[Order Michael Finch’s new book, A Time to Stand: HERE. Prof. Jason Hill calls it “an aesthetic and political tour de force.”]
In an interview with Arutz Sheva – Israel National News, Dr. Shmuel Katz, a veteran commentator on Zionist thought and international affairs, emphasized the urgent need for strong education, historical awareness, and media literacy as critical tools for shaping Israel’s future and defending it from global misinformation.
When asked which issues the Religious Zionist public should prioritize in lobbying the Israeli government—among them the war with Hamas, sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, judicial reform, and strengthening Jewish identity through education—Dr. Katz was clear: “The number one factor that has to be stressed is to provide a solid education to the population at large which will allow them to really thrive and be able to function properly down the road.”
Dr. Katz elaborated that without a proper educational foundation across all age groups and social sectors, “it’s difficult to get the final product which is going to be effective and able to move everything forward.” He stressed the need for long-term, values-based education rooted in Jewish heritage, history, and identity in order to ensure societal continuity and resilience.
In response to a recent case in a secular Israeli school – where a principal reportedly forbade a student from donning tefillin, prompting a wave of solidarity from classmates the following day – Dr. Katz described the phenomenon as a spark of Jewish identity deeply rooted in collective memory and connection to Torah, the Land of Israel, and Jewish peoplehood. “We want to have a great future based on the glorious past, but we must recognize the value of the present in order to keep it, maintain it, and not to lose it. Many people understand that if they give up the connection to their peers suddenly it makes sense to make sure that we build bridges in order to have a better future.”
Addressing the thousands of idealistic young graduates emerging each year from institutions like Yeshivat Bet El and entering Israeli society — whether in education, the military, high-tech, or politics — Dr. Katz offered a sober warning: be aware of ideological manipulation and global deception. “There are some bad people who try to manipulate information and manipulate each and every individual in a certain way which may be detrimental to their present and to their future.”
He cited an example involving The New York Times, which he accused of misleading coverage during the current war with Hamas. “They cropped out the other brother or sister of that individual just to show that the Israelis are starving the poor Palestinians when the truth is completely the opposite. Israel provided to the Palestinians more food in these days than they had it even before the October 7th massacre, and they are trying to persuade the international community against Israel when the facts are totally wrong and totally misled.”
He also referenced false narratives surrounding Israeli military operations, particularly when buildings used by Hamas snipers are bombed, yet international headlines omit these critical details. “And nobody’s talking about the kidnapped Israeli soldiers and civilians that Hamas took into the dungeons of Gaza,” he added.
Dr. Katz framed the struggle against disinformation as not merely an Israeli or Jewish issue, but one confronting the entire free world. “This is a free world problem, where the international community must wake up and understand that there are some bad people trying to manipulate the trends of whatever we have today in the world into their advantage and to the detriment of the civilized society that we hope to build.”
