Amid the cacophony of debate surrounding the Israel-Hamas Battle, it’s grown just about not possible to keep away from the ideas of Hen Mazzig.
Because the face of the Israeli trigger, one may argue that he’s an unlikely candidate: The 34-year-old influencer is homosexual (he was out all through his tour of service within the IDF) and spends his time between Tel Aviv and London. It’s within the latter metropolis, the place anti-Israel sentiment has swelled to all-time highs — alongside incidents of antisemitism — that Mazzig is usually focused within the streets for his views.
Nonetheless, his consistency, stridency and level-headedness in advocating for his nation have turned him into some of the recognizable pro-Israel activists on the planet. Mazzig was already a thought-leader within the area earlier than the Oct. 7 bloodbath by Hamas and Israel’s brutal retaliatory struggle in Gaza. Since then, his profile has solely skyrocketed, together with his content material being shared over 100 million occasions and his face showing usually on cable information, significantly within the U.Okay.
It’s no shock, then, that Hollywood has turned to Mazzig for recommendation on methods to navigate the extremely fraught matter of the struggle. By way of his Tel Aviv Institute, Mazzig leads seminars advising on greatest practices for celebrities when talking out in protection of Israel. Among the many leisure figures to attend Mazzig’s Jews Discuss Justice Laboratories are Debra Messing, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Drew Brown of the band One Republic, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jonah Platt and Mandana Dayani, former president of Prince Harry and Meghan’s media firm, Archewell.
Mazzig spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about his path to Israeli advocacy, his work advising Hollywood and his ideas on the proliferation of Jewish WhatsApp teams in Hollywood which have gotten some members in hassle.
Hello, Hen. I’ve seen individuals say you’re employed for the Israeli authorities. Is that true?
No, I by no means labored for the federal government. I had a social media firm and I had one contract with an Israeli governmental physique on very small challenge for $5,000.
And the place is dwelling base?
London and Tel Aviv. I spent 50 p.c of my time in each locations. I used to be born and raised in Israel, in Petah Tikva, about half-hour out of Tel Aviv.
When did you start advocating for Israel?
I served for 5 years within the Israeli military as a humanitarian officer. I labored with Palestinian civilians within the West Financial institution and in Gaza for a short time, serving to them with constructing hospitals and infrastructure. After my navy service, I moved to Seattle. And I bumped into this anti-Israel motion on faculty campuses in progressive areas. I used to be shocked. I believed as a homosexual man I’d be accepted. I checked all of the containers: My household is from Iraq and Tunisia, I’m the son of refugee indigenous individuals in North Africa. However I used to be the improper form of Jewish — that Jewish individual that isn’t prepared to sentence Israel on a regular basis, or to say that Israel has no proper to exist.
This all predates Oct. 7, however since you then’ve develop into a key determine in advocating for Israel amid its struggle with Hamas. How do you deal with being a lightning rod for a lot anti-Israel vitality?
It’s loads when it’s on-line, but in addition in individual — individuals assault me on the street, in London, in America. Antisemitism is politically right right here [in the U.K.] And simply since you’re talking about Israel, it’s OK. Synagogues are being torched. Jewish persons are being attacked on the street. A 12-year-old Jewish woman was raped in Paris a number of months in the past due to Palestine — that’s what the rapist stated. Horrible issues are occurring to Jews around the globe.
Do you’ve got safety now?
I’m actually not going out that a lot. And after I do, I put on a cap and attempt to keep away from confrontation, which occurs possibly as soon as every week. I’m prepared to pay the worth as a result of I really feel like my trigger is righteous.
It’s been attention-grabbing to see how Hollywood has interfaced with this problem. Most not too long ago there have been 400 SAG members who signed a letter urging the guild to guard pro-Palestinian members from profession retribution — what they describe as a “McCarthyist repression of members.” It’s a really strategic wording that infers there exists a cabal of Jews in Hollywood plotting revenge.
The letter spoke very movingly concerning the Palestinians civilians misplaced to this struggle however stated nothing of any Jewish losses. Not the 1,200 murdered on Oct. 7 — not even the six hostages shot level clean, together with American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, earlier this month. These celebrities will not be standing up for those that are being oppressed. They’re becoming a member of a large mob. And if you happen to want any proof on how sinister it’s, you see individuals like Lizzo, canceled for alleged sexual harassment and horrific habits to her group, making a comeback on the again of Palestine, saying that she stands with Palestine. That’s how she is exonerated from being canceled. Jews are at all times cautious and really vigilant once we see a populist trigger gaining traction — as a result of we are sometimes those which can be being scapegoated.
