The ADL has launched a "Mamdani Monitor" and continues smearing the first Muslim American mayor of NYC as it cozies up to MAGA and tolerates anti-semites and neo-Nazis to protect Israel.
I watched you two live this afternoon & it was terrific! I just subscribed to Debra too. Thank you both so much for a compassionate, insightful exchange of views. I especially loved how much you listened to each other at length. There's not done nearly often enough. Thank you!
I've followed Waj for a long time and seen him engage with many people. He's great at it and always engaging to watch. I know how incredibly complicated today's discussion topic with you was/is. I found your mutual respect admirable and you helped me understand the changes the various interest groups in your community have gone through over time and reinforced my own feelings on the subject. I look forward to seeing you more often.
They actually lost all their credibility when - under previous ADL President Abe Foxman - they came out against the Muslim Cultural Center (aka the "Ground Zero Mosque."
Awesome discussion. I’m Jewish, born in NYC. Wish I could have voted for Zohran, but I don’t live there anymore. My young Muslim friend and I have been watching his campaign from Massachusetts,we went bananas Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning. PLEASE KEEP HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS. Too many ppl talk at each other instead of with. 🫂❤️😘
Thank you, Waj and Debra. I'm just over 70 and remember when our country was known as a "melting pot". I honestly don't remember when things began changing and now I'm disturbed and disgusted at how bad it's gotten. But I think you, Waj, have a great idea about "joining forces". I'm sure the people of nationalities, heritage or religions the white supremacists (for lack of a better term and avoiding what I'm really thinking) are against far outnumber them. And that may just be the issue - they feel threatened.
Let's be clear, just like not all of us support Trump and this admin, there are still many Israeli Jews who don't support Bibi and his right wing zealots. For over a year, there were massive demonstrations every weekend against Bibi's power grab of the judiciary, and the deleterious trickle down effects it would have on all of Israel, and the West Bank.
May I recommend an excellent documentary previewed this year at film festivals around the world, Holding Liat. It was not easy to get this film out because its a painful story of a Israeli Jewish kibbutz family whose daughter was kidnapped by Hamas, and son-in-law killed.
This is the story of the initial shock, followed by the very public journey trying to free Liat, a journey that took the family all the way to the White House. This is a story of a middle class farmer and his brother, who have worked for coexistence between Arab and Jew., their whole lives.
Don't let the usual criminal politicians (now Bibi and Trump), create division, war, power and money grabs, manipulate us, enable useless slogans, generalize and make superficial arguments, and try to demonize the other.
Both Waj and Debra cut through the BS, to have a deeper conversation.
One of the great joys of my professional life over the last 8+ years has been to work with and lift up Israelis and Palestinians who are working together to end occupation and bring peace, equality, justice, and self-determination to both peoples. Earlier this year, I was privileged to speak on a panel following the first-ever showing of the Oscar-winning film No Other Land on Capitol Hill, to Members of Congress and their staff. I've written about the imperative for Jewish Americans to support Israel's pro-democracy protests -- while pushing those protesters to also work for an end to the occupation. On my Substack, I've featured Palestinians and Israelis from organizations like A Land for All, Standing Together, and Gisha. Those folks are my heroes. And of course, building solidarity here at home is vital to me, too. As you've hopefully seen in my convo with Waj.
If this work sounds important and worthwhile to you (and others who may be reading), I hope you'll subscribe to The Debrief.
Waj, don't know if you'll see this but this is an article just posted by Haaretz, an Israel newspaper:
Losing the Republican Base, Israel Pours Millions to Target Evangelicals and Churchgoers
Excerpt:
"Contracts between Israel and Trump-linked firms reveal campaigns and plans to target millions of U.S. churchgoers, deploy bots, hire influencers and try to make ChatGPT more pro-Israel
09:16 AM • November 09 2025 IST
The Israeli government has signed contracts worth millions of dollars in recent months to rehabilitate Israel's standing in American public opinion, both online and offline. Amid a sharp drop in support from the conservative right, Israel has hired firms to conduct not just "hasbara [public diplomacy] campaigns" but also campaigns targeting millions of Christian churchgoers, bot networks to amplify pro-Israel messages online, and efforts to influence both search results and the responses given by popular AI services like ChatGPT.
Among the experts recruited is a former campaign manager for Donald Trump and many of the other firms are linked to the Republican party or Evangelical communities, indicating that Israel is focusing massive efforts on communities once considered automatically pro-Israel. Among the campaigns' goals is fighting antisemitism, which has risen alongside the decline in support for Israel. Together, these campaigns signal a new phase in Israel's post-war public diplomacy strategy, and a shift in the way it uses agents - both AI and human influencers - for hasbara abroad.
