What is the truth, the one who screams the loudest?
Israel is not only fighting a war on the battlefield. Today, the battle for truth is just as important. Public opinion is increasingly shaped by narratives rather than facts. Complex events in the Middle East are often reduced to simplistic black-and-white stories, while the historical context, security threats, and realities on the ground are left out.
Social media plays a major role in this process. Posts that trigger strong emotions are shared far more widely than those that present a balanced and factual account. The more often people see the same message, the more likely they are to accept it as truth, even when key facts are missing or taken out of context.
Artificial intelligence systems, such as ChatGPT, are also part of this new reality. AI does not have opinions or take sides. It generates responses based on patterns found in the information it has been trained on and the prompts it receives. When certain narratives or viewpoints are repeated frequently across publicly available sources, they are more likely to appear in AI-generated answers. That does not automatically make those narratives true; rather, it reflects what is most commonly represented in the available information.
For Israel, this has significant consequences. When terrorism, the country's ongoing security threats, and the history of the conflict receive little attention, people are left with an incomplete picture. That perception influences how millions view Israel and can ultimately shape international politics.
There is another important factor. Most people know very little about the history of the Jewish people or the founding of the State of Israel. As a result, slogans are often repeated without understanding their meaning. One example is the slogan "From the river to the sea." Many people use it without even knowing which river or which sea it refers to. Even fewer realize that many interpret it as a call for the elimination of the State of Israel, and therefore as a threat to Jewish self-determination.
The Influence on Universities
The ideological debate surrounding Israel has increasingly become part of academic life. Over the past several decades, billions of dollars from countries including Qatar have been donated to Western universities, research institutes, and civil society organizations, including institutions in the Netherlands. This has sparked ongoing debate about the extent to which foreign funding may influence the academic environment.
Critics argue that, at many universities, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is increasingly presented from a one-sided perspective. Israel is often portrayed primarily as the oppressor, while much less attention is given to the historical background, the threat of terrorism, or Islamist extremism. According to these critics, this trend is visible at many academic institutions.
Through professors, activists, and influential social media personalities, these ideas are then spread even further. Social media dramatically amplifies this process. Millions of young people encounter the same messages every day, and these messages help shape their understanding of Israel. As a result, criticism of the Israeli government increasingly shifts into hostility toward Israel as a country and, at times, toward Jews collectively.
Many Jewish students report feeling increasingly unsafe on university campuses. Academic events have been disrupted, some demonstrations have included expressions of support for organizations designated as terrorist groups by various governments, and reports of antisemitic incidents have risen significantly in several countries.
The information war has become one of the most powerful weapons in the conflict surrounding Israel. Whoever shapes public perception influences public opinion. And whoever shapes public opinion ultimately influences politics.
Searching for the Truth
For that reason, it is important not to accept everything you read online at face value. Compare multiple reliable sources, verify facts, and try to distinguish between propaganda, opinion, and information that is supported by credible evidence.
Israel Is Losing the Information Battle
It is often said that Israel is losing the battle for public opinion. This is not because Israel is doing nothing. On the contrary, Israel invests heavily in providing information, documentation, and evidence.
However, in today's digital world, algorithms often determine what people see. Content that provokes strong emotional reactions is rewarded with greater visibility and is shared more widely. Images that have been edited, stripped of context, or no longer accurately reflect reality can spread rapidly. Sensational content travels faster than carefully verified facts.
As a result, propaganda can spread at remarkable speed, while well-documented and carefully sourced information reaches far fewer people.
A Jewish Perspective
Jewish tradition teaches that, before the ultimate redemption, one of the signs of that era will be that truth becomes hidden and falsehood is accepted as truth.
Many people see this ancient warning as especially relevant today. When facts are overshadowed by propaganda, political interests, and financial incentives, discovering the truth becomes increasingly difficult. That is why each individual has a responsibility not simply to follow the loudest or most popular narratives, but to continue seeking the truth with intellectual honesty and to distinguish carefully between evidence, opinion, and manipulation.
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