What’s the Tel Aviv Institute?
We began about six years in the past, myself and Dr. Ron Katz, an professional on rhetoric and propaganda from UC Berkeley. It’s a 501(c) [nonprofit]. It’s an American group, however we name it Tel Aviv Institute as a result of we really feel like Tel Aviv is a metropolis that represents lots of our values. The very first thing we’ve executed is analysis antisemitism on-line, working with Dr. Matthias Becker, a researcher from Berlin College. He had a group of 9 linguists and information scientists analyze messaging on social media. Backside line is that folks actually hate Jews on-line. I believe they discovered that the 2 prime focused communities are the homosexual group and Jews, with Jews coming first. We realized that now we have to do one thing to alter it.
And about three years in the past we began the Jews Discuss Justice Laboratories. We deliver collectively social media content material creators, Jewish ones which have huge platforms, and in addition influencers exterior of social media. Most of them have been held in Tel Aviv in Israel. We did a pair in New York. We had one in LA only a couple months in the past. It was a brief one, a one-day lab with Debra Messing, Jennifer Goodwin and Emmanuelle Chriqui was there.
In addition to you, who’s talking out on behalf of Israel most successfully?
Amy Schumer. She’s been on her Instagram. She reposted lots of my content material which was actually superb, and we direct message one another.
Let’s speak about her. I believe she’s an excellent case examine. She was, out of the gate after October seventh, one of many loudest and most constant pro-Israel celebrities — nevertheless it backfired on her. I ponder now what the longterm impact on her profession that’s going to have. One other one is Jerry Seinfeld coping with hecklers in his audiences. Steven Spielberg is now being attacked as a “Zionist.”
The definition of Zionism has been modified and there have been so many issues added to it. Zionism simply means supporting Israel’s proper to exist as a Jewish state. It simply signifies that Jews ought to have this one place on this planet that’s theirs. There are 57 Arab and Muslim international locations within the Center East and there are numerous international locations with a Christian majority in Europe. There ought to be a rustic that’s Jewish, it ought to be OK.
However Zionism has been reframed and rebranded so poorly that now for anybody from the leisure trade that has spoken up, there may be actual backlash. You shouldn’t need to face penalties for talking about your Jewish id. Lots of people assist the trigger and ship me direct messages on social media saying thanks, however they don’t really feel snug talking up. I’m speaking about huge names, very huge entertainers. A serious singer advised me, “It’s a large enterprise round me, and if I jeopardize this, it’s not simply me, it’s my complete manufacturing and crew which can be going to be damage.”
What about Michael Rappaport? He’s very excessive in his pro-Israel views. Do you assume he’s too excessive? Is he hurting the trigger?
I believe that as many Jews as attainable within the leisure trade and folks with affect ought to converse up. I don’t assume it’s harming the trigger. I believe that it’s simply his opinions and he can say what he desires to say. After all, I don’t agree with all the pieces he says. And generally I believe now we have completely different kinds, however at the least he’s doing it. Not less than he speaks up. So I give him credit score for being outspoken. Realizing personally what it takes and the way a lot hate you get on daily basis, it’s very onerous to withstand being extra aggressive while you face that.
Lately an agent at WME, Brandt Joel, was on the heart of an argument for typing, “Screw the left kill all,” in a Jewish work WhatsApp group. I’m curious what your ideas are about these WhatsApp teams which have popped up in Hollywood since Oct. 7.
I’m a part of a number of WhatsApp teams, together with leisure teams, and I see individuals being very indignant in them. As a result of I’ve been doing it for over a decade, I’m not as emotionally triggered, however I see how one can be and how one can get so pushed to the purpose that you just say issues that you just remorse. I converse in personal with many celebrities and leisure trade people who’re sharing that these teams will not be doing properly for his or her psychological well being. My recommendation is to take a step again and go exterior and contact grass, as a result of it’s essential. It’s true, the state of affairs is admittedly dangerous. And the Anti-Defamation League has recorded the best quantity of antisemitic crimes within the final 12 months since they began recording such crimes. With all of that being stated, we’ve been by way of wars as a group, and I nonetheless have religion on this planet.
I’m remembering at Eurovision, when Israel obtained a lot of the favored vote. Is social media giving us a skewed sense of what the general public actually thinks?
Sure. The reply is a convincing sure.
This interview was edited for size and readability.