Jew-haters online have long claimed that Israel advocates are paid for their advocacy. But recently they claim to have found the “smoking gun” – a supposed document from a group called the JIDF titled Fighting Online Hate Speech in 2020 itemizing payments for content:
The JIDF (Jewish Internet Defense League) is a now defunct website (http://www.thejidf.org) and social media accounts created by one American guy in 2008. You can see on LinkedIn that their last post there was nine years ago, well before 2020 (the year on this alleged “authentic” document being disseminated).
The JIDF was a one-man operation with quite a large following at the time (in the tens of thousands), but definitely did not represent Israel advocates. Many – including yours truly – did not appreciate his heavy-handed approach at all. In fact, back in the day, I got into a big argument with him after he publicly exposed a Facebook account under the name ‘Dave Israel,’ which I had been using to fight back and rebut lies at anti-Israel Facebook pages (this was a time I was anonymous, so did not want to comment under my real name).
Antisemite Richard Silverstein would later use this exchange to concoct a story that I used a fake ID in order to “infiltrate pro-Palestinian Facebook groups and post incendiary pro-terror comments seeking to bait other members into escalating the conversation,” which could then “be used by the hasbara activists to discredit the cause and get groups taken down.” (yet another of Silverstein’s lies). In another post, Silverstein claimed JIDF and I were in cahoots with each other in this scheme. The Electronic Intifada would later use Silverstein’s posts to amplify this lie. As I wrote at the time:
How could I possibly pick an alias like “Dave Israel” – which sounds pro Israel and not in the least bit Arabic – to infiltrate pro palestinian groups, pretend to be one of them, and bait them into hate speech? It makes no sense and is clearly a lie. Yet Silverstein made the accusation and Charlotte Silver has parroted it.
Be that as it may, the supposed JIDF document being disseminated seems to be fake, for the reason alone that the JIDF ended well before 2020. And even if it was a true document (for instance, a funding plan as part of an attempt by the JIDF’s owner to re-establish his outfit), it would not represent proof of Israel advocates being paid by some large organization or governmental body.
As I have written before when accused of being on some payroll:
I take it as a compliment that the haters are so threatened by me, they have to invent lies; that they think I am so effective, I must have big money backing me.
If I had a dollar for every time an Israel-hater or antisemite accused me of being paid by the Israeli government, I would not need to keep hinting to the Israeli government to pay me!
That’s right – I have not received a cent from the Israeli government for my advocacy, and it is not predicated on receiving anything from them either; it is truly something I am passionate about and do because I think it is really important work and I have what to offer.
Would I like to be paid by them? Hell yeah! This is now my full-time career, and I could do with some funding to continue and expand Israellycool (on that note, please consider donating here if you haven’t already).*
For the record, I have totally asked the Israeli government to help contribute to Israellycool, and have been rejected out of hand. Which is probably just as well, because I am sometimes critical of them or certain ministers. Being independent probably makes it easier for me to speak totally freely.
The bad news for the haters and antisemites is that there are countless people willing to advocate for Israel online and offline without payment, out of love for our country and people.
Meanwhile, if you want to see who has paid internet trolls, look no further than Gaza.
*How’s that for a Segway?
