By Emily Goldberg, Publication Manager and Layout Editor
“That is our mission, to shine a light so others can see, so they cannot look away.” – Eylon Levy
Ever since October 7, the most important battle that Israel has been fighting is its war against Hamas. At the same time, the battle that Israel has found itself engaged with in the media is arguably just as crucial. Fervent with antisemitic libels, the need for a strong pro-Irael presence online has never been more apparent.
Ever since Eylon Levy emerged as Israel’s Government Spokesperson following Hamas’s brutal October 7 attack, he has spent every waking moment in the pursuit of a media victory for Israel.
Before October 7, I had no idea who Eylon Levy was. Now, many might know him as the guy with the eyebrows, a reference to his distinctive reaction to a horrid anti-Israel question asked by Sky News reporter Kay Burley in an interview on November 23, 2023.
During these times, when faced with the most “astonishing” antisemitic statements, Eylon Levy has proved himself to be Israel’s biggest advocate. He holds himself to high interviewing standards and remains steadfast in his defense of Israel when faced with such absurdities. What makes Levy truly unique is his ability to remain calm when placed in such difficult scenarios. He is always resolute in his unwavering support of Israel in the media, yet never ill-mannered.
So who exactly is Eylon Levy, and where did he come from? More importantly, why in the world, on March 31, 2024, would the Israeli government decide to dismiss him?
Eylon Levy is a native of the United Kingdom. He attended Oxford University before moving to Israel in 2014. According to an article in The Times of Israel, Levy planned to serve in Operation Protective Edge upon his arrival to his beloved homeland in 2014. However, he ended up serving in the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) instead. “My flight from London landed twenty minutes after Operation Protective Edge ended,” stated Levy.
After serving in COGAT, a service Levy has mixed feelings about, he began his career in the media. He worked for two news stations and served as the “International Media Advisor” to Israel’s President Isaac Herzog before he assumed the role of an Israeli government spokesperson.
During his time as a government spokesperson, Levy faced the most ridiculous questions from reporters. For example, in an interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy from Channel 4 in London, Levy responded to the reporter’s extremely biased and anti-Israel questions, stating “You seem to have me confused with someone who wants this war. [Israel] didn’t want this war,” to which Guru-Murthy replied, “No, you’re just someone who’s defending this war.”
Obviously, Elyon Levy would defend this war.
Unfortunately in current times, Levy has had to answer to such ridiculous remarks, even though it is extremely clear to anyone with any sort of common sense that Israel’s war is justified. Levy stated, “We were invaded on October 7 with the bloodiest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, and we are fighting now so that Hamas can never do that again.”
Being the outstanding spokesperson that he is, Levy answers every single question just like he did here. With every rebuttal, he responds emphasizing the justness behind Israel’s war against Hamas while also debunking the falsities that plague the media and perspectives of many today. His insights bring clarity to a world so full of darkness.
Given his talents, I was utterly confused and extremely shocked to learn of his dismissal by the Israeli government. Every time I watch his interviews, it is extremely clear to me that Eylon Levy is exactly the person Israel needs defending the Jewish state in the media.
According to an article in The Times of Israel, Levy “was suspended, until further notice — reportedly after the British Foreign Office complained about a tweet in which he responded to remarks by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron concerning aid to Gaza.” Reportedly, he was later dismissed because of the incident along with other reasons.
Cameron’s tweet stated, “We continue to urge Israel to allow more trucks into Gaza as the fastest way to get aid to those who need it.” With this statement, Cameron clearly neglects the fact that Israel allows the facilitation of aid into Gaza with no restrictions. This is just one example of many where the distorted words of those in power create a false narrative of Israel in the media.
Levy then responded saying such. “I hope you are also aware there are NO limits on the entry of food, water, medicine, or shelter equipment into Gaza, and in fact the crossings have EXCESS capacity. Test us. Send another 100 trucks a day to Kerem Shalom and we’ll get them in.”
Given that Eylon Levy has responded similarly to twisted remarks by officials in the past, I became suspicious, wondering if this was truly the sole reason for suspending such a fantastic government spokesperson. The article in the Times of Israel continued, noting that Levy “finds it ‘difficult to believe’ that the Cameron incident constitutes the full story behind his suspension.”
Multiple news outlets, including The Times of Israel, revealed in January 2024 that, “The prime minister’s wife, Sara Netanyahu, is reportedly seeking to have a prominent English-language government spokesman [ie. Eylon Levy] fired over past criticism of the premier, as well as over his participation in protests against the judicial overhaul over the course of last year.”
I cannot help but wonder, like Levy himself, if the motive behind his dismissal was ulterior. The circumstances that led to his release are extremely ambiguous, unclear, and seemingly came out of nowhere. In my opinion, I believe that someone in the Israeli government used a British Official’s baseless and misinformed complaint to their advantage to dismiss Levy for their own political motives.
Such an action was a very grave mistake. Now, more than ever, Israel needs Eylon Levy.
Eylon Levy is the definition of what it means to be determined. There is a lot to learn from his immense effort to create change in the world, to work hard for something greater than oneself. When something is as important to you as Israel is to Eylon Levy, there is no stopping to fight, no matter how hard the battle gets.
In a speech given at a pro-Israel rally in Trafalgar Square, London 100 days after October 7, Levy stressed how important it is to continue to speak out in support of Israel. “We need you to be everyday heroes, everyday heroes who stand for what is right,” said Levy. “Jewish history has always been about the courage to do what is right, to be the dissidents who look around the world and say ‘This is crazy. This is wrong.’”
Despite the challenges Levy has faced, he always stresses that giving up is never an option. “For as long as deep in our broken hearts that life affirming Jewish soul still yearns, even in the valley of the shadow of death, we know that all hope is not lost,” he said. “We stand here outnumbered and outmanned, yes, but uncowed, unafraid, united. Holding our heads up high determined to climb out of our darkest hour and light up that darkness with our love for eachother and our love for Israel.”
Just because his official time as government spokesperson has come to an end does not mean that Eylon Levy has stopped being Israel’s biggest advocate. Levy wrote, “I won’t stop fighting for Israel, whether as an official spokesman or not.”
Eylon Levy is the epitome of how a true supporter of Israel should speak out. Quite frankly, I do not think that Israel stands a chance of maintaining a positive presence online without him. His skills are unmatched and his spokesmanship admired by many. Eylon Levy’s actions truly reflect what lengths one must go to to stand up for Israel. Nowadays, one cannot open their phone without being exposed to blatant antisemitic hatred. Levy serves as a light in this flawed system.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons