We recently went to the theatre to watch the documentary called :”The Road Between Us
The Ultimate Rescue.”
It is the story of a remarkable father, retired Israeli General Noam Tibon, who saved not just his family from kibbutz Nahal Oz, but many others during the Hamas invasion of ,2023.
We went on a night and there were only 8 people in the entire theatre. That alone, I found disturbing. But it’s an eye opener as you reexamine a country under attack and how this one family survived due to the efforts of the father and grandfather who understood war. Documenting history is key for us as humans to learn from bridging the gap of understanding the psyche of hate.
Everyday, millions of people around the world are posting their views on a variety of forums, from Instagram to Tic Toc etc.
In the late 1930’s and early 40’s when antisemitism was raising its ugly head, led by Adolf Hitler, social media did not exist. But now it’s ever present and plays a very active role in how we are perceiving history in the making.
It’s an addiction of sorts, scrolling through any of these sites, and first listening to the message, but digging deeper to read the commentaries.
I find that some of them are so outrageous, and the feedback even more so, that it morally requires a response.
By perusing on by and not challenging these often misinformed statements, we risk allowing the influencer to go unmonitored.
I will take the time to vaporize a hideous statement where someone might be converting someone to a dangerous vantage point.
Do we not bare a responsibility to respond in kind ?
It’s a global soapbox where anything goes. Oddly, there are certain guidelines placed upon these forums, such as not using words like murder replaced by un-aliving or rape also forbidden, etc.
But it okay to talk about genocide and Israel being perpetrators. There is much hate speech against Jews, with an increase in antisemitism and loathing directed at Netanyahu and the county’s defending itself.
With certainty, you know of the extreme right wing influencers such as: Candice Owen and Tucker Carlson. And the now infamous Charlie Kirk, who was once pro Israel, supposedly changed his opinion in the last two weeks prior to his public assassination, causing speculation that Israel took him out.
The conspiracy theories are running rampant on many podcasts and I find the commentaries most relevant. But don’t allow them to sit idly, but rather question their validity. If not we, then who ?
Think if we had access to world events during World War One ? No one could claim complicity when broadcasts cast such a wide net.
Does it take time to debate ? It does indeed. But I often get notifications from these commentators going further. I don’t shy away from extending the conversation. It’s key to our survival.
The same way we support Stand with Israel postings, I think it’s equally important to try and dissuade those espousing hatred. Maybe we can enlighten one or two misled souls.
