Jewish National Fund USA’s Women for Israel recently hosted a briefing from Israeli political commentator Gil Hoffman, who spoke on the topic of “Peace, Politics and Plutonium: An Insider’s Look at the Impact of Israel’s Fateful Election on the Military and Media Battlefields.”
“Hoffman’s captivating speech at the Ronald S. Lauder JNF House focused on the ever-changing political winds in Israel ahead of the November election and how he believes the key for the Jewish Homeland to win on the military battlefield means also winning on the media battlefield,” said Jewish National Fund-USA Women for Israel Chair Kim Dickstein. “We loved seeing many wonderful philanthropic women at our event and look forward to hosting additional impactful programs in the future.”
In an exclusive Jewish Link pre-event interview, Hoffman stated, “I strongly believe that there are three battles going on for Israel’s existence: the military and media battle battlefields and also on college campuses. And that the key to victory in the other two is to wait on the media battlefield.”
Hoffman further explained, “I think that was proven in the war in Gaza in August. There was a war a year and a half ago, in May of 2021, where Israel destroyed an Associated Press tower in Gaza and only told the world two months later that it was the cyber headquarters of Hamas. By then, no one was paying attention. This time, there was an incident in the Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza. Israel immediately released proof to the world that we didn’t do it. That helped us emerge successful in the war.
“On the military battlefield,” continued Hoffman, “we obviously have an advantage, and, on college campuses, we have a great disadvantage.” Hoffman did agree that when Israelis go to the polls, they do not vote based on the impact the election will have on American college campuses. Any positive press is easy for American youth to handle. However, negative press of the Israeli government often needs to be explained. “That’s not something that will be easy for kids on college campus—to explain the minutiae of Israeli politics.”
Hoffman added, “There’s no doubt that the campus challenges are going to continue to multiply.” We can all do our part by using social media to explain Israel’s position and have it out there. The slogan of the Israeli Water Authority is Every Drop Matters. Each and every one of us who’s on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and TikTok has a very important job. We are all required to get the right message out there.” In doing so, Hoffman advised, “I would go to HonestReporting.com, where we often correct incorrect reporting about what’s happening in the news. In the months ahead, we are going to be putting videos on key issues on our website. That will help people better understand questions about the character of Israel and everything that Israel gets accused of being.”
Hoffman then added, “The trend in Israel is building up the Negev, which is the key to Israel’s future. It’s a country that is overwhelmingly a desert, and it’s overpopulated in the center of the country. That’s a consensus issue, no matter who wins this election, and that agenda is being promoted and implemented in the field by JNF.”
Hoffman is the executive director of HonestReporting, which fights for Israel in the international mainstream and social media. He is also a lecturer on political strategy at Israel’s College of Management and served as the chief political correspondent and analyst for the Jerusalem Post for 24 years. Well-connected to Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Hoffman has interviewed nearly every major figure across the Israeli political spectrum, has been interviewed by top media on six continents, and is a regular analyst on CNN, Al-Jazeera and other news outlets.
Jewish National Fund-USA’s Women for Israel are female philanthropists who share a passion for building a prosperous future for the land and people of Israel. Nationally, its members account for approximately 33 percent of Jewish National Fund-USA’s annual philanthropic giving campaign. JNF-USA is the leading philanthropic organization for Israel that supports critical environmental and nation-building activities in Israel’s north and south. Through its One Billion Dollar Roadmap for the Next Decade, JNF-USA is developing new communities in the Galilee and Negev, connecting the next generation to Israel, and creating infrastructure and programs that support ecology, individuals with special needs and heritage site preservation. Its website, www.jnf.org, has further details on its projects.
By Judy Berger
