Tel Aviv University Students Join Forces to Fight Fake News

Jerusalem, 8 November, 2023 (TPS) -- In the face of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, 30 international students at Tel Aviv University have taken a bold stance against the spread of fake news and misinformation. Leading this charge is Ben Bright, a 28-year-old from Montreal.

Bright, who is in the process of becoming an Israeli citizen, was about to commence his LLM studies with a specialization in technology at TAU’s Faculty of Law. Ben has harnessed his diverse educational background and corporate experience to set up and manage a task force dedicated to disseminating accurate information about the October 7 terror attacks and the Israel-Hamas war.

“I intend to live in Israel, and this war gives me even more reason to be here,” he said. “When my brothers and sisters are fighting Hamas, I refuse to leave. I even tried to join the army, but I couldn’t because I am not an Israeli citizen yet. Anyway, I soon realized that I could be much more helpful on other battlefields, where my skills count.”

Instead of enlisting in the military, Bright joined the TAU task force, playing a pivotal role in its formation.

“I believe in lean methodology: Do as much as you can with what you have,” he explained. Under his guidance, the initiative was divided into three key groups – social media, public relations and counter-narrative, and outreach to students and universities worldwide.

The task force’s efforts have already produced results. “On Instagram, we’ve already reached 269,000 impressions. We’re also active on TikTok, X, and Facebook, and in total, I believe we have reached about 300,000 viewers,” he said.

Currently, Ben oversees the content posted by the task force and contributes wherever he can. One of the standout moments for him was conducting a one-on-one interview with Yocheved Lifshitz, an 85-year-old Israeli hostage recently released by Hamas.

“When it all started, on Oct. 7 at 6:30 a.m., I was in my apartment in Tel Aviv,” Bright recalled. “I heard the siren, and then there was a big bang … I looked at my phone and understood right away: even in Israel, which has known many attacks, this was not a ‘normal’ situation.”

He stressed that the task force is not political.

“We just want to show the truth. This is a war of good vs. evil, and too many people are siding with evil. Too many Jews around the world are afraid. My message to them is: ‘Now more than ever, we must stand up! This is 2023, not 1933. Never again!'”