“Halachah yadua sh’Eisav soneh l’Yaakov. This level of hatred, this willful distortion of facts is so blatant that it can only be from Hashem”
Mishpacha’s interview with Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein was a fascinating piece, giving readers an inside look into life in South Africa, the Hague trial, and Rabbi Goldstein’s admirable work in rabbinic leadership on both a communal and global level.
I would like to question one point made in the article: “Hasbarah needs help.” Rabbi Goldstein states that, “It is a matter of national security to win the battle of ideas… if we don’t win the battle of ideas and public opinion… that has a direct impact on the ability to win the war.” I would like to respectfully challenge that assertion.
At this point, we’ve all seen the videos, heard the chants, read the op-eds levied at Israel. We’ve all also seen and read devastating, thoughtful, intellectual, convincing, pointed rhetoric that completely decimates and disproves these claims. Has any of it helped?
We’ve seen newscasters and journalists twist themselves into mental contortions to justify their accusations against Israel. We’ve seen pundits and politicians blinding themselves to decades of history to produce a one-sided narrative of oppression. We’ve seen crowds of people already denying the atrocities of October 7 — and this with filmed evidence supplied by the perpetrators themselves.
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