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I became an accidental advocate for Israel over a year ago. Since then, I’ve learned a lot, which is why I thought it important to share five pieces of advice from what I’ve picked up along the way.
Those who know me well also know the irony of this. For nearly a decade I have used this platform to lambast my country for everything from the Disengagement in 2005 to the abysmal customer service to the driving, which in all honesty frightens me on a level on par with that of terrorism.
But there are things about Israel I have never stopped loving or supporting.
Israel has a rich and fascinating history I think everyone should be familiar with. I support the IDF in every way imaginable, whether it be contributing monthly to my favorite charity or encouraging people to enlist and seek a role they can use to make Israel a better, safer place.
The True Zionist
I see no contradiction. As I’ve stated before, I believe the true Zionist is not the one who blindly supports Israel or its government, but the one who has high expectations. The one who knows the potential of this nation, and wants the population fighting every day to create a better place.
I don’t want people to move to Israel simply to escape antisemitism. Or, God forbid, to escape a theoretical worse America under its current leadership. I want people to come here because it’s amazing. Because they’ve evaluated all of the details, and they’ve decided that it’s objectively the most incredible place to live.
But when I encountered Israel bashing online at levels I’ve never seen before, I couldn’t remain silent. I don’t like Israel’s ultra-high taxes or its archaic libel laws or its inability to give parking tickets to people blocking the entire sidewalk. But people aren’t criticizing the country for those issues. They’re accusing Israel of many things, using extremely harsh and violent language, and they are making my people look terrible in ways that are wildly undeserved.
So I stood up and shouted from the rooftops of Quora, and continue to do so every day. My words have been seen millions of times, and I’d like to think I’m making a difference.
As an accidental advocate for Israel, today I’d like to speak about five things I learned–five pieces of advice–about how to do this more effectively:
Pieces of Advice #1: Understand the Duty
First, you need to recognize the sacredness of the duty. It’s no joke. The propaganda and the loud shouting voices out there are many. There’s more of them than there are of us. And their rhetoric is painfully effective, even if it might seem inane at times.
As a teacher, I learned and re-learned over and over again that just because you thought you were clearly and intelligently getting a point across in no way ensured that it was actually happening. Sometimes you have to re-state your point in an entirely different way. And even still, there’s no guarantee those listening will understand or agree with your statements or sentiment.
It is not on the listener to try harder to understand. When you recognize the importance of what you’re doing, you also need to recognize how essential it is to keep fine-tuning your way of saying things. Every time you make a point, you need to pay attention to how others react to it. You should never stop improving the message.
That’s how you treat your words when your words are your most precious commodity.
Pieces of Advice #2: Define the Terms
The second thing is very important for knowing what’s a positive use of your time.
Most teachers or parents know that sometimes a question is not a question. It’s a statement–usually a rude one–cleverly hidden in the form of a question. In this particular case, it will usually contain language that makes assumptions or uses unnecessarily inflammatory language.
For example:
Makes assumptions: Do Israelis feel guilty because of the genocide occurring in Gaza?
This question, which is most likely just a statement, assumes there is a genocide occurring.
Inflammatory language: Do you think there will ever be peace between the Palestinians and the Zionazi occupiers?
The term ‘zionazi’ gives away everything you need to know about the one asking the question. “Occupier” says a lot as well. They’re insulting all of Israel and likely the Jewish people. And they’re trying to get a rise out of you. They aren’t seeking an answer. They’re whole purpose is to annoy and frustrate those with whom they disagree.
One option when these “questions” arise, and not a bad one, is to just ignore them. These people don’t deserve your time or attention. They are not expressing curiosity. They are just trying to pick a fight.
And if their question makes them sound insane, just let it go. They’re harming themselves and their own cause, without any need for your assistance.
