Six effective ways to stand with Israel, by Fred Maroun

eretzyisrael:

4. Speak up wisely on social media

Anyone who has debated the Israel-Arab conflict on social media knows that there is never a lack of anti-Israel voices, but their weakness is that they fear facts. They react to them by compounding the lies, engaging in personal attacks, and allowing their antisemitism to come into the light, all of which discredits them in the eyes of fair observers.

When you debate them, follow these rules consistently:

• State your case clearly and concisely. Long or confusing comments are rarely read in full.
• To support facts that you advance, quote only sources that are widely seen as reasonably credible, especially by people who are not particularly pro-Israel. Good sources are The Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Post, and it also helps to use sources that are not typically seen as pro-Israel, such as Haaretz, BBC, The Guardian, CBC, CNN, Huffington Post, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
• State the facts as they are. The facts are almost always on Israel’s side, and on the rare occasion when they are not, it is better to be honest and to maintain your credibility.
• Do not confuse facts with hyperbole or rhetoric. Hyperbole and rhetoric may sound good to your friends, but they do not convince sceptics. For example, if a politician funds the UNRWA and you believe it is unwise, say so; do not jump to the conclusion that the politician supports terrorism.
• Avoid personal attacks, even when extremely tempting. Personal attacks do not convince anyone. If others engage in personal attacks against you, comment on the inappropriateness of the attack then move on.
• Avoid comments that could be interpreted as anti-Muslim or bigoted in any way. Such comments divert from the pro-Israel message and do not help your argument.
• If you use sarcasm, do it carefully because sarcasm is often misunderstood on social media.
• Do not mix partisanship and support for Israel. Israel is not a right-wing or left-wing issue. There are people who support Israel everywhere on the political spectrum except on the extremes, and it is essential to maintain that support. Making Israel a partisan issue alienates partisans of the other side.
• Use rational arguments based on evidence and reason, not based on religion. Religious arguments do not convince people who do not share your beliefs.
• Avoid getting bogged down in long discussions with people who debate in bad faith and who are wasting your time. Simply leave the discussion.
• Always remember that you are seen as the voice of Israel. That voice must be intelligent, confident, honest, and well-mannered. If at any moment, you do not feel up to maintaining that standard, do not debate the Israel-Arab conflict.

Six effective ways to stand with Israel, by Fred Maroun