Arm Yourselves . . .

I find a fair amount to object to in Liel Leibovitz's new piece in tabletmag.com — "It’s Time for Europe’s Jews To Arm Themselves." —  http://tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/189100/arming-europes-jews —

where he's a senior editor.

He writes: "Given the inability of European governments to deal with the populations of radical Islamists they have nurtured, and who have been further radicalized by the civil war in Syria and the siren song of ISIS, it is irresponsible to pretend that things are going to get better for Europe’s Jews anytime soon."

He's probably right with regard to his dim forecast about things not getting "better for Europe’s Jews anytime soon." It bothers me, though, that he didn't so much as allude to Israel's treatment of West Bank Palestinians as one reason, maybe the least crazy, for anti-Jewish feeling in various precincts of Paris, and elsewhere.

If Israel were to cease settlement and find some way to honor Palestinian claims for a state of their own, would that negate the threat to Jewish life in Brussels or Paris? Deep question, but not one I want to entertain right now.

I'd rather cut to what I like about the Leibovitz piece.

If you don't espouse mass emigration  — Aliyah — to Israel, and you find it comical to expect Netanyahu to defend you — Israeli fighter jets over your neighborhood for example —  what to do, what do?

Leibovitz argues that Europe’s Jews must learn to defend themselves. They must, though he doesn't put it this way, try to remember or reconstruct everything about securing safety and survival Jews hoped Israel would do for them.

Israel hasn't. Israel is not going to. It never will.

Leibovitz argues European Jews should start arming themselves.

Why not?