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Tel Aviv Institute

The future of combatting hate. 

We are a multidisciplinary laboratory focused on uplifting Jews and other minorities on and offline through innovative, social media-driven strategies.

Articles

eJewishPhilanthropy •

We made an integrity pledge to our donors. Others should do the same.

History is littered with examples of organizations that faced the consequences of clinging to outdated strategies, like Kodak’s failure to embrace digital technology or Sears’ resistance to pivot to e-commerce. Whether commercial or philanthropic, success demands adaptation and differentiation, no matter how uncomfortable. This mindset is what enabled Jeff Bezos to redefine retail through Amazon and Shigetaka Komoris to reinvent Fujifilm in the wake of Kodak’s decline. Both individuals also exer...
The New York Times •

A Whisperer to the Stars on the Middle East Conflict

The actress Debra Messing had a question: How do you share commentary about the Israel-Hamas conflict online in ways that will best influence others?She posed the question a few months ago in a room with about 30 other Jewish activists, allies and influencers participating in a one-day workshop held in Los Angeles by the Tel Aviv Institute, a nonprofit that aims to combat antisemitism primarily via social media.In particular, Ms. Messing wanted to know if a video she had reposted on Instagram, w...
Forbes •

Keren Nechmad And Swell Ariel Or Dive Into Netflix’s ‘Kissufim’ — The Israeli ‘Dazed And Confused’

Keren Nechmad didn’t set out to make Israel’s answer to Dazed and Confused, but that’s exactly what she’s done with Kissufim.
“It’s a happy coincidence,” the first-time director, a graduate of New York’s prestigious School of Visual Arts, tells me over Zoom when I bring up the comparison between her unforgettably confident feature debut and the Richard Linklater classic. “My intention was just to give an understanding of what it is to live on a kibbutz and how time doesn’t really move much. You’...
Fathom •

‘Anti-Zionism’ is a distraction from, not a solution to, the existential global challenges we face. And the clock is ticking

Olga Kirschbaum issues a stark warning: the thesis that Zionism is a source of evil is a deadly distraction for all people everywhere today. ‘We simply do not have time to lose with such a pointless projection’ she argues. ‘Our young people deserve a world where they can breathe, earn a living, and flourish. We cannot get back the time and energy lost sitting on campus lawns, walking the streets, and scrolling on phones calling for the destruction of the only Jewish state. We need this time and...
The Jewish News of Northern California •

Pro-Israel social media influencer Hen Mazzig offers advice in S.F.

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When he stepped out of his home in Petah Tikvah to get ice cream on a random day in 2002, Hen Mazzig didn’t expect any surprises. 

But for the 12-year-old growing up in Israel during the second intifada, it suddenly became a life-changing, death-defying experience. Moments before he entered the ice cream shop, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive inside, killing two and injuring 30.
The Hollywood Reporter •

Why Pro-Israel Hollywood Stars Like Debra Messing and Ginnifer Goodwin Turn to Hen Mazzig for Advice

Amid the cacophony of debate surrounding the Israel-Hamas War, it’s grown virtually impossible to avoid the thoughts of Hen Mazzig.

As the face of the Israeli cause, one might argue that he’s an unlikely candidate: The 34-year-old influencer is gay (he was out throughout his tour of service in the IDF) and spends his time between Tel Aviv and London. It’s in the latter city, where anti-Israel sentiment has swelled to all-time highs — alongside incidents of antisemitism — that Mazzig is reg...
Jewish Journal •

How Do You Measure the Actual Influence of Israel Information Influencers?

