In celebration of Israel's Independence Day, digital marketing firm Social Lite Creative LLC has compiled the annual 2021 Top 50 Pro-Israel Influencers based on hundreds of nominations from communities around the world. Some of the individuals chosen this year are activists for Israel, some are journalists, and some are public figures, but each has had a positive impact in some aspect, on telling Israel's story and how it is perceived around the world.
The Top 50 Pro-Israel Influencers of 2021
50. RACHEL LESTER
Creative Director, IDF International Social Media
Rachel tells the story of Israel to millions of followers around the world through videos. She has been producing and editing viral videos since making “Harry Potter and the Threats to Israel” in college, and made aliyah from Los Angeles in 2017 to take her passion to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. From telling the inspiring stories of Israeli soldiers to exposing what terrorists are doing, Rachel has been “fighting the digital war” for over three years, but can still be spotted riding her skateboard around Tel Aviv.
49. RON MACHOL
Zachor Legal Institute
Ron Machol is the co-founder of Zachor Legal Institute: www.zachorlegal.org, an organization using the law to combat antisemitism and the delegitimization of Israel. He is an experienced hi-tech and non-profit professional. Ron's impact on the digital sphere has been tremendous in 2020 due to his legal work pressuring social media platforms to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
48. JACKIE GOODALL
Founder, Ireland Israel Alliance
Jackie is a long-time pro-Israel voice both on social media and on the ground. In a country that is often openly hostile to zionists due to an vocal and aggressive BDS movement, Jackie is a refreshing voice of reason. She regularly produces content on Facebook and Twitter for the Ireland Israel Alliance.
47. SASKIA PANTELL
President of the Zionist Federation of Sweden & Founder of the Sweden Israel Alliance
Born in Woodstock, raised in Sweden, Saskia combines her activism by standing up against hate on a grassroots level on the ground facing nazis, alone. Combined with organizing rally’s for Israel and using her background in journalism and digital intelligence to advocate against Antisemitism online.
46. SHAI EMANUEL YAMIN
TikTok Influencer
On one of the most popular rising social media platforms, Shai has quickly grown to be one of the most influential pro-Israel activists in the digital sphere. Speaking English, Spanish, Hebrew and Arabic, she is unashamed and unafraid, and regularly calls out antisemitism and anti-Israel misinformation on the platform.
45. ILAN SINELNIKOV
Founder Students Supporting Israel (SSI)
Ilan is the President and Founder of Students Supporting Israel (SSI), a pro-Israel student movement that in the past 9 years has operated on over 140 college campuses and universities in the United States, Canada, Argentina, France, Norway, and Israel.
Born to a family that made Aliyah to Israel from the Soviet Union, in 2008 Ilan's family relocated to the United States. During his freshman year, Ilan registered the first SSI group at the University of Minnesota. In 2014, the second SSI chapter was established, beginning the growth of the organization which created a national, and later an international, united, pro-Israel grassroots student movement. For over 9 years now, Ilan is leading face-to-face grassroots advocacy campaigns and social media efforts on college campuses, promoting the State of Israel, fighting Antisemitism, giving students the confidence to stand up and speak up for the the Jewish people and the Jewish State.
44. SHOSHANNA KEATS JASKOLL
Writer and Activist
Shoshanna is a writer and an activist. She heads Chochmat Nashim which fights extremism and raises the voices of Jewish women. The grandchild of Survivors, she cannot stand by while injustice takes place. She's working towards a better Israel and defending her people's right to their homeland.
43. ALEX HEARN
Director, Labour Against Antisemitism
Specialising in strategy and communications, Alex's unorthodox, subversive style keeps social media guessing. He played a key role in developing viral campaigns such as the 48-hour Twitter walkout and the Three Billboards campaign against antisemitism in Corbyn's Labour Party. Making a significant contribution to the Equality and Human Rights Commission enquiry into antisemitism in the Labour Party, his particular focus areas are antisemitism on the political left, antizionist antisemitism and the adoption of IHRA.
