Hasbara

There is Israel advocacy, and there is Israel advocacy.

Today I learned about two very differently oriented Israel-related organizations. One, Encounter, aims to "expand personal and political understanding" of Jewish diaspora leaders by taking them to Bethlehem, Hebron and East Jerusalem to meet with Palestinians and experience their heretofore unfamiliar lives firsthand.

A number of us discussed the topic at a Lunch & Learn entitled "Dis-Closure of the Face: Revelations of Torah, Self, and Other in Jewish-Palestinian Peace-Building and in Life" delivered today by Rabbi Melissa Weintraub, who co-founded the organization with a mindfulness of Jewish textual traditions. In her class today, we discussed sources that speak of face-to-face encounters with the other, the unknowable and undigestible nature of the full extent of other human beings, along with the possibilities for revelation in our attempts to understand. More of her thoughts on the matter can be found here.

And then there's Fuel For Truth.

Right off the bat, I disagreed with their capitalization choices. Then I looked through the rest of the website.

My red flag for upsetting Israel advocacy sites is the description of Israel as a female. And this site has a fun "Did-you-know" fact that pops up on each page along the lines of:

DID YOU KNOW
Israel has defended herself in three major wars and has forged peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan?

DID YOU KNOW
Al Quaeda attacked the U.S. on 9/11 and aims to install fundamentalist Islamic rule throughout the world?

DID YOU KNOW
Fatah was founded by arch terrorist Yasser Arafat and is run today by Mahmoud Abbas?

And so on. I can't begin to count the number of ways I find the hip/militaristic tone of this group disturbing. The inclusion of "Truth" in the title of these self-proclaimed "Special Forces of Israel advocacy," which "equip young Americans with the basic facts and skills necessary to advocate to young adults, to increase support for Israel in her battle against radical Islamic terror." Their production of informational events in New York City nightclubs. Their "boot camp" program to qualify for membership: "It’s kind of like a cross between “Survivor” and “The Apprentice,” but for a good cause. Not everyone that starts successfully completes the program. Think you can make the cut?"

The materials distributed by Fuel For Truth don't comprise a full crash course in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but cull the handiest facts for an ill-informed public to hear. Take their handy Top 10 facts you need to know about the Middle East, conveniently labeled The Truth. After reading, for instance, that "In 1983 the Iran-funded Islamist terrorist organization, Hezbollah, murdered 241 U.S. Marines in Beirut, Lebanon while the marines slept in their barracks," don't you feel enlightened?

Perhaps most disheartening of all is the "WHY WE DO IT" section of their What We Do page:

Misinformation kills.

Even though information is more accessible today than at any other time in our history, there is a lack of motivation to learn – especially among college students and young adults. Enemies of America, Israel, and of peace have poured millions of dollars into PR campaigns to spread inaccurate information and foster hatred here in the United States. It is imperative that this misinformation is countered with truth for future generations to understand the genuine partners of peace.

Who can argue with that? As much as I appreciate the intentions of the mission statement, as well as the intellectual integrity of Rabbi Weintraub of Encounter, I have to wonder if any such programs, in the long run, are destined to FAIL. Changing the opinions of Jewish leaders takes a first step towards a trickle-down effect that may lead to policy change down the line - as does energizing uninvolved young Jewish socialites to learn more about Israel's history. No first step, though, can undo the full extent of the damage done to the opinions of all the parties involved.

I can't claim that either Encounter or Fuel For Truth take a "right" or "wrong" approach to the issue; I can only agree with the notion that if the conflict ever ends, the resolution will have to stem from education -- from decisions based on accurate information disseminated honestly, without advocating For Truth.