Columnist urges Israel to shape its own narratives — Jerusalem Post
In Israel, journalist Mark Lavie, in a column for the Jerusalem Post, urged the state to more actively shape its own information narratives in response to what he calls false claims about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to the author, public discussions are increasingly based not on fact-checking but on preselected political positions.
Lavie links the decline in support for Israel in Western countries to the spread of a narrative that, as he describes it, portrays Israel as a colonial occupying state and Palestinians as defenseless victims. He also notes that mistakes by the Israeli government have, in his view, affected the country’s international perception.
Criticism of media and social networks
The author claims that some media outlets and politicians cater to the expectations of their own audiences and openly promote selected positions. He separately criticizes social media, calling it an environment where users can unite with like-minded people and reject the opinions of experts.
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In Lavie’s assessment, popularity on social media often matters more than education, experience, or professional expertise. As an example, he cites a hypothetical user reaction to an immunologist’s remarks about the benefits and effectiveness of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines.
Stories for communication
According to the columnist, Israel should speak more about the country’s humanitarian, scientific, and rescue activities. Among the examples, he named Oded Lifshitz, an 84-year-old resident of a village near Gaza who, as a volunteer, helped transport Gaza residents to Israeli hospitals. According to Lavie, on October 7, 2023, Lifshitz was abducted by Palestinian militants and taken to Gaza, where he died.
The author also mentioned promising potential treatments for several forms of cancer that Israeli researchers had been working on over the past year, as well as the participation of Israeli rescue teams in responding to natural disasters in various countries. Lavie urged directing resources toward sharing such stories rather than only refuting what he considers disinformation.
