I’m not sure if this is the right community for this question, but it says “no stupid question” so here goes. I’m an Israeli who now lives in the US, but I am considering permanently residing in the US or elsewhere (perhaps somewhere in Europe or Canada) because I’ve become kinda disillusioned with Israel for a variety of reasons (the war in Gaza being one of them, the erosion of democracy by Likud being another, and etc) but is that cowardly to leave? Should I go back and try to change society or should I just leave for good? Thanks for your time.
It is cowardly, but the amount of good you can do is much greater while you’re alive and healthy. Cowardice is an evolutionary trait. It helps us survive. Don’t let it become guilt. If democracy has truly eroded and Israel is beyond redemption as you hypothesize, then there is nothing you could have done as an individual to begin with.
How is looking out for yourself cowardly ? Especially with what Israel is doing.
The brave thing to do, conversely, would be to return to Israel and do everything in your power to make this catastrophe stop. Door to door activism, arranging speaking events, educating youth, protesting in front of the Knesset. Throw your body into the machine until the gears stop turning.
But not everybody will, and not everyone is even capable of doing so, nor is it the only option to create a better future.
the Earth is huge go start over. People die crossing borders. No one wants to cross a border into a warzone.