\u201cWe need to organize ourselves inside and outside of the major Jewish organizations,\u201d Rosen said. \u201cWe have to just go beyond them, around them, under them and over them to get to the people who care.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t Anti-Israel protesters in Times Square, New York City, June 16, 2025. (Luke Tress\/Times of Israel)<\/p>\n \u2018We have a huge echo chamber problem\u2019<\/p>\n Antisemitism is at record levels in the US, according to polling. US campuses have seen disruptive anti-Israel protests that sometimes veer into outright antisemitism, and activists have held thousands of anti-Israel demonstrations across the country.<\/p>\n Some of the insurgent Jewish activists believe the community\u2019s groups need to rethink their strategy for communicating with the broader public.<\/p>\n \t Toba Hellerstein, the head of Attune Now. (Courtesy)<\/p>\n Toba Hellerstein, the head of Attune Now<\/a>, a consulting group founded last year that has studied communications related to Israel and Jews, argues that Jewish organizations are largely speaking to other Jews in their advocacy, instead of looking outward.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a huge echo chamber problem,\u201d said Hellerstein, who is the founder of the Texas-Israel Alliance advocacy group and has a background in international consulting and diplomacy.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat that looks like is us clinging to certain ways of communicating in certain lexicons. So, for example, we\u2019re really focused on words like \u2018Zionism\u2019 and \u2018fighting antisemitism,’\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of attachment to the terms, but these terms, they hold a very different emotional meaning for us than they do for other Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n Her group released a 140-page report<\/a> in February that called for an overhaul in how the Jewish community communicates. To compile the report, the group convened non-Jewish focus groups in Texas, comprised of Black participants, Latinos, and white mothers.<\/p>\n Many focus group participants did not know Israel was a Jewish state, confused Israelis and Palestinians, and only around half knew about the October 2023 attack on Israel<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The research found a \u201cvast knowledge gap\u201d between the public and Jewish communities. Many focus group participants did not know Israel was a Jewish state, confused Israelis and Palestinians, and only around half knew about Hamas\u2019s October 2023 attack on Israel in which the terror group slaughtered 1,200 and took 251 hostages to Gaza. Others were surprised to learn Israel is the only Jewish state in the region and surrounded by Arab nations, an insight that altered their understanding of the conflict.<\/p>\n Jewish community representatives, meanwhile, assume a basic knowledge about the conflict due to their social circles\u2019 familiarity with the issue, the report argued.<\/p>\n \u201cMessaging that resonates within Jewish communities often falls flat with general audiences because it assumes shared knowledge, terminology, and emotional connections that outsiders simply do not have,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n Arguments that rely on history, jargon and geopolitical analysis are counterproductive, often alienating audiences who find the messaging inaccessible. Moral outrage over antisemitism can feel like scolding, causing audiences to feel defensive, the report argued.<\/p>\n \u201cThe core issue is that Jewish and pro-Israel advocates often communicate with non-Jews the same way they speak to other Jews \u2014 without recognizing that an entirely different approach is required,\u201d the report said. Focus group participants, for example, said Israeli spokespeople after October 7 appeared \u201crobotic, rigid, and cold,\u201d coming across as defensive, instead of empathetic.<\/p>\n \t A protest led by Within Our Lifetime in Manhattan, September 17, 2021. (Luke Tress)<\/p>\n Pro-Palestinian advocacy, meanwhile, \u201cmasterfully harnesses emotion and visual storytelling\u201d in a more easily digestible, social media-friendly messaging, particularly for younger Americans, the report said.<\/p>\n The report argued pro-Israel activists should adopt simpler, more raw narratives driven by human stories, and focus on building emotional connections instead of winning arguments. Younger generations in particular are averse to polished, bureaucratic messaging, like the carefully worded statements issued by many Jewish groups, the report said.<\/p>\n One focus group was shown a picture of the Black Israeli singer Eden Alene that was meant to start a discussion about race and representation, for example. The participants instead became curious about the music, highlighting culture\u2019s ability to engage the public and open doors for a more nuanced perspective of Israel, and helping to relate to Israelis as people.<\/p>\n Zionism should be framed using universal values that are important to Americans, such as belonging and resilience, the report said, contrasting pro-Israel arguments with pro-Palestinian messaging centered on simple themes like justice, solidarity and resistance. Presenting a unified message from Jewish communities will be difficult, though, because American Jews represent a vast array of perspectives, while the pro-Palestinian camp is relatively unified in its messaging.<\/p>\n \t A pro-Israel activist at an anti-Israel protest at the NYU Langone Medical Center, New York City, January 6, 2025. (Luke Tress\/Times of Israel)<\/p>\n Hellerstein advocated using curiosity and \u201ctactical empathy\u201d to connect with opponents, instead of defensiveness or arguments.<\/p>\n \u201cCulturally, we go to hyper-intellectualization, and that makes it really hard to emotionally resonate with the public,\u201d Hellerstein told The Times of Israel. \u201cYou can prove people are being unfair, but that doesn\u2019t change their minds.\u201d<\/p>\n Touching the third rail<\/p>\n The Coalition for a Safer Web, an advocacy group led by Marc Ginsberg, former US ambassador to Morocco and ex-White House adviser for the Middle East, issued a report<\/a> in June, \u201cAWOL From the Campaign Against Antisemitism.