Four days before the joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran, with tensions at an all-time high, a delegation of influencers and content-creators from around the world made its way to Israel.

Seventeen participants in Jews Talk Justice Influencers Lab arrived in the country to experience Israel up close. What they did not anticipate was that they would also experience an Israeli reality—war.

The participants at the media lab, run by Hen Mazzig, a veteran Israeli advocacy activist and founder of the Tel Aviv Institute for Combating Antisemitism, were content creators, each working to debunk false narratives about Israel, particularly since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

Their central focus was obtaining factual, evidence-based information about the conflict and discussing the best ways to fight the delegitimization of Israel in the world, especially among Gen-Z, which consumes its news from social media.

Just as they were preparing to take their Israeli experience back to their home countries, “Operation Roaring Lion” (Israel) and “Epic Fury” (United States) against Iran began, adding an unexpected layer to the workshop: firsthand experience of Israeli reality during wartime.

Among the participants, as expected, are Israelis and Diaspora Jews. But alongside them, descending into bomb shelters, are people whose connection to Israel is anything but trivial: non-Jewish, non-Israeli influencers for whom there should seemingly be no connection to this place.

These participants—who come from countries whose governments are hostile to Israel, such as Spain—are creating pro-Israel content and openly supporting the country in a way that runs counter to the mood among many of their peers. And no, no organization is paying them to do so.

“It’s like you’re in a movie,” Spanish activist Issac Moraleja, who has been creating content fighting against anti-Israel rhetoric since Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, says. “Tel Aviv reminds me of my city, Barcelona. Everything is so cool, young people all around, I love it. Then all of a sudden, you turn a corner, and you see a destroyed building.”

‘I’m happy about my time in the bomb shelter’

In what he described as a very Israeli response, Issac said he is not alarmed by the war and feels safe, particularly given the U.S.-Israel cooperation in the strike on Iran.

“I’m happy about my time in the bomb shelter. I’m loving that. I’m getting to meet so many people, and it’s amazing,” he said. “When we saw thatthe ayatollah had been killed, hundreds of people were all shouting and celebrating in the shelter. We were experiencing history here in Israel.”

One thing that struck him was Israeli solidarity. “There’s an organization made up entirely of young Israelis volunteering to help in some of the places that were destroyed. They help remove trash and broken glass. That’s incredible for me to see, values that are all about helping each other.

‘It’s incredible how the media and the world portray everything that is related to Israel in a completely different way than what is really happening here. They [Spanish leadership] blame the Jews for everything they are involved in,” he said.

“How do Israelis manage to endure it?’

German activist Karoline Preisler, who holds silent counter-protests at pro-Palestinian demonstrations, found herself caught up in the war with Iran.

“Today I slept through the night for the first time since leaving Israel,” she said, after managing to return to Berlin. “How do Israelis manage to endure it? They have been threatened, shelled, and plagued by mass murderers since Israel’s founding. I only now truly understand the psychological strain on Israeli society.”

Though she had visited Israel before, Preisler shared her experience against the backdrop of the Iranian missile attacks. “Every minute, I felt grateful for the Iron Dome. In the shelter, I also made many new friends and grew to love Israel even more.”

She said the way Israelis cope with war surprised her and deepened her appreciation for the country and its people even further.

“In World War II, the Germans exterminated more than six million Jews. Their children and grandchildren have just given me protection in Israel and made my return home to my children possible,” she said. “The boundless love overwhelmed me. Israel is a tormented land; Nevertheless, the Israelis were ready to rush to the rescue of the Iranian people. What a people! Am Israel Chai.”

Originally published by Israel Hayom.

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