42. URIEL GOLDBERG
Spokesman, Magen David Adom
In 2010 Uriel Goldberg travelled from the UK to Israel to take part in the MDA Overseas Programme which was the trigger behind him deciding to make Aliyah in 2011. In 2012 Uriel joined the IDF as part of the Combat Search and Rescue and 3 years later went on to join Magen David Adom. Starting his career as an instructor in Emergency Medical Technician courses, Uriel then qualified as a Paramedic in 2018. Today, alongside his role as a Paramedic, driving ambulances and saving lives, Uriel has taken on the role of developing MDA’s social media presence and has created content which has been featured on many international platforms thus raising the profile of both MDA and Israel.
41. ADELA COJAB
Jewish Rights Activist
Adela Cojab Moadeb (born November 12, 1996) is an Israeli activist, public speaker, and author. Cojab is best known for her fight for Israel and fight against anti-Semitism on college campuses throughout the United States, and has frequently been recognized as a leading voice on these issues.
40. YSABELLA HASSAN
Social Media Activist
Ysabella is a rising social media influencer who is vocal on Instagram, Clubhouse and TikTok. At just 19 years old, Ysabella Hazan entered her first year of law school. Ysabella has also worked at the Israeli consulate in public affairs and diplomacy. In addition to being awarded merit scholarship and deans list this semester, she is the Associate Director of HonestReporting in Quebec where she works to ensure media accuracy and combat bias.
Ysabella is well versed in Middle East conflict resolution and people diplomacy. Ysabella, founded H4H, a youth grassroots movement where, through her work as a proud Zionist (even being recognized as Canada’s top 13 advocates), she promotes decolonizing Jewish identity and inter-community bridge building. She is also the founder of Judean Collective, this first of it’s kind in Canada being sent to the World Zionist Congress.
38. HALLEL SILVERMAN
Content Creator and Activist
Hallel Silverman is an American born, Israeli raised digital activist located in Tel Aviv. With nearly a decade in Israel Advocacy, Hallel has created and executed content for dozens of major organizations, and has been a leading voice online for progressive Zionism. She recently returned from Dubai where she was part of a Ministry of Strategic Affairs delegation of Israeli influencers. She looks forward to welcoming her new friends from the Emirati Influencers community to Israel.
36. EMILY SCHRADER
Journalist and Content Creator
Emily is the founder of Social Lite Creative and a longtime social media activist with over 10 years of experience working with pro-Israel organizations, political campaigns, and individuals to advance Israel's cause. She is also a video content creator and a regular columnist at the Jerusalem Post. Emily's award-winning social media campaigns have received international coverage and reached hundreds of millions of people.
35. YONATAN GONEN
Head of Arabic-language New Media Section at Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Dr. Yonatan Gonen is the Head of Arabic-language New Media Section at Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His team operates the official social media pages of the State of Israel in Arabic, maintains a direct dialogue with tens of millions of people from the Arab world every week and show them the unfamiliar truth about Israel in original and creative ways.
34. ADIEL COHEN
Content Creator and Social Media Influencer
Adiel Cohen is an Israeli activist. Since finishing his IDF service as a commander in the Artillery Corps, driven by his passion for the Jewish people, he began using his growing platforms on TikTok and Instagram to empower Jews of all backgrounds, expose the world to the miraculous story of Israel, and initiate dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and Arabs, to create a better future for all people.
33. SETH FRANTZMAN
Journalist, Author
Seth is the Senior Middle East Correspondent and Middle East affairs analyst at The Jerusalem Post and an accomplished author, professor, and researcher. He has covered the war against Islamic State, three Gaza wars, the conflict in Ukraine, the refugee crises in Eastern Europe and also reported from Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Senegal, the UAE, Ukraine and Russia. Seth's work is some of the most informative and insightful coverage being reported in the entire Middle East today, whether on Israel, the Kurds, Turkey, or other issues in the region.