\u201d The report accused Jewish organizations of disorganization and inefficiency that has allowed antisemitism to proliferate, and advocated for a more offensive approach. It called the status quo \u201cintolerable\u201d and demanded a \u201cshift in strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n The report called on the Jewish community to convene a national summit of experts; urged organizations and policymakers to create a unified battle plan for combating antisemitism; to appoint a private sector leader from outside Jewish organizations to head national strategy; use legal means to target funding and nonprofit abuses in the anti-Israel movement; invest in innovative tools, such as artificial intelligence<\/a>, to combat online hatred; and train spokespeople.<\/p>\n \t A group of pro-Palestinian protesters march away from Columbia University on May 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo\/Heather Khalifa)<\/p>\n \u201cCSW is daring to touch the proverbial third rail and challenge the community, its donors, and its leaders to transform \u2018uncoordinated\u2019 into \u2018coordinated\u2019 responses to the threats,\u201d the report said, adding that anti-Israel activists are \u201ccoordinating in lockstep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe absence of a national director, a comprehensive strategy, and an all-points battle plan to better defend America\u2019s Jews is not only inexcusable, but also a shanda,\u201d the report said, using the Yiddish word for \u201cdisgrace.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018The absence of a national director, a comprehensive strategy, and an all-points battle plan to better defend America\u2019s Jews is not only inexcusable, but also a shanda\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The report pointed to the array of Jewish groups releasing surveys about antisemitism<\/a>, calling it a \u201cnumbing duplication of wasted effort.\u201d\n<\/p>\n The report focused on online radicalization and funding for anti-Israel networks, saying Jewish groups should urge lawmakers and use legal means to stymie funding to activist groups tied to foreign actors, such as far-left organizations linked to the Chinese Communist Party<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cOur adversaries are exploiting every gap that we\u2019re leaving wide open. Why? We could be closing these loopholes,\u201d Ginsberg said.<\/p>\n Fighting the last battle<\/p>\n Some Jewish community leaders have acknowledged the need for a change in direction.<\/p>\n The head of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, said at an annual summit in March, \u201cWe can\u2019t keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe must identify what works and what doesn\u2019t deliver results,\u201d Greenblatt said<\/a>. \u201cWe simply can\u2019t keep doing something because it\u2019s tradition or because some donor likes it.\u201d<\/p>\n Greenblatt said the ADL is taking new approaches such as leaning into data to document the rise in antisemitism, using litigation to combat anti-Jewish discrimination, and has launched a Jewish exchange-traded fund on the New York Stock Exchange through ADL subsidiary JLens to oppose anti-Israel corporate boycott efforts.<\/p>\n \u2018When there is no moral shame, you can\u2019t just scold someone into action\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cIn a world where it is increasingly acceptable to be antisemitic, condemnation is not enough, because when there is no moral shame, you can\u2019t just scold someone into action,\u201d Greenblatt said.\n<\/p>\n Rosen hopes his app, Emissary<\/a>, will counter anti-Israel activism on campuses and elsewhere. The app connects online activists who share a pro-Israel ideology, even if they are separated by geography, and Rosen has been pitching the platform to synagogues and students at Jewish schools.<\/p>\n \t Daniel Rosen, the founder of the Emissary advocacy app. (Courtesy)<\/p>\n He said the app will allow groups to coordinate \u201cmissions,\u201d such as contacting members of Congress to thank them for support of Israel, to comment on inaccurate news reports about Israel, or to push a unified message or slogan online in a way that will get traction with social media algorithms.<\/p>\n Online commenters\u2019 ability to shift discourse on Israel, particularly in nontraditional media such as podcasts, was on display last month after the Nelk Boys, podcasters with more than 2 million subscribers on YouTube, hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The discussion drew harsh pushback<\/a> and tens of thousands of comments, mostly negative. The hosts then held a discussion with anti-Israel commentator Bassem Youssef, who scolded the podcasters for speaking with Netanyahu and spread falsehoods about Israel<\/a>. One of the show\u2019s hosts, Kyle Forgeard, apologized for speaking with Netanyahu.<\/p>\n Rosen said Emissary will help pro-Israel advocates catch up with anti-Israel activists online, although it will be an uphill battle, as Jews represent such a small share of the global population.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve been doing this for 30 years. We just woke up. We just came to the party really late. They\u2019re like an all-star NBA team, and we\u2019re like JV, Yeshiva League basketball,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not in the same category as them. But we\u2019re still both trying to play basketball. We\u2019re not organized.\u201d<\/p>\n Emissary includes an AI feature that allows users to ask questions, such as how extremist criticism of Israel is related to antisemitism. The AI uses inputs from Jewish sources like the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee. Rosen hopes college students will use the AI module to formulate arguments against anti-Zionist activity on campus.<\/p>\n He said the app is still in its early stages and has around 4,000 users.<\/p>\n All three activists who spoke with The Times of Israel argued that mainstream Jewish groups are fighting the last battle, instead of adapting.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not like we have organizations that were designed for Jewish life today. They\u2019re relics of the past and inertia,\u201d Hellerstein said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEW YORK \u2014 Daniel Rosen, a Jewish businessman in New York, was a pro-Israel activist while he was…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":131250,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[99,50],"class_list":{"0":"post-131249","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-israel","9":"tag-news"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114997828551132045","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131249"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131249\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/131250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250616_untitled_04237.jpg\")
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