Shae also recently covered an Indonesian Jewish Zionist activist Monique Rijkers, who goes on TV in this Muslim majority, hostile state and defends Israel.
Rijkers herself has a large following as well. So much so, that Dr. Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat sounded the alarm about her in an unintentionally funny article in Middle East Monitor last month that cannot debunk a single thing she says:
In recent years, Indonesia has witnessed an unusual and disquieting trend: the rise of public figures openly supporting Israel, in stark contrast to the country’s long-standing and deeply rooted support for Palestinian self-determination. Chief among these voices is Monique Rijkers, a Jakarta-based media personality and self-described Jewish Indonesian who has positioned herself as the country’s most visible pro-Israel activist. Her growing platform—ranging from her YouTube channel FaktaIsrael to appearances on national television—signals not only a shift in media discourse, but also a challenge to the moral clarity that has defined Indonesia’s position on Palestine for decades.Rijkers is no fringe figure. With over 278,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel, she presents a slick, persuasive narrative defending Israeli actions and policies, including military operations in Gaza. One of her most viral videos, “Rekam Jejak Manipulasi Ambulans oleh Hamas” (Hamas’ Ambulance Manipulation Track Record), attempts to discredit the widely documented humanitarian crisis in Gaza by painting Palestinian resistance as manipulative and deceptive. The comments section on this video reveals something deeply unsettling: a growing number of Indonesians echoing her sentiments, not in defence of peace, but in alignment with Israeli militarism.
People thinking for themselves is always a threat to Israel haters.
Keep in mind that all of Rijkers' videos are in Indonesian - so nearly all of her 278,000 followers are inside Indonesia. Given the constant anti-Zionist and antisemitic rhetoric that has come from that country's top officials, this is remarkable.
After writing about Rijkers and another Indonesian Zionist, Flemming Pangabean, Rakhmat makes a nod towards free speech:
To be clear, no one is denying Rijkers or Pangabean their right to free speech. But we must be vigilant about the platforms we give them and the narratives they promote.
So sure, they can speak out, but not in public where they might convince others that Israel is in the right.
There are many others - on TikTok, on Instagram and elsewhere - who bravely defend Israel in hostile environments. And many of them have lots of followers.
It is easy to feel despair with all the negative news and the publicity the media gives to the anti-Israel voices on the Left. But there are other voices that have large platforms that the mainstream media ignores, and these people - many of whom cannot be dismissed as "white supremacist Zionists" - are doing heroic work.
(h/t Jill)
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"He's an Anti-Zionist Too!" cartoon book (December 2024) PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022) |
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