(JEWISH GROUP) A Whisperer to the Stars on the Middle East Conflict

[Mosby]

(JEWISH GROUP)

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, which showed young Palestinian children expressing their hatred for Jews, was constructive.

“That’s very inflammatory,” she said. “Would you say don’t share any of that kind of content?”

The answer came from Hen Mazzig, the workshop’s leader, who has become something of a whisperer to Hollywood stars about how to best use social media platforms to express support for Israel and fight discrimination against Jews.

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That is where Mr. Mazzig has stepped in, and seen his influence grow. His follower counts have ballooned. His posts have been shared by celebrities like Pink, Amy Schumer and Gal Gadot. And they’ve been turned into billboards in Times Square.

Mr. Mazzig is a staunch supporter of Israel, and often emphasizes to his followers that he believes both Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorist organizations. Yet he is not afraid to criticize Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Israeli government for its mistakes both before and during the war. And he frequently reiterates his support for Palestinians’ right to self-determination.

On social media, where subtlety is largely absent on the issue of the Israel-Hamas war, Mr. Mazzig represents a more nuanced position reflective of how many Jews feel about the conflict — and he is trying to teach others how to express very complex emotions in a fraught environment.

“My work is about life and death, and about the survival of my people,” Mr. Mazzig said. “It’s just a weird place to be in, realizing that Hollywood and celebrities are able to help me accomplish my goals.”

Mr. Mazzig was born in Israel to two refugees: an Iraqi mother and a Tunisian father. He spent five years in the Israeli military, as a humanitarian officer in the West Bank, intermediating among international organizations, Palestinian civilians and the Israeli Army. He then worked in the United States for Hillel International, a Jewish student group, and StandWithUs, a pro-Israel advocacy group, before returning to Israel and starting his own social media company. He co-founded the Tel Aviv Institute in 2019 as a way to reach younger people who didn’t trust traditional news media and instead found most of their information through infuencers.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/02/business/media/hen-mazzig-hollywood-israel-gaza.html?unlocked_article_code=1.W04.Sket.ZdLL9GGEsN3l&smid=url-share

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