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I was asked to talk last month about "how I speak up" on behalf of my country, and this is what I said.
My talk centered on the fact that there are two wars being waged simultaneously: the real war and the information war. In this conflict, both vectors are forms of "asymmetric warfare."
Hamas came equipped with GoPros on Oct 7 for the same reason white supremacist "shooters" did it in Buffalo and Christchurch. They knew they likely wouldn't survive, but wanted to memorialize the violence in a way that instilled and inspired terror long after they were gone. In the case of Hamas, they had an additional reason because they knew an "information war" would erupt in parallel once Israel responded to the live-streamed massacre of 1200 of its citizens and the kidnapping of 240 more.
As a result, Oct 7 was the opening salvo of both the real and information wars. In understanding the information war I posed three arguments:
1) Israel doesn't care much about perception in the West because it is too focused on delivering a clear message of deterrence to Iran, Hezbollah and other enemies. If it has to choose between addressing the hearts of American college kids or the fears of the Ayatollahs, it will choose the latter every time.
2) The better Israel does at winning the real war, the harder it is to win the information war. This likely applies to any warfare in the modern age, where there are cameras on hand to witness the carnage that inevitably results from war. It also stems from the fact that Israeli success in the real war means Hamas can't inflict more atrocities on the Israeli side. Needless to say, Israel foremost needs to win the real war.
3) Democracies should not focus on trying to "control the narrative", but instead should focus on clearly communicating the facts and intentions, including any mistakes. This is essential for maintaining credibility with its citizens and with its allies in all matters. Private citizens and organizations are free to propose and advocate for whatever they want, including opposing the war or criticizing its goals.
An asymmetric information war is not only difficult for a democracy to win, but likely impossible to win. The terrorists have no credibility to lose, which allows them to lie and manipulate to suit their goals. There is no fact checking by civil society organizations or independent media, and no treaties or international conventions to uphold. Speed and outrage are the only criteria when engaged in an information war, which is why Hamas can say within minutes of an explosion precisely how many people died with gory pictures ready for distribution. They don't need permission from parents to share photos of their dead children and exploit the freedom of the west while denying it to their own people.
It may be tempting to emulate these awful tactics, but advocates for Israel must focus on truth and reason, while eschewing hyperbole and emotion. My recommendation is to ignore the haters and ideologues, and instead focus on educating others with facts, nuance and explanations. People don't change their minds easily, but they do modulate their behavior when they realize they don't know nearly enough to have a strong opinion.
"Ridicule and Criticism" only work when Israel haters make statements that reveal inconsistencies (#metoo , but not this time), incomprehension, or moral failings. I criticized several high profile personalities because they kept attacking Israel's response without ever mentioning or condemning the unprecedented massacre that triggered it. That is a moral failing, and I will call it out every time. Only conspiracy theorists would spin any of this as a "coordinated" effort to suppress pro-Palestinian voices.
I have no problem saying that the death of Palestinian civilians is sad, tragic, and awful. But this is not a war Israel started, and Israelis will never countenance a terrorist state on its border (nor would any country).
It's easy to be a righteous pacifist across the ocean when you have no skin in this game. But in the midst of the largest hostage crisis ever, when missiles are falling on our towns, and when our family and friends are on the frontline risking their lives daily, it shouldn't surprise anyone that Israelis will take the time to advocate for their country even if that means attracting more attention from the haters.
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