32. FLEUR HASSAN-NAHOUM
Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem
Fleur is a proud feminist and digital activist in both Hebrew and English on social media. An established star in the digital world, she represents some of Israel's, and Jerusalem's very best. As deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Fleur is in charge of foreign relations, international economic development and tourism. In 2020, she was one of the foremost leaders pursuing relations between Israel and Arab states following the Abraham Accords. She is also the co-founder of the UAE Israel Business Council and the Gulf Israel Women’s Forum.
31. RUDY ROCHMAN
Content Creator, Jewish Rights Activist
Rudy Rochman is an Israeli and Jewish rights activist with hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. Rudy’s work primarily focuses on empowering the next generation of Jews and allies, uniting sectors of Israeli society, and building relations between Israelis and Palestinians for them to create a future that takes into consideration the needs and aspirations of both populations.
30. LORENA KHATEEB
Activist, Content Creator
Lorena is an Israeli Druze -Arab who works in the impressive Arabic division of the Israeli Ministry Foreign Affairs digital department. She is also a social activist , the co-founder of the Sharaka Project (the Gulf-Israel Center for Social Entrepreneurship), and she is the Project Manager at Together Vouch for Each Other - an Israeli-Arab organization that advocates for increased integration in Israeli society.
28. NAJAT AL SAIED
Researcher and Journalist at Israel Hayom
Najat Al Saied is a Saudi American academic and the author of: Screens of Influence: Arab Satellite Television & Social Development. She is an Assistant Professor at Zayed University in the College of Communication and Media Sciences in Dubai-UAE.
27. NITSANA DARSHAN-LEITNER
Founder of Shurat HaDin
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner is an Israeli attorney, human rights activist, and the founder of Shurat HaDin Israeli Law Center. She has successfully recovered more than two hundred million dollars in compensation on behalf of the victims of terrorism through her and her organizations impressive work. Shurat HaDin has also been active in the fight against incitement to violence on social media.
26. LIORA REZ
Social Media Influencer, Director of Stop Antisemitism
Liora Rez, Founder and Executive Director of StopAntisemitism.org, is leading the charge against Jew hatred in the social media space and beyond. She credits her group’s skyrocketing success to taking a bi-partisan, non blinding approach to fighting antisemitism and is thankful to have partners on both sides of the political isle globally and domestically.
25. CPT. ELLA WAWEYA
Deputy Head of Communications, IDF in Arabic
Known as " Captain Ella " on social media, Ella is an IDF officer who helps communicate and build bridges with the Arab world through social media. A proud Israeli, Ella has been featured in numerous articles for her commitment to the state and tremendous efforts to support Israel in the Arab world. She is active on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.
24. KHALED ABU TOAMEH
Journalist
Khaled Abu Toameh is an Israeli Arab journalist, lecturer and documentary filmmaker. Abu Toameh writes for The Jerusalem Post and for the New York-based Gatestone Institute, where he is a senior distinguished fellow. His coverage often provides a much needed perspective that's lacking in much of the press coverage on Israel.
23. ADAM MILSTEIN
Philanthropist
Adam Milstein is an Israeli-American philanthropist, the co-found of the Israeli-American Council, and also one of the most active voices for Israel and the Jewish community on social media today. With over 150,000 followers on Twitter alone, Adam adds an important voice to the conversation and is unafraid to call out antisemitism or anti-zionist bigotry in the US or anywhere else in the world. Additionally, his efforts to empower students for stand up for Israel through various initiatives has had immeasurable impact on the Jewish community today.
22. BROOKE GOLDSTEIN
Executive Director, The Lawfare Project
Brooke Goldstein is a New York City-based human rights attorney, author, and award-winning filmmaker. She serves as Executive Director of The Lawfare Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about and facilitating a response to the abuse of Western legal systems and human rights law. In her role as Executive Director of The Lawfare Project, Goldstein incubated, provided the seed funding for, and founded the progressive Jewish organization Zioness. She coined the phrase, “Zionism is a progressive value.”