A survey commissioned by the Tel Aviv Institute (TLVI) has provided insights into the effectiveness of Israel-related advocacy on social media, including evidence that TLVI’s model seems to be working.
Hen Mazzig, a Senior Fellow at TLVI and a prominent player in the Israel information space on social media, is one of the standout performers according to the survey. 
TLVI’s Social Media Laboratory aims to “take on antisemitism where it starts” and “provide resources, data, and proven strategies...
Fathom •

Imperial Rollback in the Middle East: A Necessity for Regional Peace

Olga Kirschbaum-Shirazki is a co-founder and editor of the Tel Aviv Review of Books and a visiting fellow at the Tel Aviv Institute. She argues that while there is an understanding that European imperial powers made a mess of the Middle East  and Africa  over the course of the twentieth century, little is said about the fact that Iranian, Turkish, and Arab state violence towards national groups seeking their independence has been deadly and one of the major sources of violence in the Middle East...
The Jewish Chronicle •

We must come out as Jewish every day and not be scared to show our pride

It seems like every day another antisemitic incident shakes our community. Reports in the last month alone on assaults in London, Toronto, Paris and New York could fill several pages. In a world where antisemitism is becoming normalised, the importance of being confident in our Jewish identity has never been more critical.
As Jews, we are no strangers to adversity. For millennia, we have faced persecution, discrimination and hatred. Yet throughout history our resilience and unwavering spirit ha...
The Times of Israel •

Catching up with Dr. Matthias Becker – Decoding Antisemitism

The ground is shaking, the world is in flames. From despicable acts of flag burning to the defacement of historic sites in Washington yesterday with messages proclaiming, “Hamas is coming”, from images equating Jews to Nazis to death threats against the Israeli Olympic team, from cyber hacking that reveals private information about the team to anti-Western speeches and calls for intifada—it feels like an apocalypse. Yet, here I am, bringing you conversations with innovators, researchers, policym...
The Jewish Chronicle •

Does Kamala Harris support Israel? Yes and it's stupid to assume she wouldn't as president

Few issues are as hotly contested as support for Israel. President Biden's departure from the presidential race and the immediate emergence of Vice President Kamala Harris as the undisputed Democratic nominee has sparked intense debate, especially within the pro-Israel community. But it is entirely wrong to claim that Harris is insufficiently supportive of the Jewish state. Here’s why.
Despite opposing narratives, Kamala Harris’s pro-Israel credentials are consistent and robust. This fact is of...
The Jewish Chronicle •

We need our Israeli hero: what is Marvel’s end game?

The short film starts innocently enough. A group of teenagers jostle and joke, arms around each others’ shoulders. But soon we see a French teen realising his Jewish friends have to hide every visible aspect of their identities, from their Star of David necklaces to their last names, to the mezuzah on their door. He protests as they draw the blinds to light Shabbat candles, but the family insists. It is just too dangerous to be publicly Jewish right now.
The film, which aired in France on Basti...
Algemeiner.com •

Evolution Favors Hate Baiters; Are Facts Headed Toward Extinction? - Algemeiner.com

Joe Friday, the protagonist in the 1960’s television series Dragnet, delighted a generation of baby-boomers with his good cop demeanor and his famous tagline: “just the facts, ma’am.”

Underscoring just how deeply the authority of facts has been degraded since Dragnet first aired, when asked for just the facts about Detective Joe Friday, DeepAI eviscerated him for his misogynistic and coercive assault on subjective reality.

The character, said DeepAI, “is not interested in listening to the wome
Newsweek •

I serve IDF soldiers every day. They look like homesick teenagers

I serve IDF (Israel Defense Force) soldiers at a canteen in southern Israel on the border with Gaza. The canteen is under a big tent that they call the Station. It gets its name from a nearby gas station because soldiers come to fill up with a hot meal and a warm welcome from the volunteers who run it.

Work at the Station can be hard, scrubbing pots, clearing tables, unloading pallets of food, peeling huge sacks of onions, and serving hundreds of meals.

But for me, the hardest part is keeping
The Jewish Chronicle •

At last we can see true Arab solidarity with Israel

As nearly nine million Israelis — including my own family — were sheltering in bunkers on Saturday evening in anticipation of an impending military offensive by the Islamic Republic in Iran, a somewhat surprising development was unfolding behind the scenes.

Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have historically been antagonistic toward the Jewish state, were in the process of feeding Israeli officials vital intelligence about Iran’s forthcoming attack. These action
New York Post •

Israel is winning against Hamas — but the bad guys are succeeding in courts of public opinion

The calls this week for the arrest of Israeli President Isaac Herzog on charges of “genocide” suggest that the bad guys are beginning to win in the war between Israel and Hamas.

Not in Gaza, mind you, where Israeli forces continue to obliterate Hamas’ armed infrastructure in response to its massacre on Oct. 7.

But in legal chambers and courts of public opinion across the globe.

You see the bad guys everywhere — hiding, of course, in Gaza, burrowed in their terror tunnels surrounded by the Pal
The Hill •

Deepfakes: Antisemitism’s new calling card is hiding in plain sight

In many ways, the events of Oct. 7 closely mirrored past Palestinian acts of aggression toward the Jewish state. Once again, terrorists masquerading as “freedom fighters” wounded and killed innocent Israelis in a crowded public space. Also once again, Israel’s response has led to the unfortunate deaths of people in Gaza. Once again, anti-Israel zealots, fueled by Hamas propaganda, have united in widespread condemnation and false accusations of “apartheid.”

Sadly, it’s a script that we are all t
Jewish News Syndicate •

Harvard president’s resignation will not end antisemitism

With the news of Harvard University president Claudine Gay’s resignation, I’ve been left in an awkward position. While many of my Jewish friends are celebrating, this “victory” feels hollow to me, if one can even call it a victory.

I first learned about Gay in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack. It was one of the darkest days of my life, and learning that student groups at Harvard had released a letter condemning Israel and claiming that the murders and rapes were entirely Israel’s fault wa
Jewish Journal •

Harvard’s President’s Resignation Will Not End Antisemitism

With the news of Harvard’s president, Dr. Claudine Gay, resigning, I’ve been left in an awkward position. While many of my Jewish friends are celebrating, this “victory” feels hollow to me, if one can even call it a victory.

I first learned about Dr. Gay in the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7th attack. It was one of the darkest days of my life, and learning that student groups at Harvard had released a letter condemning Israel and claiming that the murders and rapes were entirely Israel’s fault was like putting salt in the wound. Many American Jews reached out to me at that time, terrified that colleges were no longer safe for their children or that they didn’t feel safe on campuses. Dr. Gay’s inaction most certainly fed into this fear, and I was far from the only person who had issues with how she handled things.
Newsweek •

Calls for Ceasefire Are an Antisemitic Demand—Jews Must Accept Our Genocide

When dozens of protestors halted traffic on a major Los Angeles highway this week, it was the latest in a string of major public calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. The demonstration, led by the notorious anti-Israel group IfNotNow, followed a vote for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas from 153 countries (the U.S. voted against) during an emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly.

As an Israeli Jew who helped Palestinian civilians during my five year service
The Spectator World •

The folly of LGBT sympathy for Hamas

Beyond Hamas’s ruthlessness — and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fecklessness — one thing that’s become increasingly clear since the October 7 attack on Israel is that social justice groups and identity crusaders no longer possess even a shred of seriousness.

How could they, with feminist organizations still questioning the legitimacy of Hamas’s sexual violence against Israeli women? Or lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans groups insisting that “queer issues are Palestinian issues” — d
The Hill •

How to vanquish an enemy: Make him into a friend

Hunkering down under blasts from Hamas rockets, I ought to be thinking about my safety. But hellish images of old people being tortured, young girls being raped, and babies being beheaded have commandeered all of my emotional bandwidth.

After asking myself a thousand times what can be done about this bitter enemy, a statement made by Abraham Lincoln eventually came to mind. “The best way to destroy an enemy,” he said, “is to make him a friend.”

Friendship requires empathy and appreciation. Aft
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