As Israel faces challenging times, marked by ongoing conflicts, shifting global opinions, and the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian issue, it is essential to hear the voices of those who staunchly support the nation. We’ve engaged with passionate pro-Israel supporters to gain insight into their perspectives on a wide range of topics surrounding the conflict and the broader issues it raises.
These voices offer valuable insights into the multifaceted challenges faced by Israel and provide a platform to express their ideas on how to address these issues. In this piece, we interview Hillel Fuld, Global Speaker, Startup Advisor, and Tech Columnist.
What are your thoughts on the press coverage and propaganda being circulated by the far left and pro-Palestinian groups during the ongoing conflict?
I think that hypocrisy is at its peak right now and I think that the propaganda from the far left is a mixture of both hypocrisy and deep, deep hatred of Jews. And what they don’t realize—these people on the left—is that after Hamas would have completed their plans of taking over Israel, they would come after the West next. They say it clearly; and these people on the left, like Queers for Palestine, are the epitome of stupidity because Hamas is not on their side. Doesn’t matter how much they love Hamas, Hamas hates them and that will never change. So, they need to open their eyes.
How do you think leaders of Ivy League schools should respond or contribute to supporting Israel and promoting peace in the region?
The Ivy League colleges have reached a new level of stupidity and what’s going on there is truly, truly sickening. Students there are not safe; Jewish students there are not safe. But you know, we, as a people, always stood up to evil. And I think that’s our role today: to stand up to evil. Whether it’s on the battlefield; whether it’s on the digital battlefield or in the Ivy Leagues colleges. But it has to be done safely and with security because there’s a real physical threat to the safety and well-being of the Jewish population in Ivy League colleges.
Building a stronger and more self-sufficient Israel is a shared goal. What strategies or policies do you believe can help Israel become a powerful and influential nation like the United States?
In many ways, Israel has surpassed the United States in terms of influence. You know, if you look per capita, Israel obviously has more entrepreneurs than any country in the world. And Israel, a country of only 9 million people, is dominating every sector of technology. I don’t think that America is a role model. American culture and society is deteriorating very quickly and the moral fabric of the Western civilization as a whole is falling apart before our eyes. So, I don’t view America as a role model.
I think Israel has to continue to innovate. Israel has to continue to do the impossible. We have to defeat evil first. But for now, the tech ecosystem is stepping up. But we all understand that our economy is suffering and, therefore, we need to make sure to sustain the tech ecosystem as a collective. And that is happening. Sooner or later, we’re going to have to overcompensate for the damage that’s caused by the war.
It’s an emotionally challenging time. How are you personally managing your mental health and coping with the stress brought on by the current situation in Israel?
It’s not easy. I’m trying to spread positivity. I’m trying to avoid reading about the atrocities. I’m trying to avoid the hateful comments and replies that I’m getting on social media. So, I often put something and then I’ll mute the replies just not to see them. I’m doing whatever I can.
Unfortunately, there’s so much featured out there that there’s no avoiding it. But I’m doing my best to do that, and I’m doing my best to help others and spread positivity so that others can try to grasp onto anything good and anything positive that there is to grasp onto.
In your opinion, what immediate steps should the Israeli government take to address the ongoing crisis and work towards a resolution?
I think the solution is the total and 100% elimination of Hamas from planet Earth. We should not stop until that has happened, including their leaders in Qatar, including every single last Hamas terrorist. The calls for a ceasefire are the epitome of hypocrisy. No one called for a ceasefire in World War 2. No one called a ceasefire in Afghanistan. It is the epitome of hypocrisy.
Israel needs to do what it needs to do. We obviously need to take diplomacy and politics into account but we have to stand strong in front of the pressure from the world to cease our fire because that would be an absolute catastrophe for both Israel and for the Western world as a whole if Hamas leaves this war still standing.
To prevent future conflicts, what measures should Israel implement to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again?
The only thing we can do is eliminate Hamas and then move on to the next terror organization, Islamic Jihad, and all other terrorist organizations and enemies that risk and put the State of Israel in danger.
Building a united and cohesive society is vital. How do you believe Israel can bridge divides and foster unity between those with differing political perspectives, particularly the so-called left and right?
