By Naomi Abenhaim, Hasbara Fellowships Canada High School Intern
Ever since I was young, I have always felt a deep connection to Israel. My parents and teachers constantly told me that it is my home away from home, and that as Jews, we must all stand by it and support it.
Around a year ago today, hundreds of rockets were being fired into Israel by the Palestinian terrorist group, Hamas. As a result, 13 Israelis were killed, two of which were children. I remember being terrified at the time, for the civilians who were constantly rushing to bomb shelters, and even more scared for my older sister, who was studying in Seminary throughout all of the chaos.
Moreover, there were antisemitic attacks taking place in my community. There were anti-Israel protesters driving around during the Jewish holidays with weapons, and posting videos on Twitter saying that they were going to attack Jews. The police kept us all safe by monitoring the situation, but nevertheless, it was terrifying to leave the house during the holiday.
On top of all of that, seeing how the media was reacting to all of it was disgusting. There was so much misinformation being spread about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and certain celebrities used their social media platforms to spread misinformation about the situation in Israel. It was hard being subjected to all of this on social media because I felt like I wasn’t able to do anything since it is such a big platform.
I started by unfollowing the celebrities who were propagating the lies and half-truths, and my friends and family did the same – it seemed like a reasonable first step. I then did some more research on the issues, so that I would be able to educate other people who were being influenced by the misinformation.
A few months later, after the madness calmed down, I got an email from Pearl Gasner introducing me to the Hasbara Fellowships Canada High School Internship program. I remember thinking that it was perfect timing, and that there was no better way to strengthen my knowledge of the complex history and ongoing conflict in Israel. With the program coming to an end, I can truly say that I learned a lot – in the future, I am confident that I can defend Israel and effectively spread the truth of what is happening on the ground.