21. RITCHIE TORRES
US Congressman
Elected in November 2020, Congressman Ritchie Torres represents the South Bronx (NY15) and is the first openly-LGBTQ Afro-Latino Member of Congress. He is the Vice-Chair of the House's Homeland Security Committee and serves on the Financial Services Committee. Like many people in the South Bronx, poverty and struggle have never been abstractions to Congressman Torres, and he governs from a place of lived experience. He is committed to sustaining and strengthening American relations with Israel and supporting its democratic values and institutions.
20. DR. LOGAN LEVKOFF
Sexuality and Relationship Educator
Dr. Logan Levkoff is an internationally recognized sexuality and relationship educator who uses her platform to speak unapologetically about issues that she is passionate about: sexuality, parenting, hockey, and Judaism. She is the Chair of the Caravan for Democracy committee, a 10 day leadership mission to Israel for non-Jewish student leaders on college campuses run through Jewish National Fund. Logan’s late grandfather, Milton Shapiro, was an American Zionist leader.
18. HEN MAZZIG
Entrepreneur, Author
Hen Mazzig is Senior Fellow at Tel Aviv Institute, Columnist for Jewish Journal, an Israeli writer and speaker who has inspired thousands around the world and named as one of Algemeiner’s top 100 people positively influencing Jewish life in 2018. He is an energetic activist and an advocate for his people, as the son of Mizrahi Jewish refugees from Iraq and North Africa, he has used his unique and important voice and recognized as one of the thought leaders in his field and as a former IDF officer serving for five years as an openly gay commander. His award-winning articles can be found in LA Times, NBC News, JTA, Jerusalem Post and many others.
17. LOAY AL-SHEREEFF
Content Creator
Loay is a talented Saudi content creator and activist who uses his platforms to educate the Arab world about Israeli history and the modern state in English, Hebrew, and Arabic. He is a staunch supporter of the state of Israel and advocates for peace between Israel and the Arab states.
16. HILLEL NEUER
Executive Director, UN Watch
International lawyer, diplomat, writer and activist, Hillel Neuer is the Executive Director of UN Watch, a human rights NGO in Geneva, Switzerland. McGill University awarded Neuer with an honorary doctorate for his work to advance human rights, and for being “a voice for those without one.” In 2016, the City of Chicago declared Hillel Neuer Day, citing his role “as one of the world’s foremost human rights advocates,” while the Tribune de Genève reported that Neuer is “feared and dreaded” by the world’s dictatorships.
15. JOSEPH COHEN
Founder, Israel Advocacy Movement
Joseph has countered anti-Israel bias and antisemitism for over a decade in the UK. He founded the Israel Advocacy Movement to combat anti-Israel activity and antisemitism with digital media and video. His videos are watched by millions and shared by US Presidents and Israeli Prime Ministers. In his spare time, when he isn't a handsome male model, you will usually find him caring for orphaned dolphins or making cardigans for kittens.
14. YOSEPH HADDAD
CEO and Founder, Together Vouch for Each Other
Yoseph Haddad is an Israeli Arab activist and a disabled IDF veteran who was severely wounded in the Second Lebanon War in 2006. Today, Yoseph has grown massively online as one of the leading voices for Israel – from Ted talks, to lectures in 3 languages, to spreading the truth and fighting BDS. He also founded the NGO "Together Vouch For Each other" to bring the Arab society closer to the Jewish society and to be a more integrated part of the state of Israel, including by supporting national service for the Arab sector.
