Michael Balaban’s Update on the War in Israel

October 27, 2023

– Michael Balaban
President & CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia

We are on day 21 of Israel’s war with the terrorist organization Hamas. As we still grieve and mourn, we are also facing unprecedented spikes in antisemitism. In the wake of Hamas’ massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. have spiked by 388%, according to a new study released today by the Anti-Defamation League.

One major factor driving this hatred is disinformation. Disinformation is the deliberate promulgation of false or misleading information to deceive — frequently for the purpose of a larger objective, which in this current situation is antisemitism.

These are tactics of the war against Israel’s legitimacy, are methods of dehumanizing the Jewish people, and are part of broader efforts to sow divisions in our society.

It is time we fight back. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia launched a toolkit to equip you with the resources and messaging needed to combat disinformation.

Join ADL in urging social media companies to follow better content moderation practices relating to the crisis in Israel. Learn more here.

In addition, your local Jewish Federation has been overwhelmed by how our community has stepped up to stand with Israel. As of Oct. 25, we have raised over $8.8 million of our $10.025 million fundraising goal for the Philly Stands With Israel emergency campaign. Already, we have sent over $2.4 million for humanitarian aid in Israel. Learn more here.

***

If you would like to receive Israel emergency communications, please click here.