Reevaluating Jewish Advocacy Against Antizionism

On this episode of Don’t Know Much About, Dr. Naya Lekht asks, Why have so many Jewish and pro-Israel advocacy groups failed to counter the antizionist narrative? While antizionism evolved into a sophisticated campaign of disinformation, Jewish advocacy often treated it as mere misinformation, a problem of mistaken facts rather than deliberate deception.

Naya breaks down how this misunderstanding gave rise to “inward advocacy,”  three self-defeating modes of response: “looking at the self” (“This is what a Zionist looks like”), “innovation nation” (branding Israel through progress or diversity), and “setting the record straight” (countering libels with data). Each keeps Jews trapped in a cycle of self-defense, playing right into the abuser’s hands.

Instead, Naya calls for “outward advocacy,” a strategy that names and exposes the structure of hate itself. Through historical parallels from the Doctor’s Plot libel to today’s genocide and apartheid libels, Naya shows how antizionism revives ancient tropes in modern form.

This episode challenges listeners to rethink what it means to “advocate,” to recognize libels for what they are, and to stop debating a movement whose end goal is not peace, but the erasure of Israel itself.

Clarifying the complex. Step into my classroom.