Fighting Lies and Misinformation – Teaching Truth
This Shabbat we are moving back to teaching the beauty and depth of our tradition, but will also continue our advocacy training for Israel.
The facts and consequences of the terrorist attacks and atrocities are unfolding further and further.
Some of the most horrific videos were kept secret; some are just being discovered. These profoundly disturbing videos are now making the rounds. We are sickened and grief-stricken in seeing the unspeakable brutality of Hamas. In seeing these videos, we realize, again, that any talk of a ceasefire is not only untenable, but also immoral. The savagery of Hamas equals the worst that we have seen in the past century. Hamas must be defeated and eradicated. Those responsible must not be permitted to walk this earth. Gazans can stop their own suffering in a moment by surrendering to the IDF. If someone knows a better way to defeat Hamas, I’m sure the world would love to hear it.
The morale in the IDF is extremely high. Some reports say that reserve units are at 130% of needed strength. Those who, as of October 6th, were advocating for Israelis not to enlist in the IDF, not to show up for reserve training, and who tried to delegitimize Israel from within, are now silent. Israelis are binding together in the face of this horror. The story of stupendous valor of the first few days of fighting are coming out. Most Israelis agree: investigations of failures at all levels are to come, but that will need to come later.
Most Jews and all good people everywhere support Israel, and are horrified by the anti-Israel demonstrations, many taking place at what we used to call “elite universities.” On that note, I will be offering on a Zoom session Wednesday evening will offer a detailed call to action for high school and college students, their parents and grandparents. We need to know how to respond to the radical ideologies, and then move to proactive plans to guide learning toward truth and justice and not advocating for genocide and atrocities. More information on that to come.
All of us here in here in the United States, college campuses and elsewhere, have our work clearly set out for us and central to that work is the tireless advocating for Israel. I want to remind you that the best way to advocate for Israel is to ask questions and make brief points, but not to argue. Make the other person pull out their smartphone and look up any evidence for what they are saying. Watch the discomfort.
I am hearing most often that people need to know how to respond to two main things:
First, the lie of Jews stealing Palestinian land. There was no political entity called Palestine that owned any land. Palestine was a region, like “the Rocky Mountains.” We all need to know a bit of the history of the region, especially during the Ottoman empire and the British mandate. Friday night I would like to offer brief advocacy training on responding to the lie of Jews stealing Palestinian land. I will take pointed questions.
Second, the lies of the “oppression,” “occupation” and “outdoor prison.” A tragic history of refusal to make peace with Israel is dumped in the problem of these three obfuscations. Complex issues invite slogans of misinformation. We must know a little about the Palestine Civil War of 1948 (“the Israeli War of Independence”), the Six Days War in 1967, and the consequences of each. We need to know a bit about the Oslo accords and the Camp David talks. Shabbat morning I will offer brief advocacy training on the lies around the “oppression,” “occupation” and “outdoor prison” and take pointed questions.
Please join us as gather as community to grieve, to learn and take action.
Lots of work to be done. We have to stay at it.
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