Israel vs the World: Jonathan Sacerdoti and Einat Wilf on the battle of lies and hate against Israel

At a salon event in Tel Aviv, Einat Wilf and Jonathan Sacerdoti delve into their personal experiences debating anti-Israel motions in hostile environments like the Oxford Union. They explore the emotional and intellectual challenges of facing audiences and opponents driven by deep prejudice, the pervasive narratives surrounding Israel and Zionism, and the broader implications of misinformation and antisemitic ideologies in global discourse. With thanks to Nancy and Hanan Pomagrin for their support and hospitality in hosting this live salon event. 0:00: Introduction - the emotional impact of hostile debates 1:27: Jonathan's oxford union experience 2:39: Einat's 2019 intelligence squared debate 3:48: The glee of anti-israel crowds 5:04: Oxford union debate setup and biases 7:13: The significance of Arab voices on the pro-israel side 10:15: The strategy behind anti-israel motions 13:05: The visceral reaction to facts at oxford union 15:30: The long-term value of making a public case 16:29: Debating anti-Israel speakers at Oxford Union 18:10: Hostile tactics by debate opponents 22:25: Reflections on Israel vs. the world 24:22: Balancing despair and hope post-October 7th 26:44: The placard strategy and its impact on perception 30:08: The rise of Islamist politics in the uk 32:01: Addressing the role of islam in anti-israel ideologies 35:02: The importance of interpretation in religious texts 38:46: Letting extremists reveal themselves 40:54: Countering the spread of anti-Israel rhetoric 45:01: Ignorance versus malice in anti-Israel narratives 46:26: Why Israel will endure despite challenges 47:05: Why non-Jews should care about supporting Israel 49:12: "Palestinianism" and what it represents 51:01: The challenge of combating ideological narratives 54:02: The struggle for truth in media coverage 57:03: Hamas’s manipulation of journalists and narratives 1:00:12: Defining victory in the information war 1:03:09: Closing remarks — pushing anti-Israel narratives to the margins Camera: Joel Goldberg Editing: Jake Waksman