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Social media influencers, like Lizzy Savetsky and Kosha Dillz, are willing to lose followers in order to stand with Israel.
Many Jewish social media influencers and musicians have had to ask themselves: is it worth being cancelled over their unwavering support for Israel?
Social media influencer Lizzy Savetsky told me that she first started committing her platform to Israel in 2021 during the conflict in Gaza, so none of this is new to her.
“At that time, I lost thousands and thousands of followers. I lost friends. I lost jobs. I was dropped by my management company because I was no longer ‘marketable.’ I have zero resentments about this, because without these losses, I wouldn’t have had the clarity that the path of Jewish advocacy was the path that was meant for me.” Lizzy said.
In a recent conversation with Jewish rapper, Kosha Dillz, otherwise known as Rami Even-Esh, he reminded me of the lyrics in his song, “With Everything That's Goin on What's Goin On", that offered another perspective on losing followers:
“Someone asked if I lost people
my response was hella iffy
I told ‘em I can't lose people
if they was never with me."
If they left us over Israel, what kind of friends were they? Kosha Dillz said that it comes naturally to him to support Israel through his music and his interviews at protests, some of which have gone viral.
“My family risked everything for being Jewish…My grandparents sent pictures with gas masks to us from the Gulf War while realizing their relatives were gassed just 50 years earlier. I just do what is right for my family, which is all of us. This also includes engaging with our cousins in convo and trying to build bridges and showing an example of how to stand up,” Kosha Dillz said.
Kosha Dillz
Despite death threats through her social media and phone calls to her husband’s office, Lizzy is resolute. “It’s very simple. If not us, then who? We have seen in the past and present that we can’t rely on anyone else to stand up for us. This is my responsibility. I think about everything my ancestors fought through and held tightly to their Jewish values, traditions, and faith. This is our moment to do the same.”
Kosha Dillz was recently on a mini tour, visiting college campuses to uplift Jewish students after the pro-Palestinian encampments started. He had just released his song, “Time for a Conversation” in response song to Macklemore’s song, “Hind’s Hall”, named for the student takeover of a dining hall during protests at Columbia University.
As I feel more and more unsafe as a Jew in NYC, I realize that Israel is absolutely essential to the Jewish people. I don’t just love Israel with my whole heart, I need Israel.
Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian video shows shots of police arresting protesters, scenes of wounded Palestinians from the war in Gaza, and politicians and companies that supposedly support Israel. He calls Israel an apartheid state and accuses Israel of being colonizers. In Kosha Dillz’ response song and accompanying video, he reminds us that ten years ago Macklemore dressed up as a caricature of a Jew, complete with a big nose. He shows pictures of Jews of all skin colors in response to Macklemore accusing Israel of white supremacy. Kosha Dillz raps that we must free the hostages and invites everyone to visit the Nova Exhibition that was set up in New York City. The song ends with Kosha Dillz inviting Macklemore to have a cup of coffee with him and have a conversation.
“Were the two of you friends?” I asked Kosha Dillz when I met him at a college campus nearby.
The look on Kosha Dillz’ face told me everything. He, too, lost a friend over Israel. But Kosha Dillz wasn’t afraid to confront his friend, and he did so publicly.
“I don't think Macklemore is a bad guy. He’s someone who is ill-informed based on who he surrounded himself with. I'd cut him and many others more slack,” Kosha Dillz said. “I feel artists who are extremely popular need to give Palestinian artists more shine and many people are speaking their truth and are going unheard while non-Palestinian acts are profiting off of the pain of others. At most they'll fundraise for one family in Gaza or a relief fund. I don't understand why they won't share Israelis and Palestinians collaborating. Ultimately, we have to work together while others continue to separate.”
Kosha Dillz doesn’t think he’s risked his career at all. He says that the real heroes are the soldiers who are actually risking their lives, and the people who have survived terror attacks.
Kosha Dillz said that his strong connection to Israel comes from the fact that his family is from Israel and that his goal is to move back there one day. But until then, he will continue to support Israel and the Jewish people in the way that he can – using his gift of writing songs and making videos and connecting with people, whether on the streets or through social media.
Lizzy Savetsky
Lizzy Savetsky’s first time in Israel was on Birthright. “The second I set foot on the ground there my life changed. I felt a deep soul connection to the land.”
Lizzy continued, “Over the past few years I realized that I had taken Israel’s existence for granted. I didn’t fully understand the importance of the Jewish people having the safe haven of our ancestral homeland until its existence was threatened to the highest degree in my lifetime. I see how when Israel comes under fire (both literally and figuratively), the Jewish people all over the world come under fire as well. It’s only now that I realize, as I feel more and more unsafe as a Jew in NYC, that Israel is absolutely essential to the Jewish people. I don’t just love Israel with my whole heart, I need Israel.”
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Many inhabitants of the area that the British officially ceded to Israel after World War II, were on the losing side in two world wars. In WW l they were in the Ottoman Empire that was allied with Germany. In WW II, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem allied himself and supoorters with the German NAZI regime led by Hitler. The British, winners in both wars, had the right to assign the land to the Jews. After Israel declared statehood, the armies of the surrounding non-Jewish countries attacked and conquered much of Israel. Only after again being threatened and attacked in 1967 did Israel regain her territory. The land erroneously referred to by most media as "occupied territory" should be more accurately termed "recovered territory".