The largest of the new hasbara contracts was signed in August with a firm called Clock Tower X, owned by Brad Parscale, who played a lead role in Trump's digital campaigns in 2016 and 2020. The $6 million, four-month contract - signed between his firm and Havas Media on behalf of the Israeli government - calls for "strategic consulting, planning, and communications services to develop and execute a broad U.S. campaign to combat antisemitism."
According to the filing, Parscale's company will produce "at least 100 core pieces of content per month" - including videos, audio, podcasts, graphics and text - and "5,000 derivative versions" monthly, aiming for 50 million impressions a month. Eighty percent of the content will target young Americans on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Campaign messages will be distributed via Salem Media Network, a conservative Christian media group that owns more than 200 radio stations and websites. Parscale was appointed this year to lead Salem's strategy.
Another Israeli campaign, commissioned for the Foreign Ministry, was proposed by Show Faith by Works, owned by Republican consultant Chad Schnitger, an evangelical operative connected to the Christian right. The campaign's budget exceeds $3 million, one-tenth of which has already been paid via Havas, though a final contract has yet to be signed. Filings submitted in September describe a focus on "churches and Christian organizations in the western United States" aimed at countering "declining support for Israel among evangelical Christians" and "raising awareness of Palestinian ties to Hamas and support for terrorism."
According to the documents, these goals will be pursued through "biblically based arguments highlighting the importance of Israel and the Jewish people to Christians," while spreading messages that "the Palestinians chose Hamas… they murder Christian aid workers… they celebrated the October 7 massacre and shelter terrorists… Palestinians and Iran share genocidal intentions toward Israel," and more.
The filings for the proposed campaign explain that the messages will reach their audience through "the largest geofencing campaign in U.S. history" – a pitch to map the physical perimeters of every major church and Christian college in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado during worship hours; identifying attendees using commercial data, tracking them, and continuing to target them with relevant ads. The estimated audience for the suggested project: eight million churchgoers and four million Christian students."
I watched you two live this afternoon & it was terrific! I just subscribed to Debra too. Thank you both so much for a compassionate, insightful exchange of views. I especially loved how much you listened to each other at length. There's not done nearly often enough. Thank you!
Thank you! It was a pleasure speaking with, and *especially* listening to, Waj. I'm so glad that came through and you found it valuable.
I've followed Waj for a long time and seen him engage with many people. He's great at it and always engaging to watch. I know how incredibly complicated today's discussion topic with you was/is. I found your mutual respect admirable and you helped me understand the changes the various interest groups in your community have gone through over time and reinforced my own feelings on the subject. I look forward to seeing you more often.
I love your interviews and I also subscribed to Deb’s substack.
keep it up Waj. We love you! ❤️
I am done with with ADL , AIPAC and all the other Israeli front organisationsm
My thought exactly!
The ADL lost any remaining credibility with me when they tried to excuse Elon’s Nazi salutes. They’re a joke.
They actually lost all their credibility when - under previous ADL President Abe Foxman - they came out against the Muslim Cultural Center (aka the "Ground Zero Mosque."
Awesome discussion. I’m Jewish, born in NYC. Wish I could have voted for Zohran, but I don’t live there anymore. My young Muslim friend and I have been watching his campaign from Massachusetts,we went bananas Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning. PLEASE KEEP HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS. Too many ppl talk at each other instead of with. 🫂❤️😘
Thanks, Melly! Couldn't agree more about the importance of genuine engagement.
Thank you both. Important conversation!
Watching the two of you talk was the dose of decency and wit and compassion I needed -- I like and respect you both so much.
Appreciate this so much, Ellen!
Yay for both of you!
Thank you, Waj and Debra. I'm just over 70 and remember when our country was known as a "melting pot". I honestly don't remember when things began changing and now I'm disturbed and disgusted at how bad it's gotten. But I think you, Waj, have a great idea about "joining forces". I'm sure the people of nationalities, heritage or religions the white supremacists (for lack of a better term and avoiding what I'm really thinking) are against far outnumber them. And that may just be the issue - they feel threatened.
MORE OF THIS! The two of you are having a much needed, unguarded conversation. Please have that 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. hour. Soon.
Always happy to talk with my friend Waj. Again soon, inshallah. :)
This was so very educational. I am subscribing to both of you!
Let's be clear, just like not all of us support Trump and this admin, there are still many Israeli Jews who don't support Bibi and his right wing zealots. For over a year, there were massive demonstrations every weekend against Bibi's power grab of the judiciary, and the deleterious trickle down effects it would have on all of Israel, and the West Bank.
May I recommend an excellent documentary previewed this year at film festivals around the world, Holding Liat. It was not easy to get this film out because its a painful story of a Israeli Jewish kibbutz family whose daughter was kidnapped by Hamas, and son-in-law killed.
