By now, every Jew in America should understand what time it is.
The mobs are in the streets, the chants are explicit—"Free Palestine," "From the River to the Sea," "Death to Israel."
- Synagogues have been defaced.
- Jewish-owned businesses targeted.
- American flags burned alongside Israeli ones.
And what do we hear from most of our political leaders in Washington? Mealy-mouthed condemnations, tepid "both sides" platitudes, and cowardice dressed up as diplomacy.
Michael Rapaport said it bluntly — and truthfully — when he warned, "The cavalry is not coming to save the Jews."
Let’s not kid ourselves.
We're living in a time of renewed and emboldened antisemitism.
But this is not the cowardly antisemitism that hides behind online anonymity.
This is a full-throated, open, proud brand of Jew-hatred that is now mainstream—on our college campuses, in our city streets, and in our legislative halls.
We’ve seen this before. We know how this movie ends. And yet, too many of our own still cling to the illusion that America’s institutions will protect us.
That the same campus administrators who bend over backward to accommodate pro-Hamas rallies will find the moral clarity to stand for Jewish safety.
That the same politicians who couldn’t even condemn the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre without including a nod to the "plight of the Palestinians" will suddenly rediscover their spines.
Enough with such fantasies.
The reality is that Jews in America are being abandoned, and unless we defend ourselves — physically, unflinchingly, unapologetically — we will be at the mercy of those who want us erased.
This is why we must now organize, publicly and decisively, to create a Jewish self-defense force in America—an updated, domestic version of the Haganah.
For those who don’t remember their history, the Haganah wasn’t born out of comfort.
It was forged out of necessity. It was the shield of the Jewish people when British colonial forces turned a blind eye to Arab violence.
It was a volunteer army of Jews who realized that begging others to protect them was not a strategy — it was suicide.
We are in a similar moment now.
The threats we face aren’t hypothetical.
They are immediate, present, and physical.
Jewish schools and synagogues now require armed guards, and even that has become a point of debate in many communities.
Families debate whether to send their children to public schools for fear of open antisemitic harassment. Entire neighborhoods are reconsidering their safety in formerly "safe" cities.
And in the face of this, we’re told to wait. Wait for law enforcement. Wait for politicians. Wait for the media to care.
Again: The cavalry isn’t coming.
We must become our own cavalry.
A Jewish defense organization must be national, volunteer-based, and strategically structured—focused on deterrence, protection, and training. We are not talking about vigilantes. We are talking about self-preservation.
Community patrols trained in de-escalation and physical defense.
Synagogue protection teams with clear protocols.
Rapid response networks in the event of protests, attacks, or threats. And above all, the courage to say clearly: Jews will not be victims in their own country.
Of course, this will make some people uncomfortable. Good.
Self-defense should make the right people uncomfortable—those who are too cowardly to confront evil and too naive to recognize danger.
To those who say this will "escalate tensions," we ask: What tensions are left to escalate? Our children are being hunted on campus. Our houses of worship need 24/7 surveillance.
Jews were massacred in Israel, and half of America justified it. We’re already under siege!
This is not about politics. This is about survival.
And survival, historically, has never come from silence or submission. It comes from organization, from bravery, and from the unshakable belief that Jewish life is worth defending—by any means necessary.
Those who want us dead are not hiding it anymore. Islamists chant "Allahu Akbar!" while storming through Jewish neighborhoods. They even film themselves desecrating Jewish spaces. They shout their genocidal slogans with pride.
This is not just antisemitism — it is ideological warfare. A global intifada is metastasizing, and the borders between Gaza and the West have blurred.
The enemy is no longer just in the Mideast. It's here, radicalized and marching under the banner of "resistance," fueled by a mix of Woke indoctrination, Islamist ideology, and political cowardice.
And where is our Jewish leadership?
- Too many are still trying to be polite.
- Too many are still writing op-eds hoping to win over the mob with words.
- Too many are still hiding behind respectability politics, thinking that if we just explain ourselves better, the world will understand.
It won’t.
Antisemitism doesn’t emanate from misunderstanding, it comes from hatred.
You don't fight hatred. You fight it.
We're at a crossroads.
We can either continue begging the same broken system to protect us, or we can take responsibility for our own survival.
We must channel the spirit of the Haganah — bold, unapologetic, and prepared.
We must refuse to be victims.
We must be Jews who stand up, not bow down.
No one is coming to save us. And that’s fine.
Because from this moment on, we must be ready to save ourselves.
Robert Chernin is a business leader, political adviser, and podcast host. He has been a consultant on presidential, senatorial, congressional, and gubernatorial races, including roles in the campaigns of George W. Bush and John McCain. Robert serves as chairman of Israel Appreciation Day, American Center for Education and Knowledge, and The American Coalition. Read Robert Chernin's Reports — More Here.