WZO head reflects on post-Oct 7 Zionism challenges, shares painful personal loss

The chairman of the World Zionist Organization (WZO), Yaakov Hagoel, recently reflected on the painful loss of his brother-in-law Assaf Schlessinger, who was murdered by Hamas terrorists while serving as a paramedic at the Nova Music Festival in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

"These were the hardest days our family has ever faced. We went from hospital to hospital amidst the terrible chaos. During the shiva, the rabbi who came to visit me mentioned that it was his seventh shiva that day. My brother-in-law left behind twins, a boy, and a girl. My personal experience with this family tragedy connects me to the suffering of the families of those kidnapped," Hagoel told the Israeli news outlet Yedioth Ahronoth.

"When I speak with them, I’m reminded of the heavy sense of uncertainty and fog enveloping me. It’s extremely difficult," he continued. "My eldest son served over 100 days in Gaza, took a brief leave to attend his son's Brit Milah, and returned to reserve duty. My daughter-in-law’s family also suffered a loss during the war – a cousin who was killed at Nahal Oz. We went from one funeral to the next. Our nation is in trauma."

Hagoel also admitted that Zionists worldwide have been facing multiple challenges in the post-Oct. 7 era, with the rise of antisemitism against Israel and the Jewish people.

"Since October 7, attitudes toward the World Zionist Organization have shifted. There is greater awareness of our activities and goals. Antisemitic incidents worldwide have surged dramatically. We are witnessing an eightfold increase in Antisemitic events, amounting to hundreds of such incidents per day globally. The most troubling issue is that many Jews in the diaspora are beginning to accept this situation as normal,” Hagoel assessed.

"They view it as ‘the price of being Jewish outside Israel.’ Even worse, many have lost faith in law enforcement's ability to protect them in their countries. One of the most shocking recent events was the pogrom against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam. The Israeli government managed to evacuate most of the fans back to Israel in record time, but the Jewish community that remained there is experiencing a deep crisis. I sent a team to Amsterdam, and they spent Shabbat with the Jewish community. The situation was extremely distressing – they were afraid to leave their homes,” he recalled.

In November, Muslim extremists injured at least 10 Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam in a coordinated antisemitic attack that was widely described as a pogrom.

While the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre has united Israelis and Jews in the diaspora, Hagoel said that Israelis often underestimate the threats and challenges that Jews outside of Israel face as minority communities.

"As Israelis, we fail to grasp how deeply the sense of security for our brothers and sisters in the diaspora has been shaken. I am in daily contact with representatives of Jewish communities worldwide, and I hear repeatedly that their fears today are far greater than they’ve been in years past. Jews are afraid to walk the streets, reluctant to place mezuzahs on their doorposts. Over the past year, Jewish students have felt unsafe standing out on U.S. campuses or have preemptively chosen not to send their children to such campuses at all," he stated.

Looking ahead, Hagoel expressed cautious optimism about the future of the Jewish population in Israel.

"Based on the number of immigration files that have been opened, we estimate that around 100,000 immigrants are expected to arrive in Israel after the war. Since October 7, despite the complex security situation, approximately 33,000 people have already made Aliyah."

As the chairman of the Zionist movement, of course, I would be delighted if everyone chose to make Aliyah, but I respect each individual's right to decide where to live and raise their children. On the one hand, I encourage Aliyah, but on the other, I support strengthening Jewish communities in the diaspora because they have the right to exist and thrive anywhere in the world."