But you do need to weigh whether or not there is a benefit to answering, because there are always others watching as well. And sometimes silence can be misinterpreted as agreement. So when you–the thoughtful, educated advocate–ignore these questions, that means two other types of people will likely get involved: Those who agree with the asker, and those who take the bait and get into an argument. Both are problematic and do a terrible disservice.
If you want to control the narrative, get involved.
But the first thing to do is to pick apart the question. And this needs to be done calmly, intelligently, and systematically. Define terms or demand they define their terms. Use facts. Make sure it’s abundantly clear that the asker has an agenda and point out what that agenda is. Someone reading the thread should see your educated and informed response, and it should give them pause. They should know you are the one who has a clue, not the ill-informed or aggressive individual who asked in the first place.
Just whatever you do, don’t get angry, aggressive, or insulting.
Which leads to the third of my fives pieces of advice.
Pieces of Advice #3: Don’t engage
When someone is nasty or insulting, it’s very tempting to give them back what they give you. Be aggressive, fight with people, call them names.
The problem is twofold.
First, when you do this, you’ve just fallen into a trap. They’re baiting you. Trying to pull you down to their level. Prior to this, you were levelheaded and logical. But now you’re just a mean, nasty genocidal Zionist who must resort to insults.
If you want to be better than others, you need to actually be better than others.
But the second part is even more important. There are other people watching the conversation. Some are involved, some are quiet. And they’re far more important than the individual you’re engaging with. Why? You will more than likely have zero impact on an aggressive pro-Palestinian activist who’s already made up his mind that Israel is the devil. But others watching might be on the fence, and they’re willing to look at things in multiple ways. They will be entirely unimpressed by insults and jabs. They’ll be listening to the arguments and to the manner in which those arguments are being made.
No one has ever swayed a person to their belief system by calling someone an idiot. And it’s off-putting to anyone watching. Keep a level head, don’t lower yourself, stay calm, and continue to make righteous arguments. It’s not easy. But the correct choice rarely is. Do this and you can have a much greater impact on anyone who might come across your conversation.
But in order to have a rational discussion, you need facts and information.
Which leads to the fourth of five pieces of advice.
Pieces of Advice #4: Get Yourself Educated
Middle Eastern history and politics are some of the most complex topics I’ve ever tried to understand. There are so many facts and details and opinions and arguments. It’s overwhelming!
No, you don’t need a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies to have an intelligent conversation about what’s happening. But the more you know, the better. If you find yourself dealing with these questions a lot, make it a priority to be well read and to follow current events. There are many, many interesting books and websites and newsletters.
It’s hard to know everything. Basically impossible. But it’s not hard to know something. You just have to prioritize that knowledge and make obtaining information a daily task.
It’s not good to be just one step ahead of those who seek to denigrate Israel. And you certainly can’t afford to be one step behind.
And that leads to my final piece of advice, one I don’t hear often. Also, one I maintain is probably the most important.
Pieces of Advice #5: Embrace the Negative
Israel’s history is complicated. The country and its various governments are by no means perfect. And if you only read articles about Israel written by those who just want to shout praise of the nation and whitewash the complex pieces of its history, you will be woefully underprepared when challenged.
Most of the so-called negative parts of Israel’s history have nuance, if not completely different perspectives on how to understand what happened. You need to know all the bumps and bruises in Israel’s past and you need to contemplate them thoroughly. The worst thing is when the first time you hear about these things is mid-discussion with someone who is anti-Israel.
Don’t run away from Israel’s past. Know about the Yom Kippur War and the Disengagement. Read all about Deir Yassin and the Hannibal Protocol and the bombing of the King David Hotel and Lehi’s attempt to conspire with the Nazis. Don’t be caught off guard. If you are, you’ve essentially lost the battle right then and there. You allow the opposition to appear more knowledgable and authoritative, and to frame the entire narrative with a shred of information to give a different point of view.
Embrace the negative! If you can understand and explain the blemishes of the past–or reframe them as less damning than they’re being presented–you will be better equipped to handle the complications of the present.
