Words have consequences. For decades, interest groups, political actors and ideologues opposed to the State of Israel have pursued, projected, and altogether crafted their bias by employing subversive strategies reliant on the twisting of language – thus helping shape the mainstream narrative against the proclaimed ‘appointed enemy’.

This weaponization of language by the enemies of the Jewish state has amplified resentments, normalised prejudices against Israel and by extension all Jews and, in doing so instigated and legitimised injustice against a minority, both in the region and beyond it.

The Henry Jackson Society is pleased to welcome you to join an expert discussion on propaganda, disinformation, censorship, and linguistic discourse in relation to Israel. Our guest speakers will examine how destructive strategies have prevented not only normalisation but also acted as significant roadblocks to peace throughout the region, while also being used to attack the Jewish diaspora abroad, including in the UK.

Emily Schrader is a journalist, lecturer, and award winning content creator. As an American-Israeli, her work focuses on sharing real stories from the Middle East, as well as fighting various forms of bigotry in the region.

She is a regular columnist at the Jerusalem Post and the host of Headlines with the Haddads, a TV show focused on explaining the Middle East to an American audience – alongside her fiance, Yoseph Haddad.

Emily’s work in advocacy work focuses on combating antisemitism, promoting human rights, and feminism. She is renowned for her social media presence with a large following across platforms. Her lectures, which are actively sought out internationally, range from an overview of the Middle East, to DEI trainings on antisemitism, to social media incitement and hate speech.

Emily holds a Masters Degree in Political Communications from Tel Aviv University, and currently resides in Tel Aviv.

Amjad Taha is the Bahrain-based regional director of the British Middle East Center for Studies and Research, the author of The Deception of the Arab Spring, and an adviser to senior Gulf Cooperation Council officials. He is a social media influencer and is known for promoting the normalisation between Arab countries and Israel. Taha positions himself as a journalist and political commentator on Arab affairs.

Catherine Perez-Shakdam is a French Jewish political analyst and commentator for the Middle East. A former consultant for the United Nations Security Council on Yemen’s War Economy; her research was instrumental in better understanding Yemen’s political landscape and actors’ financial interests.

Her writing and commentaries on the Middle East have graced the cover of countless publications, including the Huffington Post, BBC Arabic, BBC Persia, Voices of America, and the Times of Israel.

In 2017 Catherine was the only Western media personality to have been granted an interview with now-President Ibrahim Raisi.

Her ability to move close to Iran’s Leadership and have access to key information as to the regime’s propagandist structure bought her the ire of Tehran and allegations that she had operated in Iran at the behest of foreign powers.

Once a close friend to Nader Talebzadeh, Catherine had a front row seat to the inner-workings of the Islamic Republic.

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EVENT SUMMARY

The Henry Jackson Society was pleased to host an event with Catherine Perez-Shakdam, Emily Schrader and Amjad Taha. Catherine began the discussion with a brief introduction on the misinformation and weaponization of language promoting an anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian sentiment globally, grounded not in reality but in generational bigotry towards Jews that colonialisation consistently brings to bare. Emily exposes how extremist language in the press is normalised nowadays and no one looks at the grassroots, rather just enjoys using Israel as a scapegoat on any issue that reaches the news be it genocide, ethnic cleansing and especially apartheid. This in turn disables any combat to real racism as the Western public are generally satisfied with the current state of affairs and blissfully unaware of the lies, they consume vs the reality on the ground. Amjad acknowledges the diversity in the Israeli parliament and having visited, commented on the respective non-interference and cohabitation of all religions that reside there.

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