Letter To America: "What If?"
"No country is perfect, but when you have to choose between terrorists who want to destruct the Western way of life and a democracy who's been your ally for decades — you choose your friend."
By Joanna Landau
Tel Aviv
Two years ago, Osama Bin Laden’s 2002 “Letter to America” — a terrorist’s justification for mass murder — resurfaced and somehow gained sympathy among young Americans. Many read it and said they “finally understood” him. One in five Americans aged 18–29 said they feel Bin Laden had a positive contribution to the world.
Today, I'd like to suggest a new "Letter to America.”
Not to your administration or to your Boomers. But to your Zoomers and Millennials — almost half of whom now support Hamas over Israel.
To the students on your campuses, the creators on your feeds, the voices on your streets. The ones who are being driven by the herd, convinced they're on the right side of history — because they think everyone else is…
America, what if?
What if the world doesn’t actually hate Israel?
What if most people, deep down, can tell the difference between a democracy trying to protect its people — and a terror organization that hides behind its own?
What if the outrage you see online is loud, but not large?
What if the protests don’t reflect what most of the world really believes — just what the algorithm pushes?
What if love for Israel is quieter — but wider, deeper, and more enduring?
What if last night’s Eurovision wasn’t just a music contest — but a global signal?
Yes, yesterday Israel got a standing ovation: twelve points from the popular vote in country after country — including the Rest Of The World, which usually means you, America.
What if, if you'd take the time to really look, you'd discover that Israel and the Jews aren't oppressors or the aggressor: we're mothers and artists, brothers and grandparents, dancers at a music festival, dreamers and doers, just like you?
What if the real world — beyond your feed — sees Israel not as the cause of the problem, but as a symbol of resilience?
What if you’ve been manipulated into believing Israel is the villain… when the truth is far more complex — and far more human?
What if it's clear to everyone but you that no country is perfect, but when you have to choose between terrorists who want to destruct the Western way of life and a democracy who's been your ally for decades — you choose your friend, not your foe. No "context" required.
What if it's time to stop scrolling — and start thinking?
What if the story you've been told isn't the whole story?
What if you've had it wrong all along?
JOANNA LANDAU is a place branding expert and coauthor of the international bestseller ETHICAL TRIBING: Connecting the Next Generation to Israel in the Digital Era.
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What if… Israel reasserted that the West Bank is Arab land, as Ben-Gurion himself originally asserted in 1948?