It my view it is liberated territories from our enemy because they were part of ancient biblical Israel also Jordan was the East Bank of ancient biblical Israel, in 1967 Yasser Arfat invented the so called Palestinan people until then the Jews were the real Palestinians and Jews are still are the real Palestinans the others arecreally Muslim Arabs
I have a situation, which I am sure isn't unique. My only brother and I disagree about the Palestinians. I have told him in no uncertain terms that we will just have to agree to disagree. Also, it occurs to me that Hamas is what it has always been. Remember, please, that the Palestinians elected them to be their representative on the world stage. Some, I'm sure, didn't realize they were making a deal with the devil, but many others did and simply didn't care about the consequences. While I sympathize with the civilians caught in the cross fire, Israel didn't start this mess.
Roberta - It has been observed & clandestinely reported by international monitors & REFUGEES - that in many countries - voting is selectively transparent. In order to APPEAR as DEMOCRATIC - the ruling authorities - PRE-SELECT - & OBTUSELY SUGGEST - TELL The PRE-SELECTED VOTERS - WHICH/WHOSE BALLOT - they are to choose - along with the "CONSEQUENCES" - for not following their VOTING INSTRUCTIONS ACCORDINGLY.
I'd rather be cancelled by Hollywood than be cancelled by GOD!!!
No one knows where nerdeen kiswani and her organization within our lifetime is being funded from. Or who is funding her
When I discuss the topic of Israel with people - & our G-D given right to be here. I'm often reminded of the old saying: "To those who believe - NO EXPLANATION - is NECESSARY. To those who DON'T believe - NO EXPLANATION - WILL DO". Many equivocate - with rationale - that - SOUNDS GOOD - but - isn't GOOD SOUND RATIONALE - as their source(s) - are from many of the lame CANARDS - that - when compared with the FACTS & TRUTH - fall apart. So we must hold our line of TRUTH - and not allow them to push it back.
The notion of "dialogue" with those who want us dead is absurd, ludicrous - just bizarre.
Are you my Cousin? My Mom's name was "Nechama Mindle Mildred Schneider bas Idel(Isidore)Leib A"H." She was born in the Bronx. Her father was Isidore Schneider and her Mom was Libby Lidsky. Elisha/Benjilini Message for Abby Schneider by:thegreatbenjilini@gmail.com
Wonderful article and we'll written
Much love, many nachas, am Israel chai!!
"I have zero resentments about this, because without these losses, I wouldn’t have had the clarity that the path of Jewish advocacy was the path that was meant for me." ~Lizzy Savetsky
"I can't lose people
if they was never with me." ~Kosha Dillz
Well done, young people.
~~~
Something to think about:
The primary distinctions between ancient prophets from Israel, and other cultures:
Prophets of God of Israel admonished the ethics and morals of the people; and, spoke directly to the King.
Prophets of gods from lands outside of Israel spoke to their king often through intermediary, and advised primarily about property, places, and things.
Choose always to put evil at your back.
I’ve been watching videos of people who engage with pro-Palestinians and sadly the response I see over and over is a total refusal to share. Over and over our people say we respect the aspirations of the Palestinians and offer some kind of compromise: sharing of land, sovereignty, a future - and are denied any iota of recognition as human beings, let alone people with justifiable claims to self-determination and a homeland.
It’s heartbreaking and very frightening.
Of course they are not prepared to share. Because they believe it's theirs. The return of the Jewish people to our land, running it again and flourishing so successfully is a kick in the teeth to the supremacism of Islamic ideology. Even one square meter of Jewish run land in Israel is too much for this mindset.
It was a complete mistake to offer ANY of our G-d given land of Israel. That is seen as a weakness to be exploited. Instead, we need to stand up proudly as Jews and while wishing to live in peace with others around us, make it clear that NO part of our G-d given homeland will ever be given away again to Arabs. The Torah forbids us to do so in the first place. Israel is OURS, all of it. Strength is all that is respected in the Middle East.
Dvirah, you took the words out of my mouth (and phrased them much better than I would have). I always thought so myself, how we Israelis always understood them, offered to compromise about land and they never agreed to compromise an inch of land. Here in Israel, we showed their side of the story, their misery. We always had some compassion for them, and they has zero for us. They never showed any understanding to our side. Recently I read an article in an Israeli website that shed some light on the behavior of Muslims - in short, it's against their faith that Jews will have sovereignty on any land. For Hebrew readers, this is the article: https://www.jdn.co.il/blog/2182698/
In Gaza, the population is Arab - there is no Palestine, there is no nationality or ethnicity of Palestinian. They are proud Arab, as declared by Mosab Hassan Yousef, the elder son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, who was one of the founders of Hamas, called Son of HAMAS who left HAMAS and became a Christian.
They are left over from their occupation of the homeland of the Jewish people as the local occupiers representing the cruel Ottoman Empire.
Their claims are equivalent to Jewish claims - this was our homeland!
They for hundreds of years, Jews for thousands.
Israel, since foundation, embraced co-existence with Jews and Arabs both citizens with votes and representatives in government, academia and society.
The Arabs in Gaza intend to tolerate no Jews in lands they own.