Ronald Lauder: Please speak louder
Ronald Lauder is correct that the antisemitic information war against Israel and the Jewish people must be fought aggressively. (“The War Israel Must Fight,” October 11). However the antisemitic forces arrayedagainst truth are enormous: between 1986 and 2018 Muslim countries poured 6.5 billion dollars into the American university system to promote their political agenda and the foundational antisemitism of the Koran.
The effect of this multi-billion-dollar-backed antisemitic poisonous pedagogy has been substantial in the news media, in universities and the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Lauder and his allies in Israel and the concerned Jewish alumni in the Diaspora must investigate and root out this Jew hatred masquerading as education that is being “taught” across America.
RICHARD SHERMAN
Margate, Florida
Ronald S. Lauder’s opinion piece on the war that Israel must fight correctly points out that Israel and her supporters are at risk to lose the information war, in part because the Israeli government has not taken it seriously enough. He is correct to point out that this could have terrible consequences, as an increasing number of people, crucially including younger people destined for positions of power, are brainwashed with anti-Israel propaganda in schools and on social media. His idea for a Cabinet-level Ministry of Hasbara has much merit, but there is still an important point being overlooked.
Specifically much of hasbara (and the efforts of many well-meaning people seeking to support Israel) is reactive rather than proactive. The anti-Israel forces – including the Palestinian Arabs; Iran; corrupted media outlets like The New York Times; the United Nations; numerous Internet trolls; and antisemites worldwide spew forth a daily ocean of mudslinging lies and calumnies about Israel. Only afterwards are carefully reasoned, factual rebuttals offered up in the presumed spirit of rational discourse. But Israel’s enemies don’t care about factual rebuttals or reasoned discourse, and once emitted, much of the damage caused by these anti-Israel lies and calumnies remains, subsequent rebuttals notwithstanding.
So it is necessary for Israel and her allies to begin implementation of more proactive efforts, rather than merely responding post-hoc to anti-Israel propaganda. Yes, an empowered Israeli Ministry of Hasbara would be a great start, but such a ministry should focus on proactively disseminating attractive and truthful messages about Israel’s numerous strong points in an effective public relations campaign. Similarly Israel’s supporters in the Diaspora would do well to begin more proactive initiatives to communicate Israel’s strong points, in both actual locations such as schools and campuses and in the virtual social media sphere.
We cannot sit back and merely respond after the fact to the daily depredations of an information war aimed at Israel’s destruction. As is often the case in a war, and as demonstrated frequently in Israel’s history, the best defense is a good offense.
DANIEL H. TRIGOBOFF, PH.D.
Williamsville, New York