangerous and extremist. However, it cannot be denied that violence against Jews diminished as a result of its defensive activities. It cannot be denied that this was not a perfect solution. This organization did go to extremes.

What is needed is a reiteration, or resuscitation or renewal of a kinder, gentler, more moderate JDL. Rabbi Meir Kahane (1932–1990) was a Brooklyn-born Orthodox rabbi who founded the JDL in New York in 1968. His signature slogan was “Never Again.” He favored Jewish self-defense as a response to the Holocaust as well as to crime in his home city.

Will some rabbi step up and reinvigorate Jewish defense?

There is no reason this should be a monopoly of Jews in Israel. Rabbi Kahane has demonstrated that people of the book can successfully do so in Brooklyn, the other boroughs, too.

It need not be a rabbi who steps up and starts up a new version of the JDL. Curtis Sliwa was not a rabbi, yet his organization did yeoman’s work in quelling criminal behavior. His Guardian Angels, a volunteer crime-prevention group active in over 130 cities worldwide, has reduced serious law-breaking wherever it has been located. Jews can do no less to protect themselves.

It is all well and good to rely upon “the kindness of strangers” for safety. Sometimes, and for many years, this works out just fine. However, all too often, the rug is pulled out from under our very feet. As the experience of Israel has demonstrated, over and over again, this is a “do-it-yourself” job. Our community must also look after itself.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.