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“Jews Are Not Running from Anyone Anymore. We’re Not Hiding; We’re Fighting.”

A talk with Israel Bachar, the newly-arrived Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles.
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October 31, 2023
Israel Bachar

Israel Bachar, the newly-arrived Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles, shakes my hand and tells me he didn’t sleep much the night before. It’s not surprising, given that his country (and our collective Jewish homeland) is under attack by enemies so cruel that their barbarity has horrified Jews (and non-Jews) worldwide. 

Yet, at precisely the moment my heart was shattered for Israel, I realized that being at the Consulate, and in the presence of Israel’s senior representative to the Southwestern United States, was healing for me, almost like returning home. 

Bachar began his term in L.A. in September, just weeks before the biggest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust. One of Israel’s highest-profile marketing and political strategists, he’s worked with nearly every major political party and Israeli leader in the country’s modern era, including the late Ariel Sharon, Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz (it was Bachar who thought of the party name, “Blue and White”). In Israel, Bachar is especially known for his out-of-the-box thinking, and his historic “bloc” strategy forever changed the face of Israeli election outcomes.  

Bachar, who was born in Beit She’an in northern Israel and became religious at age 30, spent seven years living in the U.S., serving at the Israeli Consulate in New York and completing his master’s degree in Communications at New York’s Fordham University. 

We spoke about the horror of Israel’s current war against Hamas in Gaza, his upbringing as the son of Sephardic Jews (his father primarily spoke Ladino), and why he considers it a personal mission to strengthen Jewish identity in the U.S. The following interview, which was conducted on October 26, has been edited and abridged for clarity and length. 

Jewish Journal: First and foremost, how is your family in Israel? Are they safe?

Israel Bachar: They’re okay, but are worried and glued to the TV, like everyone else. I’m trying to stay in touch with them as much as I can. 

JJ: How are you coping with this horror, being 8,000 miles away from home?

IB: I feel the pain, but like every other Israeli, it’s hard for me to understand that hatred of Jews is still here. Before I came to this post, I took my wife and daughters to Yad Vashem, to remember why we’re going to America. I bought a book called “To Bear Witness,” to remember every day why I’m here. It’s here, on my desk. I wanted to remind my family and educate my girls that we’re going on a mission: To strengthen the Jewish state and to strengthen the Jewish people in America, because we have a responsibility to them, and a responsibility to our state. And to remember that we cannot take for granted our independence, and that our [Jewish] heritage must be firm and clear. 

Professionally, I’m working around the clock to help the State of Israel. On an emotional level, it’s heartbreaking. 

JJ: Can you give us any updates on the status of the nearly 240 Israeli hostages currently being held by Hamas in Gaza?

IB: There are two goals for the government right now: Topple Hamas and bring back the hostages. It’s very complicated to combine the two. We’re currently exerting a lot of international pressure on Hamas. America is also involved in the hostage crisis. Gal Gadot spoke last night at Temple Israel of Hollywood. We both called on Hamas to release the hostages. Noa Tishby also spoke. I read a passage from Jeremiah 31 about how [the biblical Jewish matriarch] Rachel is weeping for her children and wanting them to come back home. We’re waiting for good news. 

JJ: Do you have any updates about the conflict in the north, with regard to the threat from Hezbollah?

IB: Our assessment right now is that Hezbollah is trying to engage us in some small, military action, but does not necessarily want to open a large-scale war. American deterrence is working and we need to say thank you to President Biden for going public and deterring Hezbollah and Iran, and moving carriers to the region. So far, it’s working. We understand we need to contain the situation in the north, and win in the south. 

JJ: Is Israel considering any long-term action against Iran?

IB: Iran is the architect and Hamas is the proxy. The origin of this instability in the region and worldwide terror network is Iran. We will confront Iran if it’s going to run to the [nuclear] bomb. And it’s Iranian-backed militias that are moving from Iraq to Syria. They’re trying to challenge us on the eastern border, so we responded with a military strike to send a clear signal. Iran is trying to create a ring of fire to surround Israel: In the north, Hezbollah; militias in Syria, and Hamas in the south, in Gaza.  

JJ: What has moved you about how the American Jewish community has responded to this war? 

IB: Two days after the attack, over 300 surgeons wanted to fly to Israel and volunteer. I called the Israeli Health Ministry to tell them aid is on the way. They responded, “Don’t send them.” When I asked why, they told me, “So many have been murdered and burned. There’s no one to save. Please send forensic doctors instead. We need to identify bodies.” So from Los Angeles, we sent four forensic doctors who are working in Israel around the clock, and many of the victims’ bodies still cannot be identified. It was our initiative.

JJ: What does Israel need most from American leaders at this time?

“We are going to have a huge, worldwide diplomatic battle ahead.”  

IB: First, a credible deterrence in the region. Second, an ammunition supply. Third, financial aid. And fourth, we need America to stand with us diplomatically for the long haul. We are going to have a huge, worldwide diplomatic battle ahead.  

JJ: What does Israel need most from the average American today?

“This is not about territory; this is about terrorism.”  

IB: It’s a moment in history when people need to stand for the truth, to distinguish between good and evil, light and darkness. This is not about territory; this is about terrorism, and of taking hope away from humanity. We don’t want to lose the hope of humanity in this world, but that’s what terrorists want. 

JJ: Having previously lived in the U.S., you’re familiar with American society. But have you been surprised by the continued American media bias against Israel in this war, given what a terrible loss the country has suffered?

