A prominent Jewish-American leader says American Jews should move to Israel — for their own safety. Lori Palatnik, an Orthodox Jewish writer and activist who founded the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project, said in a video posted to YouTube that sentiment against Jewish people is growing, and that Jews around the world will be safest in Israel. Returning to Israel is also a fulfillment of a biblical prophecy, she said, marking the “end of days.”

Palatnik says that after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, she started reading about “the scary prophets that talked about what happens at the end of days” — referring to the Books of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Zechariah. In those books, she says, it is prophesied that “everything is going to come down, and ultimately all the Jews will move to Israel.” She believes the 9/11 attacks were partly a fulfillment of that prophecy.

Palatnik said she asked rabbis about the prophecy and when Jews should return to Israel.

“[One rabbi] said, ‘When they start killing Jews in the street, get out. Unfortunately, that’s what’s going on. France, New York ... people are being assaulted and even killed simply because they are Jews,” she said in the video.

Palatnik elaborated on her views to Breaking Israel News: “Anti-Semitism is worse than before the Holocaust. In Paris you can’t wear a kippah on the street. Is that what we’re waiting for?”

Palatnik added that going to Israel does not mean that Jews there would be completely safe but that “the government’s No. 1 priority is to protect the Jewish population. It’s a whole different ballgame over there.”

Palatnik said that she and her husband have taken their children on trips to Israel since they were very young, and that she hopes that her family will end up in Israel very soon.

Her organization, the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Proect, works to take Jewish women from around the world on tours of Israel to build a connection to the country and instill Jewish values.

Her message — undoubtedly controversial with some American Jews — was delivered with a smile.

“I hope this is not too apocalpytic to you, but history is unfolding before our eyes, and we can’t turn away,” said Palatnik.

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