The Israeli-American Council’s National Summit, held this past weekend in Hollywood, Fla., capped off a consequential year for the American Israeli community, which has become increasingly involved in American Jewish life, particularly in the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attacks.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli expats played a pivotal role in encouraging President Donald Trump to advance a hostage-release deal. This included grassroots efforts, such as the weekly protests that were overwhelmingly organized and attended by Israeli expats, as well as the targeted lobbying efforts of Israeli-born philanthropist and GOP donor Dr. Miriam Adelson, who arranged many of the meetings between hostage families and Trump’s White House.

In a sign of this growing inclusion of Israeli expats in American Jewish life, in March, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations welcomed IAC into its ranks, noting its “transformative role in connecting Israeli-Americans to Jewish life and advocacy.” Conference of Presidents CEO William Daroff and Board Chair Betsy Berns Korn addressed the Florida gathering last Friday, stressing Jewish unity and communal commitment to Israel.

Last spring also saw two Israeli slates — IAC and the America-Israel Democracy Coalition — run in the World Zionist Congress’ American elections, earning four and three seats, respectively.

Though the precise number is hotly debated by demographers, hundreds of thousands of Israeli nationals are estimated to be living in the United States. Their connection to both the American Jewish community and to the State of Israel has often been complicated, however. 

For secular Israelis, joining a synagogue — still the primary community structure for American Jewry — was a nonstarter, making it difficult for them to play active roles in their communities. In recent years, Jewish Community Centers and Jewish federations have made a more concerted effort to engage Israeli expats through specially tailored programs, such as launching Israeli Scouts chapters. Though tensions remain — part of the issues that emerged this summer within Friends of the IDF concerned divisions between Israeli-born and American-born staff and lay leaders — Israeli Jews living in the United States are increasingly joining local federations and community organizations as staff and board members.

For the State of Israel, the relationship with its expat community has also been fraught. In a recent article in the academic journal Israel Studies, Argentine-Israeli researcher Perla Aizencang-Kane describes that relationship as following Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. 

Israeli leaders initially denied and downplayed the phenomenon of emigration, and then fumed at the emigrés, who were described as disloyal and selfish. Beginning in the 1990s, the Israeli government became more nuanced as it sought to negotiate a new relationship with its expatriate citizens. This was followed by growing — and lingering — “anxiety over the so-called ‘brain drain’ and its long-term implications for Israel’s demographic composition and economic resilience,” according to Aizencang-Kane. More recently, the Israeli government has accepted that emigration is a fact of life and those moving abroad “were no longer viewed exclusively as deserters but increasingly as strategic assets within a broader global Israeli network,” she said.

The IAC conference, which was attended by Israeli officials, along with American lawmakers and heads of American Jewish organizations, is part of that growing transnationalism. Writing in these pages in October, veteran Jewish Peoplehood educator Elan Ezrachi noted that as Israel becomes more of a “normal” country, emigration will only increase and the Israeli diaspora will become stronger. “As we grow to recognize this reality, we need to devote intellectual properties to the Zionist discourse around this phenomenon,” Ezrachi wrote. “Israelis abroad are an asset, not a problem.”

Ed. note: An earlier version of this piece incorrectly stated that Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter attended the IAC conference; though scheduled to appear, he canceled at the last minute, according to the organizers.