Sabine Sterk – A Different Approach: Turning Hatred and Denial into Understanding and Acceptance
What twelve years of advocating for Israel have taught me about changing minds, overcoming division, and reaching those who are still willing to listen.
After twelve years of advocating for Israel, day and night, almost twenty four hours a day, I have learned one uncomfortable truth. You cannot convince someone who is determined to hate Israel simply by presenting more facts.
You can provide historical documents, archaeological evidence, legal arguments, and eyewitness testimonies. You can explain Jewish history, the origins of Zionism, Israel’s efforts toward peace, and the extraordinary achievements of a small nation facing enormous challenges.
Yet those who have already decided that Israel is evil will often reject everything you present. Facts become propaganda, historical evidence becomes fabrication, and every explanation is dismissed before it is considered.
So why continue? Why devote twelve years of my life to a cause when hatred appears to grow louder and meaningful dialogue increasingly difficult?
Because my advocacy is not primarily intended for those who already support Israel or those determined to oppose it. It is for the billions of people who know very little about the conflict and are still capable of forming an independent opinion.
That is where our greatest opportunity lies.
The Audience We Are Overlooking
Between passionate supporters and determined opponents of Israel exists an enormous population whose understanding of the conflict comes mainly from headlines, emotional images, social media, and political slogans.
Many have never studied Jewish history, visited Israel, or examined the historical background of the conflict. They are not necessarily hostile toward Israel. They simply lack the knowledge needed to evaluate competing narratives.
And that makes them vulnerable to manipulation.
Pro Palestinian information campaigns have often proved remarkably effective at generating emotional engagement. Powerful images, simplified messages, and constant repetition can shape public opinion long before historical context enters the conversation.
Misleading footage, false captions, and selectively presented information can reinforce existing assumptions. Critics sometimes describe staged or misrepresented material as Pallywood, although genuine Palestinian suffering must never be dismissed simply because misinformation also exists.
The challenge is that emotional storytelling frequently reaches people faster than carefully documented facts.
While pro Israel advocates are explaining complex historical realities, emotionally compelling narratives may already have influenced millions.
We cannot solve this problem simply by publishing more of the same material for the same audience.
We must rethink whom we are trying to reach and how.
Our Division Is Weakening Our Message
One of the greatest obstacles facing pro Israel advocacy is our own fragmentation.
We have Jewish organizations, Christian Zionist organizations, secular groups, religious groups, supporters and opponents of Benjamin Netanyahu, advocates of a two state solution, and those who reject that possibility.
These differences are understandable. Israel is a democracy, and disagreement is part of democratic life.
But disagreement becomes destructive when organizations treat one another as rivals rather than partners.
Too often, personal ambitions, ideological disagreements, competition for donations, and the desire for recognition prevent meaningful cooperation.
Meanwhile, anti Israel movements, despite their own internal differences, frequently succeed in mobilizing around shared messages and objectives.
We should learn from that organizational effectiveness without adopting hostility or misinformation.
We do not need to agree on every Israeli government decision to defend Israel’s right to exist, oppose antisemitism, recognize Jewish historical connections to the land, and insist on fair standards.
Unity does not require everyone to think alike. It requires recognizing that our shared purpose is more important than our individual differences.
Why Arguments So Often Fail
There is a psychological reality that advocacy organizations frequently overlook.
People do not develop their beliefs through facts alone. Their opinions are influenced by emotions, social relationships, personal experiences, and the desire to belong.
When hostility toward Israel becomes part of someone’s group identity, changing that opinion may carry a social cost.
Their friends share the same beliefs. Their online communities reinforce them. Disagreement can threaten their sense of belonging.
Confronting such individuals publicly often makes them more defensive. Instead of considering new information, they feel compelled to protect their reputation and demonstrate loyalty to their group.
The conversation becomes a competition rather than an opportunity to learn.
This is why endless arguments on social media rarely produce meaningful change among deeply committed opponents.
We may win an argument without changing a single mind.
And after twelve years, I believe it is time to ask whether our energy could be used more effectively.
Reaching People Through Their Personal Interests
What if we approached individuals through something they genuinely care about rather than immediately confronting them with political arguments?
Imagine someone who strongly criticizes Israel but loves archaeology.
Instead of sending another political article, we give that person a beautifully illustrated book exploring archaeological discoveries in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, also commonly referred to as the West Bank.
Through an existing passion, they encounter ancient Hebrew inscriptions, Jewish coins, historical sites, and evidence of the Jewish people’s longstanding connection to the land.
We have not demanded agreement. We have introduced knowledge through curiosity.
Consider someone who appreciates fine wine. Why not send a bottle of Israeli wine accompanied by a small, beautifully produced booklet about ancient winemaking traditions and modern Israeli vineyards?
