{"id":412740,"date":"2026-04-27T05:40:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T05:40:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/412740\/"},"modified":"2026-04-27T05:40:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T05:40:09","slug":"the-blogs-israel-advocacy-time-to-stop-being-polite-sabine-sterk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/412740\/","title":{"rendered":"The Blogs: Israel Advocacy: Time to Stop Being Polite | Sabine Sterk"},"content":{"rendered":"

How long can we stay politically correct when it comes to Israel\u2019s existence?\n<\/p>\n

I ask this seriously.\n<\/p>\n

I grew up in the Netherlands, and I am direct by nature. Very direct. Very blunt. I have never had much of a filter between my brain and my mouth. Even in a country that prides itself on tolerance, that kind of honesty is often unwelcome.\n<\/p>\n

A personal example says enough. If my daughter asks whether I like her new dress, and I do not like it, I ask first, \u201cDo you want the real answer?\u201d If she says yes, I tell her plainly. Awful. But the moment I ask the question, she already knows honesty is coming. The advantage is simple. When I praise something, people know I mean it from the bottom of my heart.\n<\/p>\n

I am like this with everything. Politics. Religion. Israel.\n<\/p>\n

My children know me well, but they do not always support how outspoken I am. They worry.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cMum, be careful.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cMum, hide your necklace.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cMum, are you really going to organize another pro Israel event?\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cOne day this will cost your life.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

They know I can be stubborn. Once I believe something is right, I act.\n<\/p>\n

People who know me understand this. People who do not often struggle with it. The Dutch may look tolerant on paper, but real life is more complicated. I have lost jobs, friendships, and relationships because of my views.\n<\/p>\n

If you write blogs, speak publicly, or defend Israel openly, you quickly learn that society rewards silence more than courage.\n<\/p>\n

There is another problem.\n<\/p>\n

Many educated people who support Israel are intelligent, articulate, and thoughtful. They communicate carefully. They choose every word with precision. Sometimes it is almost an art form.\n<\/p>\n

But the average person in the street does not live in that world.\n<\/p>\n

Most people do not analyze complex arguments. They respond to what they hear clearly, repeatedly, and emotionally. That is simply reality.\n<\/p>\n

Now look at the activism from the other side.\n<\/p>\n

It is harsh. Loud. Unapologetic. It often ignores facts, history, and context. Yet it repeats powerful accusations again and again. Genocide. Colonialism. Starvation. Apartheid.\n<\/p>\n

These words are emotionally charged. They spread fast. They require no nuance. They are designed to provoke reaction, not understanding.\n<\/p>\n

So who will billions of ordinary people believe?\n<\/p>\n

The careful paragraph full of diplomatic language?\n<\/p>\n

Or the slogan shouted with certainty?\n<\/p>\n

We know the answer.\n<\/p>\n

That is why political correctness in Israel advocacy may be well intentioned, but too often it fails. It can sound weak against aggressive falsehoods.\n<\/p>\n

This does not mean becoming hateful. It does not mean abandoning truth. It means speaking clearly and directly.\n<\/p>\n

Do not say someone \u201cpassed away during an incident.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Say they were murdered in cold blood.\n<\/p>\n

Do not say rockets \u201cwere exchanged.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Say terrorists fired rockets at civilians.\n<\/p>\n

Do not say Israel is \u201cfacing tensions.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Say Israel is defending its people against groups openly calling for its destruction.\n<\/p>\n

Words matter.\n<\/p>\n

Soft language can hide hard realities. Honest language can expose them.\n<\/p>\n

If supporters of Israel continue whispering facts while opponents shout lies, the lies will keep winning.\n<\/p>\n

Maybe the time has come to stop being afraid of sounding impolite and start being committed to sounding truthful.\n<\/p>\n

Time To Stand Up for Israel\n<\/p>\n

Time To Stand Up for Israel is an independent foundation dedicated to fighting misinformation, countering antisemitism, and providing clear, fact-based education about Israel. We do not engage in internal Israeli politics. We stand on two core principles: Israel has the right to exist. Israel has the duty to defend itself.\n<\/p>\n

Support our work: Donate and\/or subscribe at: www.timetostandupforisrael.com<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\"\"\n\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tCEO of Time to Stand Up for Israel, a nonprofit organization with a powerful mission: to support Israel and amplify its voice around the world. With over 200,000 followers across various social media platforms, our community is united by a shared love for Israel and a deep commitment to her future.
\n
\nMy journey as an advocate for Israel began early. When I was 11 years old, my father was deployed to the Middle East through his work with UNTSO. I had the unique experience of living in both Syria and Israel, and from a young age, I witnessed firsthand the contrast in cultures and realities. That experience shaped me profoundly.
\n
\nReturning to the Netherlands, I quickly became aware of the growing wave of anti-Israel sentiment \u2014 and I knew I had to speak out. Ever since, I\u2019ve been a fierce and unapologetic supporter of Israel. I\u2019m not religious, but my belief is clear and unwavering: Israel has the right to exist, and Israel has the duty to defend herself.
\n
\nMy passion is rooted in truth, love, and justice. I\u2019m a true Zionist at heart.
\nFrom my first breath to my last, I will stand up for Israel.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"How long can we stay politically correct when it comes to Israel\u2019s existence? I ask this seriously. I…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":412741,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[85,46,31401,43,2460],"class_list":{"0":"post-412740","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-israel","8":"tag-il","9":"tag-israel","10":"tag-israel-advocacy","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-social-media"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=412740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412740\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/412741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=412740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=412740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=412740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}