Yesterday we posted a link to a video and a story of, what amounts to, a pissing match between a nobody and Bret Stephens, deputy editor of the Wall Street Journal’s opinions page.
However, watching the video through we get to Bret Stephen’s views on how we should be fighting the PR War for Israel. It’s a debate we’ve had here at Israellycool and back and forth with friends like Sarah at The Times of Israel and her “Dirty H-word” thesis. Dave answered with his own views “Hasbara is not a dirty word”. It’s always good to hear different views.
Bret makes a number of important points:
- We won’t win over our enemies: telling them about great Israeli and Jewish accomplishments just enrages them!
- It’s Israel’s success that inspires the hatred of us: our success makes them hate us;
- We have to win over our potential friends both within the Jewish community and outside;
- “Jews will not win with conspicuous displays of Woody Allen-esqe existential anxiety”;
- “We Chinese people know: Jews are the smartest people in the world” – from a Chinese student at a Synagogue. What are we winning over to win over the Chinese people?
- We should be reaching out, not to Columbia or enemy campus, we should be going to China, India and other places. Forget the enemies, win over the people inclined to be your friends.
There’s more. It is worth watching. Give us your views in the comments. What sort of a job are we doing here at Israellycool?
Sarah will be giving a webinar on her views on Hasbara on Wednesday night. Perhaps, with some encouragement, we can get Dave to do the same some time!
