A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by the BBC for a feature piece regarding the attitudes of the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria towards Donald Trump. Most Israelis have been waiting eagerly for Trump to take office, if for no other reason than the arms embargo that Biden levied on Israel. But for me and my friends in Judea and Samaria, we are hoping for even more. We want to see the application of Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.
For most of the past 40 years, Israeli governments have supported Judea and Samaria; and yet, none of these governments ever promoted the application of Israeli sovereignty over all or part of the area. During Trump’s first term, there was serious talk in that direction, but with the advent of the Abraham Accords, the idea was shelved. Today, the issue is back on the table.
The international media are adamantly against the idea of Israel establishing a permanent hold in Judea and Samaria. While creating a piece that would showcase a ‘settler’s’ view of the sovereignty issue, the BBC was determined to show that any support for sovereignty was a racist and immoral proposition.
I was quoted briefly and fairly but important parts of my comments were edited out. Instead, the BBC narrator talked about the terrible damage settlers have done to the Palestinians—destroying their homes, throwing them off their land, and violent attacks against innocent civilians. Lies, distortions all.
I have done many interviews with hostile media, so this did not surprise me. But I did not anticipate the hate mail I received in response. The BBC had couched my comments in its own version of the facts, biasing audiences against my perspective. As soon as the story hit the press, I received emails and Facebook messages from total strangers calling me a Nazi, accusing me of taking land away from those to whom it rightfully belonged. Is the world so full of people who will not even let us explain?
Antisemitism is everywhere. In recent weeks, anti-Semites have repeatedly attacked synagogues and Jewish property in Australia. The response of the authorities has been weak. There is a sense of hopelessness and helplessness.
But there is something we can do. We can raise our voices against the lies—I for one am happy that I interviewed on the BBC. At least my voice was heard! You, in Australia, can support wonderful organisations like C4I and CFOIC Heartland, as they advocate for Israel and raise support for the needs there. And you can organise or attend Israel meetings where the authentic Israeli voice is heard.
Shmuel Junger, Director of CFOIC Heartland, will be in Australia soon to share the real story of what is happening in Israel (see interview below). I hope you will join him—your voice together with ours in Israel, can truly make a difference. We can balance out the lies. We dare not give up!
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