This is the story of the initial shock, followed by the very public journey trying to free Liat, a journey that took the family all the way to the White House. This is a story of a middle class farmer and his brother, who have worked for coexistence between Arab and Jew., their whole lives.
Don't let the usual criminal politicians (now Bibi and Trump), create division, war, power and money grabs, manipulate us, enable useless slogans, generalize and make superficial arguments, and try to demonize the other.
Both Waj and Debra cut through the BS, to have a deeper conversation.
One of the great joys of my professional life over the last 8+ years has been to work with and lift up Israelis and Palestinians who are working together to end occupation and bring peace, equality, justice, and self-determination to both peoples. Earlier this year, I was privileged to speak on a panel following the first-ever showing of the Oscar-winning film No Other Land on Capitol Hill, to Members of Congress and their staff. I've written about the imperative for Jewish Americans to support Israel's pro-democracy protests -- while pushing those protesters to also work for an end to the occupation. On my Substack, I've featured Palestinians and Israelis from organizations like A Land for All, Standing Together, and Gisha. Those folks are my heroes. And of course, building solidarity here at home is vital to me, too. As you've hopefully seen in my convo with Waj.
If this work sounds important and worthwhile to you (and others who may be reading), I hope you'll subscribe to The Debrief.
I’m finally a full fledged paying member, Waj! Don’t I get a little colored flower or something? Thank you for months of free speech!
Will always subscribe to Waj. He's a force.
Waj, don't know if you'll see this but this is an article just posted by Haaretz, an Israel newspaper:
Losing the Republican Base, Israel Pours Millions to Target Evangelicals and Churchgoers
Excerpt:
"Contracts between Israel and Trump-linked firms reveal campaigns and plans to target millions of U.S. churchgoers, deploy bots, hire influencers and try to make ChatGPT more pro-Israel
09:16 AM • November 09 2025 IST
The Israeli government has signed contracts worth millions of dollars in recent months to rehabilitate Israel's standing in American public opinion, both online and offline. Amid a sharp drop in support from the conservative right, Israel has hired firms to conduct not just "hasbara [public diplomacy] campaigns" but also campaigns targeting millions of Christian churchgoers, bot networks to amplify pro-Israel messages online, and efforts to influence both search results and the responses given by popular AI services like ChatGPT.
Among the experts recruited is a former campaign manager for Donald Trump and many of the other firms are linked to the Republican party or Evangelical communities, indicating that Israel is focusing massive efforts on communities once considered automatically pro-Israel. Among the campaigns' goals is fighting antisemitism, which has risen alongside the decline in support for Israel. Together, these campaigns signal a new phase in Israel's post-war public diplomacy strategy, and a shift in the way it uses agents - both AI and human influencers - for hasbara abroad.
The largest of the new hasbara contracts was signed in August with a firm called Clock Tower X, owned by Brad Parscale, who played a lead role in Trump's digital campaigns in 2016 and 2020. The $6 million, four-month contract - signed between his firm and Havas Media on behalf of the Israeli government - calls for "strategic consulting, planning, and communications services to develop and execute a broad U.S. campaign to combat antisemitism."
According to the filing, Parscale's company will produce "at least 100 core pieces of content per month" - including videos, audio, podcasts, graphics and text - and "5,000 derivative versions" monthly, aiming for 50 million impressions a month. Eighty percent of the content will target young Americans on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Campaign messages will be distributed via Salem Media Network, a conservative Christian media group that owns more than 200 radio stations and websites. Parscale was appointed this year to lead Salem's strategy.
Another Israeli campaign, commissioned for the Foreign Ministry, was proposed by Show Faith by Works, owned by Republican consultant Chad Schnitger, an evangelical operative connected to the Christian right. The campaign's budget exceeds $3 million, one-tenth of which has already been paid via Havas, though a final contract has yet to be signed. Filings submitted in September describe a focus on "churches and Christian organizations in the western United States" aimed at countering "declining support for Israel among evangelical Christians" and "raising awareness of Palestinian ties to Hamas and support for terrorism."
According to the documents, these goals will be pursued through "biblically based arguments highlighting the importance of Israel and the Jewish people to Christians," while spreading messages that "the Palestinians chose Hamas… they murder Christian aid workers… they celebrated the October 7 massacre and shelter terrorists… Palestinians and Iran share genocidal intentions toward Israel," and more.
The filings for the proposed campaign explain that the messages will reach their audience through "the largest geofencing campaign in U.S. history" – a pitch to map the physical perimeters of every major church and Christian college in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado during worship hours; identifying attendees using commercial data, tracking them, and continuing to target them with relevant ads. The estimated audience for the suggested project: eight million churchgoers and four million Christian students."
Terrific
What is deb's handle?
Here I am!
excellent show!