I don’t think that’s something that exists anymore. I think the war has done that and has unified our country. There are obviously people with different opinions and that’s fine. But I think the divide that we saw two months ago has disappeared completely and we have united—and I hope we can maintain and sustain that unity when this war ends and we have achieved complete and total victory.
Educating Western civilization on the broader implications of radical Islam is crucial. What do you think should be done to convey that it’s not just an Israeli problem but an international issue? How can awareness be raised effectively?
I go back-and-forth every day between “It’s our job and our responsibility to educate people.” and “Why am I even wasting my time? These people aren’t listening.” I literally have this conflict everyday. But at the end of the day, truth will prevail. And it is our job to spread the truth in the world. It’s always been our job as the Jewish people to spread truth in the world, whether it’s through the Torah or through other things. And so we have to continue to speak our truth.
We have to try our best to avoid all the hatred and the poison that’s out there. To say, “I’m optimistic that the Western world will really listen, internalize, and adopt.” The Israeli truth would be a lie. I don’t think many people are listening but it’s our job and our responsibility to do what’s right. And that’s what we’ve always done. That’s what we will always do, whether or not it’s popular.
The role of social media has been significant in shaping public opinion. How can Israel effectively combat misinformation and disinformation on these platforms?
Well, the numbers are not in our favor. There’s obviously many, many hundreds of millions of pro-Palestinian or pro-Hamas, even, activists out there who are absolutely willing to spread absolute, 100% blatant lies about Israel. Israel, on the other hand, obviously, we stick to the truth. So from the numbers perspective, you know, I don’t think we’re going to win that.
But, again, it’s the same answer. We need to stick to the truth and we need to continue spreading the truth. And we need to report those that are using social media to spread hatred and poison and anti-Semitism, which is something that I do regularly. And we have to continue to hope that these platforms will see. We’ll both see anti-Semitism and we’ll act upon it. And we are lucky and fortunate to have many Jews in high positions in many of these companies. And so we have to continue to leverage those relationships to raise awareness for the anti-Semitism so that they can be removed and all these posts and comments can be removed from social media in general.
As an advocate for Israel, what key message would you like to convey to those who may be less informed about the situation in the region? How can you reach out effectively to raise awareness?
I’m using my social platforms. I’m reaching tens of millions, maybe more people. Obviously, the people that are 100% focused on hatred aren’t listening, and they’re not going to change their mind. And the people that are on our side don’t need their minds to be changed. So, really, the most important part of society that we need to continue to address are the people that are on the fence. So it really doesn’t matter how many followers you have. It really doesn’t matter what type of content you’re sharing. We need to prepare content that is optimized for social media, that is easy to consume. No one’s watching a half-hour video.
But other than preparing compelling and engaging content and spreading it on our social media, there’s not much else we can do. But again, we’re faced with many, many millions of people who have absolutely no need or desire to stick to the truth. For them, truth is not a virtue, and they simply don’t need to stick to the truth so they can continue to spread lies. We’re doing our best, but again, from a numbers perspective, we are the underdog, and that’s fine. We’ve always been the underdog. We’re used to it, and we’ll continue to, you know, spread the truth and prevail.
How can the Jewish diaspora and Jewish communities around the world contribute to supporting Israel and promoting a peaceful resolution to the conflict?
Everyone has to do their role and everyone can do what they can do. So it could be financial support, it could be political support, it could be emotional support, it could be many things. I do find that the Jews abroad, Jewish nation abroad are doing everything they can. They are in it with us, and they just have to continue to support in any way they can.
What do you believe is the most important message to convey to the world regarding Israel’s journey to peace and security amidst the ongoing challenges in the region?
This is not a war between Arabs and Jews, or Israelis and Palestinians. This is a war between good and evil. And Hamas proudly declares that this is not about land, nor will it stop with Israel. They proudly proclaim day and night that they will, from their perspective, take over the West, and anybody who’s not willing to convert to Islam will either convert or die. And so the West needs to open their eyes and realize Israel is fighting their war for them. So they can either thank us for doing their job so that they don’t have to, or they can get out of our way.