IB: It didn’t surprise me, because people tend to interpret reality through their own agenda and beliefs, and that’s exactly what The New York Times did, for example. It was obvious to me from the first second that the hospital bombing wasn’t Israel. What fires from Gaza often lands in Gaza. According to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces], 10% of rockets fired from Gaza land in Gaza, and one of them fell on a hospital. And it can happen again tomorrow. 

JJ: What were some of your most important goals as Consul General before October 7, and how have they changed or remained the same? 

IB: What remains the same is that we need to cultivate reciprocity in relationships between the Israeli public and American Jews, mostly on the Israeli side. We need to create educational programs for age 11 to 14, in which students connect weekly on Zoom through the school system, so that Israeli kids will cultivate responsibility and caring for American Jews, and vice versa. We cannot come to people when they’re 20 and already on campus and start to explain to them for the first time about Israel. The future of American Jewry is Jewish education, and the goal is to make it accessible. 

 

JJ: On a local level, who has stood strongest with you in supporting Israel?

“If you’re born in Israel, you’re an Israeli for life.”   

IB: Israelis in L.A. are great and are responding to the situation. We feel an outpouring of love and volunteering. A few thousand reservists left L.A. to fly to Israel, and the flights were full. There were some designated flights from L.A. to Israel, only for the reservists. If you’re born in Israel, you’re an Israeli for life. 

I must give credit to American Jewry. It doesn’t matter if they’re observant or not. That’s the beauty. Everyone understood this was a moment bigger than us. And I got a phone call from [former L.A. mayor] Antonio Villaraigosa. I met with Mayor [Karen] Bass and raised the issue of safety for the Jewish community, and I requested to increase patrols. She was on top of it. I also told Mayor Bass that this war isn’t about territory; it’s about terrorism. She came to the very first vigil on October 8. 

JJ: Please share with readers a story that touched your heart, broke your heart, or one that you may never forget about this current war.

IB: Last night at Temple Israel of Hollywood, I met the Jewish family of two sisters, Norelle and Roya Manzuri, who were at the Nova Festival, along with Norelle’s fiancé of two weeks, Amit. The sisters grew up in L.A. and moved to Israel [when they were] around 10 years old. Their family told me how, back in Israel, their mother received notice that Roya was murdered. But they didn’t know about the status of Norelle. While the mother was talking to President Biden on Zoom, a military official knocked on the door and delivered the second announcement that her other daughter was murdered, too. 

Norelle and Roya Manzuri

The family held two different funerals in the same week. Amit was also murdered. One of the bodies was very hard to identify, even from DNA tests. The sisters ran from the festival to the yeshuvim, and there, Hamas burned them alive. 

JJ: What an unspeakable tragedy. And yet, so many continue to demonize Israel and support Hamas. How can Israel secure a place in the hearts and minds of younger Americans?

“It’s about time to be a proud Jew and a courageous Jew.”  

IB: I’m a great believer in long-term education. I don’t believe in quick fixes. If you want to win the heart and mind of a person, it can take many years of education. We have a beautiful story as a Jewish people, on every level. It’s about time to be a proud Jew and a courageous Jew. That’s exactly why I came here. The Rambam wrote “The Guide to the Perplexed,” but he didn’t write it as a philosophical book for future education. Greece had influenced Jewish society and he understood that we can’t allow foreign ideas into Judaism. Sometimes, I feel that we need to find a second “Guide for the Perplexed” for our generation.

JJ: Your father was born in Turkey and your late mother, z’l, was born in Morocco. How does your identity influence the lens through which you view Israel and being Jewish?

IB: My mother shared a memory with me that, contrary to all the beautiful stories about Morocco, her childhood experience included a pogrom against Jews, and the ones who saved the Jews were the French troops. 

This is exactly why I’m here. The goal of her generation was for people like me to have an independent state. I grew up as a first-generation Israeli. I never felt threatened by different nationalities that let me reside in their country. 

The first time someone made an antisemitic comment to me was when I was 22 and on a trip to America. It was an antisemitic libel about money. I said to myself, “now I understand my mother better; why the state of Israel is the call of history for our generation.” That’s what it is. It’s our job to maintain it. 

JJ: You served in Israel’s elite Golani Brigade. Was there a particular memory from your army service that has stayed with you?

IB: It was 1990 and we were [serving] in Gaza. Back then, there was no Hamas in Gaza, but some Palestinians, including kids, were throwing stones at us. And I remember as a young soldier, I said to myself about Gaza, “Where is this place headed?” I understood something was wrong then, but I couldn’t understand where we were heading with Palestinian society.

JJ: In a September 2023 Jerusalem Post interview, you said that you believe you have a “mission to strengthen Jewish identity.” What does this mean to you?

IB: When I said my goal is about Jewish identity, it’s because first, I care about the Jewish people. But second, I know a strong Jewish identity translates directly to support for Israel. The future of American Jewry resides a lot in the education system and the ability of Jews to give their kids affordable Jewish education. 

It’s hard to blame kids who are going to public schools if they lack knowledge or connection to Judaism and Israel. For me, it was obvious that my girls would study at Jewish schools while we’re in L.A. I’m not coming at this from a halachic (Jewish law) philosophy; I’m coming from a heritage and foundational need that we need to instill in our kids. 

JJ: How do you respond to Jews in the U.S. who now are removing their mezuzot or hiding their Star of David necklaces in public, believing this is the right approach to remaining safe? 

IB: It’s the opposite. Jews are not running from anyone anymore. We’re not hiding; we’re fighting. We’re not apologizing; we’re celebrating who we are.


Tabby Refael is an award-winning writer, speaker and weekly columnist for The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Follow her on X and Instagram @TabbyRefael 

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