Someone interested in medicine could receive a publication about Israeli medical innovations and cooperation between Jewish and Arab healthcare professionals.
A technology enthusiast might discover Israel’s contributions to water conservation, agricultural innovation, cybersecurity, and medical research.
An animal lover could learn about Israeli wildlife conservation. A music enthusiast might explore Israeli musicians representing the country’s remarkable cultural diversity.
The possibilities are almost endless.
Instead of approaching people exclusively through the conflict, we should approach them through their interests, passions, and natural curiosity.
A person who would immediately reject a political argument might willingly read a fascinating book about something they love.
And that book might introduce facts they have never encountered.
The Power of Personal Engagement
There is an important difference between confronting someone with information and allowing that person to discover it independently.
Public confrontation often creates resistance. A respectful personal encounter can create curiosity.
A thoughtful gift, an interesting book, a documentary, or a genuine conversation can sometimes achieve what hundreds of confrontational posts cannot.
This approach does not mean hiding our intentions or manipulating people. Our educational materials must be transparent, accurate, and credible. They must acknowledge complexity rather than replace one simplistic narrative with another.
The objective is not to make everyone agree with every Israeli policy.
It is to encourage people to examine evidence, question assumptions, and recognize that Israel is far more complex than the slogans they encounter online.
Changing deeply rooted beliefs takes time. Sometimes the first sign of progress is not agreement, but a willingness to ask a question.
That alone can be significant.
We Must Invest in a Different Strategy
Naturally, personal outreach requires resources.
Books, translations, educational packages, documentaries, cultural initiatives, and distribution cost money.
But consider how much time and funding the advocacy community already spends communicating with people who agree with us.
We organize conferences attended primarily by supporters. We publish articles shared within familiar circles. We congratulate one another on speeches and campaigns that rarely reach beyond our own communities.
These activities can strengthen solidarity, but solidarity alone does not necessarily change public opinion.
What if a portion of those resources were invested in coordinated educational initiatives aimed at people who are unfamiliar with Israel or open to reconsidering their assumptions?
Organizations could pool their expertise, develop accessible materials for different interests, and create opportunities for respectful individual engagement.
We could measure success not only through followers, likes, and shares, but through meaningful conversations, increased historical understanding, and willingness to examine unfamiliar perspectives.
This would require cooperation, patience, and the courage to abandon ineffective habits.
But the potential benefits could be substantial.
Twelve Years Have Changed My Perspective, Not My Commitment
After twelve years, I have witnessed misinformation, antisemitism, historical distortion, and deeply troubling hostility toward Israel.
I have also experienced the frustration of seeing pro Israel organizations divided when cooperation is desperately needed.
Yet none of this has weakened my belief that advocacy matters.
What has changed is my understanding of what effective advocacy should look like.
We need more than determination. We need imagination, psychological insight, strategic cooperation, and a willingness to reach people outside our familiar circles.
Not everyone who criticizes Israel is motivated by hatred. Some are misinformed, some have genuine concerns, and others have never encountered a broader historical perspective.
We must learn to distinguish between them.
Trying to persuade someone who refuses every opportunity for honest discussion can consume enormous energy with little result.
Reaching someone who is genuinely curious may accomplish far more.
Real Change Begins with Curiosity
I do not expect a book about Jewish history to transform every critic into a supporter of Israel.
Nor do I believe a bottle of Israeli wine or a documentary about Israeli innovation will resolve generations of political conflict.
But imagine someone who previously accepted every accusation against Israel beginning to question what they read.
Imagine a student discovering that Jewish history in the land did not begin in 1948.
Imagine a teacher introducing historical context that students have never encountered.
Imagine someone who once repeated antisemitic stereotypes recognizing how misleading and dangerous those stereotypes are.
These may appear to be small victories, but understanding spreads through personal relationships, classrooms, communities, and generations.
One thoughtful conversation can influence another. One unexpected discovery can challenge years of assumptions.
The greatest achievement of advocacy is not defeating someone in an argument. It is helping someone become willing to think independently.
We cannot force people to love Israel, and we should not expect unconditional agreement.
But we can create opportunities for people to discover its history, culture, diversity, achievements, and humanity.
We can stop measuring our effectiveness by how loudly we defend our convictions and begin asking how many people we actually reach.
We can replace unnecessary rivalry with cooperation, repetitive confrontation with creative engagement, and frustration with a strategy built around curiosity.
After twelve years, I remain convinced that standing up for Israel is essential.
But perhaps standing up for Israel also means having the courage to change the way we advocate.
Because our mission should not be to speak only to those who already believe us.
Our mission should be to reach those who have never truly heard us.
And perhaps the most powerful way to begin is not by telling people what to think, but by giving them a reason to discover the truth for themselves.
Time To Stand Up For Israel
#TimeToStandUpForIsrael
