Jews around the world suffer from anti-Semitism the likes of which we have not experienced since the Holocaust. Every day we witness hundreds of incidents in which the attackers are not ashamed to say: "We are not anti-Israeli, we are anti-Jewish." Jewish students hide their identities, and some leave prestigious universities to feel safe.
This reality was not born overnight. There are those who have made sure that this aggression seeps into society, especially on campuses. According to a study published in 2022 by the National Association of Academics, between 2001 — the year the Twin Towers disaster occurred — and 2021, the Qatari government invested $4.7 billion in U.S. universities.
Within two decades, Qatar has managed to reposition itself from an allocated Islamist state to one of importance among the leading democracies. It has done so by supporting successful football teams, hosting international events such as the World Cup, establishing the giant Al Jazeera media group, and, above all, by influencing the most prestigious academic institutions.
A study by the American NCRI Institute shows that in 2019-2014, funding to academic institutions from foreign countries stood at $13 billion. Qatar invested most of the money in hundreds of academic institutions. The investment was directed to the launch of faculties, some of which echo anti-Semitic messages.
The IDF acts to defend Israel militarily on all geographical fronts, but in the PR defense we are exposed. As a central lesson from the current war, systemic change is required and the adoption of the "Qatari model": the establishment of a long-term propaganda system to expose the Israeli point of view, in four layers of defense.
With world Jewry, Israel must act systematically. First, to increase the number of visitors to Israel in frameworks such as Taglit-Birthright and Masa. There is no substitute for sight, and only those who have visited here will be able to understand the complex and sensitive reality. These days we are seeing the results of the investment in graduates of the tour programs in Israel: their activism and courage to stand up against the lies spread on social media. These programs must be expanded to recruit more honesty advocates.
Israel-loving Christians are the second most important group for advocacy: projects like Passages, which bring young Christians from evangelical communities to Israel, have the potential for far-reaching change in the United States – and more need to participate.
The third front is against the democratic countries. World Jewry engages in philanthropy, usually aimed at commemoration, in the form of buildings and monuments. Like Qatar, we must encourage donations that will influence the character of academic institutions: curricula that deal with the Middle East from our perspective, that will influence the composition of lecturers in key positions. This is an expensive move, at the end of which we will see a change in the institutions' attitudes about us. We must ensure that Jewish donors, many of whom have withdrawn their money from major universities in the United States, give their continued contribution to influencing the essence of academia, not just attending it.
With world Jewry, Israel must act systematically. First, to increase the number of visitors to Israel in frameworks such as Taglit-Birthright and Masa. There is no substitute for sight, and only those who have visited here will be able to understand the complex and sensitive reality
The fourth front is against countries, mainly Muslims, that have a common enemy with us, mainly Iran. This relationship is not motivated by altruistic motives, but we must work together. The relationship with the countries of the Abraham Accords is extremely important. There we must invest in "soft diplomacy" – encouraging dialogue that normalizes Israel in academia, culture, sports and the media, in order to tell our story and strengthen the common denominator.
We must prepare these days for the next information war. We cannot be satisfied with the current budget of the Foreign Ministry, which is budgeted at hundreds of millions of dollars. Against Qatar's billions, similar sums should be set and investment should be focused strategically and consistently. Only in this way can we win the next campaign.
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