Israel Can’t Win a Game That’s Rigged

But Israel is winning big on the ground

By: Yotav Eliach

BREAKING: Explosive drones targeted a kindergarten in Sudan – killing 33 children. It was followed by a strike on a hospital and then the rescuers. According to the Sudan Doctors Network, at least 50 people are dead. Why are there no protests for them?

This is about a drone strike in Sudan that killed 33 children. Then another drone strike on a hospital in Sudan that killed 50 people. Any media coverage in the West? Any college kids protesting? Any Hollywood actors outraged? No, no, and no. This is an example of why good people need to stop blaming Israeli public relations – Hasbara. The level of hatred, venom, antisemitism, moral bankruptcy, pure unadulterated hatred of Jewish nationalism – Zionism that exists in the Western, so called “Progressive” world and the Islamic world is literally hard to fathom.

Israel is not losing the public relations war in the world because she is not telling her story, or documenting it, or not being savvy enough on social media, or any other deficiency. She is losing because her enemies – our enemies do not allow Israel to participate fairly in this worldwide global “debate”! Israel cannot lose a game she is excluded from! In November 1975 – 50 years ago, the United Nations voted overwhelmingly that Zionism – Jewish Nationalism was or is a form of racism! What that meant or means is that Israel has no right to exist and must be destroyed! The UN was founded for one main reason: To fight Naziism – the vilest form of racism.

Do you believe or think for one minute that Israel lost the debate at the UN 50 years ago, regarding  Zionism is racism or not? There was no debate. Muslim, Arab, Communist, and third world countries all decided for a variety of reasons – all related to antisemitism that they will pass this obscene resolution. Israel’s UN Representative at the time Chaim Herzog gave one of the greatest, erudite, articulate, historically factual, spiritually uplifting speeches about Jewish nationalism that anyone has ever given anywhere. He spoke in front of an almost empty UN General Assembly Hall – almost everybody walked out. Those of us who remember that historic speech felt a sense of great pride and purpose.

We knew we had heard and experienced something truly historic. The UN vote did not weaken us. In reality; it strengthened our resolve and our sense of commitment to Jewish nationalism – Zionism and to the State of Israel.

Israel then and now is doing a great job telling its story and so are many pro-Israel allies – Jews and non-Jews. But when most of the planet’s educational systems teach children that Zionism is evil and racist, be they schools in Communist China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Western Europe and the United States, and when most of the news channels report lies, slanders, made up stories as fact day after day, do you really think that some PR wizard can get these vast swaths of the earth’s population to change their minds? If you watch debates in Oxford that are connected to the Israeli-Arab dispute, you will see that overwhelmingly those representing the pro-Israel side are so much smarter, better prepared in that they are quoting historical facts, and quoting documents.

Yet, the overwhelming majority of students at Oxford still hate Israel and Zionism. It’s not about the truth. It’s about a fake, distorted narrative that has been taught, repeated, over and over and over……

Because it’s not about how well or cleverly we tell our story. That does work very well one on one, and in small groups, of people who are open-minded and intellectually honest. But for the tens of millions of viewers who get their news from the BBC, and other Middle Eastern and Western news outlets, the pro-Israel side or representative is dead on arrival. The infamous BBC is worse than Al Jazeera, and Al Jazeera has done an incredible amount of damage to the truth since the station was opened up by Qatar and used to poison the minds of hundreds of millions in the Middle East and in the West. The BBC is far from being the lone Western network that distorts and inverts the reality of Israel, Zionism, and the Israeli-Arab conflict.

Let’s take a step back, take a deep breath. Those of us who tell the story and report the truth about Jewish nationalism – the Zionism story, and Israel, whether it be in person or on TV, social media, podcasts, articles, books, Tik Tok, X, Instagram, Facebook, etc., must keep doing our holy and important work. And while at times one can think that we are building beautiful sandcastles of truth that are going to be washed away by the sea of hate and venom, don’t think for a minute that we are losing the PR war because we did something wrong. We most certainly are not doing anything wrong. Our enemies control the venues that educate billions of people. It is they who control the game and how it is played. But we choose how to react to this rigged game, which includes rallying our supporters, old and new, to participate in the defense of Israel and in its growth.

On that front we have been and will continue to be successful in inspiring Jews and non-Jews who are either open-minded or religiously predisposed to side with the Jewish Nation – The People of the Bible. I believe that our job is twofold: 1) Keep telling our story – the Truth. It strengthens us, and it is winning over millions of good, open-minded people all over the world. They are beginning to pay attention to our powerful message and are having their “Ah Ha” moment. 2) Continue being busy rallying people to help the Jewish State flourish, live, advance, grow, shine, excel, exceed expectations and become the dream we have been dreaming for 2000 years.

Remember being on the court or field and participating and making a change in reality is worth much more than millions of booing fans. Am Yisrael Chai!                         

 Rabbi Yotav Eliach is the author of the book: “Judaism, Zionism and the Land of Israel” published in 2018 by Dialog Press. He is also a lecturer, commentator, and consultant