Enlisting celebrities in different struggles in order to try to create public sympathy is a well-known, familiar and even desirable strategy. Therefore, it's hardly surprising that the actress Noa Tishby was this week appointed as Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and Delegitimization.
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Tishby's activities against the delegitimization of the State of Israel on social media is welcome and appreciated. There is no doubt that she has a lot to offer to Israeli foreign affairs, and that she will be of help to the professional work of all those dealing with this issue in the Israeli government.
But if Foreign Minister Yair Lapid or any Israeli citizen believes that the struggle against antisemitism and hatred of Israel, in the online and public space, will be solved thanks to the appointment of a specific individual, they are making a mistake. Great challenges face us in our attempt to influence social media policies – for example, removing content calling for the extermination of the state, or identifying citizens who are planning to attack Jews in synagogues. It's a struggle of David against Goliath, but a single stone won't be enough to awaken the giant from his slumber.
The struggle of an eloquent person, however well-known and significant they are, should be part of a comprehensive, well-planned system against this ancient hatred. It's important to create an ordered work plan for this system, budgets for developing technological tools and for training professionals and – above all – to enlist more Israelis in Israel and around the world in this important mission. Therefore, the time has come for the Israeli government to invest far greater resources in civil society organizations and volunteers who are active in the field.
While the Foreign Minister calls to recruit "a million Israelis to high-tech," the struggle to stop investors from boycotting Israeli developers in the future is left behind. Unlike in the glamorous world of startups, the Israeli government is wasting the human capital living among us. These are the same Israelis who want to contribute to and help the state, as well as their own personal security when they travel in London or Paris.
The best way to struggle against antisemitism is to integrate celebrities alongside an army of volunteers who will fight every day and every hour against those who hate us on social media. This army will monitor and identify content, report on it, and will ultimately ensure its removal. At 'Fighting Online Antisemitism' we have already been fighting this fight for two years.
Since the organization's establishment, we have trained hundreds of volunteers in Israel and around the world, removed antisemitic links (in partnership with social media), and have developed technological tools, without a proper budget from the government. Regretfully, the Israeli government and other government bodies hardly fund civil society organizations who are active in this area. There is no doubt that the intention and dedication to be active in the field exists, and that the Foreign Ministry, among others, often assists professionally to advance the ongoing work. But it often seems that the priorities in the state budget and the inter-ministerial and inter-departmental budgets prevent civil society organizations from continuing to exist or from broadening their existing activities. Thus, the current government, like its predecessors, is leaving the real battle to citizens without resources, and uses taxpayers' money to promote activities whose true benefit does not realize their potential.
The time has come to give Israeli NGOs and Israeli representatives around the world the budget and the practical capabilities to form a solid foundation to work from. If budgeting and professional assistance can also be given to activists in the field who understand the reality and who know exactly what needs to be done, in synchronized collaboration, we will succeed in advancing towards a world that is cleaner of antisemitism.
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