Success Story with Scott D. Clary Barak Swarttz - YouTuber & Activist | The Truth About Israel They Don't Want You to Know
Nov 19, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Barak Swarttz, an American-Israeli performance coach and activist with a robust YouTube following, shares his unique insights on Israel and basketball. He discusses how he uses sports to bridge cultural divides and combat antisemitism. Barak reveals the impact of social media on polarization and the importance of empathy in dialogues about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He also reflects on his personal journey, from overcoming injuries to becoming a public advocate, and emphasizes the power of storytelling to foster understanding.
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Childhood Bridge To Israel
- Barak describes growing up between Boston and Israel, starting basketball during the second intifada and volunteering in a Bedouin village as a child.
- Those early experiences planted his worldview of "us versus the problem" and seeded his later bridge-building work through basketball.
Attention Economy Fuels Division
- Social media and mainstream news monetize attention by stoking fear and outrage, which deepens polarization.
- Barak argues that short algorithmic clips replace critical thinking and amplify emotional reactions over nuance.
From Broken Back To New Path
- Barak recounts decades of injuries culminating in shelving competitive basketball after his final college game in 2018.
- He shifted into training players and later used basketball as a platform for advocacy and storytelling.
