How to Awaken a Blinded Society

How do you change a mass of people that has been indoctrinated by false narratives;  people who are fed lies by biased media, blinded to truth, and filled with hate? How do you restore a true moral compass in a world that has lost its ability to tell the difference between good and evil?

For anyone who supports Israel, these questions are not theoretical. They define our reality. Every day, we watch as large parts of society label Israel as the villain, while real villains are excused, glorified, or even celebrated. Social media amplifies every distortion, every emotional headline, every image torn out of context. Lies spread faster than facts, and hate has become fashionable, disguised as “justice.”

Israel has been fighting for survival since the day it was founded. It is a small democracy surrounded by hostile regimes and terror organizations that have never accepted its right to exist. Yet in the distorted mirror of today’s digital age, the victim is portrayed as the aggressor. The people who protect their children in bomb shelters are accused of cruelty by those who hide behind civilians and use their own population as shields.

Why? Because emotion beats reason, and social media knows it. Images of rubble without context go viral. The truth:  that Hamas fires rockets from schools, hospitals, and mosques, is buried beneath slogans and hashtags. Many people do not seek truth anymore; they seek confirmation of their anger.

Changing that mindset starts with understanding it. People cling to narratives because they need belonging. To admit that they have been wrong about Israel feels like betrayal to their own tribe. That is why we cannot change minds with facts alone,  we must speak to hearts.

We must remind people of universal values that used to guide the world: decency, compassion, and honesty. Ask them simple questions: If your family were under rocket fire, what would you expect your government to do? If terrorists murdered your neighbors and kidnapped your children, would you demand restraint or justice?

These are not “Israeli questions.” They are human ones.

The task is not only to defend Israel’s image, but to defend moral clarity itself. When society loses the ability to distinguish between self-defense and aggression, between terror and survival, it slides into moral blindness. The world once said “Never again,” but too many now look away or even cheer when Jewish blood is spilled again.

So how do we awaken such a society? Slowly, patiently, and truthfully. Not by shouting louder, but by speaking clearer. By showing the human side of Israel — the doctors treating Palestinian children, the volunteers sending aid, the mothers still waiting for kidnapped sons and daughters to come home.

We must build communities that stand for truth, that are proud to support Israel not because it is perfect, but because it is moral, because it cherishes life in a region where death is glorified.

When others spread hate, we must answer with facts wrapped in empathy. When others call for boycotts, we must call for dialogue. And when others are silent, we must keep speaking, calmly, consistently, courageously.

As Václav Havel said, “The power of the powerless is the power of living in truth.”
That is Israel’s power and it must also be ours.

Because the moment we stop speaking the truth, the lie wins.
And if history has taught us anything, it’s that silence in the face of lies never ends well, especially for the Jewish people.