13. JACK MA
Founder, Alibaba Group
Jack Ma is a Chinese business magnate, investor and philanthropist. He is the co-founder and former executive chairman of Alibaba Group, a multinational technology conglomerate. Ma is a strong proponent of an open and market-driven economy, and for that reason is a huge and vocal fan of the state of Israel. Ma has visited Israel many times, and spoken out about what he's learned from the start up nation's high-tech sector.
12. HANANYA NAFTALI
Content Creator and Social Media Influencer
Hananya is one of the most vocal and active supporters of Israel online. With over one million followers, he regularly produces content sharing stories from nearly every part of the country. When he's not creating his own content, he works for the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, on his digital team.
11. ENES KANTER
NBA Player
Enes Kanter, a Muslim NBA player from Turkey has been targeted by his home country for his commitment to diversity and pluralism, and criticism of Turkey's current regime. Despite threats, Kanter uses his social media to communicate to fans about the importance of fighting racism and antisemitism online and in person. Recently, penned an op-ed with the US Ambassador to Israel, Gilad Erdan emphasizing the shared values.
10. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ
Member of US Congress
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a longstanding supporter of Israel in the US Congress, having spent years advocating for the US-Israel relationship. In 2020, she also served on the inter-parliamentary taskforce with lawmakers from around the world to find new ways to legislate and combat antisemitism on social media.
9. NOA TISHBY
Producer, Author and Actress
Noa is a prolific Israeli actress, writer, producer and activist who recently authored the first book about Israel written by a women, (excluding Golda Meir's autobiography) Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth. She is also extremely vocal about fighting against movements like BDS and regularly holds discussions on social media about how to combat misinformation about Israel.
8. TRACY ANN OBERMANN
Actress
Tracy-Ann Oberman is an English television, theatre, radio actress, and narrator who has made international headlines for her advocacy in fighting back against antisemitism, helping to organize a Twitter "blackout" for 48 hours when the platform refused to take down antisemitic content. Oberman has also vocally opposed boycotts of Israel, and has called Israel "a country that I love." Today, she continues to be a leading voice against online harassment of Jews and Israelis.
7. GILAD ERDAN
Israeli Ambassador to the US
Gilad Erdan is the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations as well as the Israeli Ambassador to the United States. Previously, he was the Minister of Internal Security and Strategic Affairs. Under his watch, the Ministry of Strategic Affairs worked to build connections with social media companies to combat hate speech. Today, Ambassador Erdan has a large following on social media which he uses to make the case for Israel from Washington.
6. NIKKI HALEY
Former US Ambassdor to the UN
Nikki Haley exploded on the scene when she was chosen to be the US Ambassador to the UN. With her fearless, no nonsense approach, she called out the UN for their appalling hypocrisy and obsession with Israel. Since then, Haley has continued to be an outspoken zionist and active supporter of the Jewish people online and in public events.
4. SACHA BARON COHEN
Actor, Comedian
Most famous for his character "Borat" Sacha Baron Cohen has often used comedy to call out hate speech and antisemitism, but in 2020 he opened up in a new way, leading the charge against online antisemitism and openly condemning Facebook and other platforms for refusing to address online antisemitism and white supremacy.
3. GAL GADOT
Actress
What would a list of influencers be without Wonder Woman herself? Gal Gadot, a proud Israeli, has taken Hollywood by storm with her role as Wonder Woman, but she has also used her tremendous influence to show the world the true Israel, and proudly talks about her home country and her service in the IDF.
2. HELEN MIRREN
Actress
Academy award winning actress Helen Mirren. is a long-time admirer of the Jewish state, even having once lived in Israel to work on a Kibbutz. As a supporter of Israel, Helen has been vocal about opposing BDS, and recently she announced she will be playing the role of Golda Meir, Israel's first female prime minister, in an upcoming film.
1. SHIRA HAAS
Actress
A breakout year for this impressive young actress who was the first Israeli ever to be nominated for a Golden Globe award for her performance in "Unorthodox." Haas is already a prolific actress with many films under her belt, and many more on the way. We can't wait to see what she'll do next!
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