Hillary Clinton: ‘Israel Needs Leaders Who Are Not Trapped In October 7 Trauma’

Hillary Clinton used her appearance at the Yisroel Hayom Conference in New York to deliver a stark warning about Israel’s deteriorating image among young Americans. In her conversation with journalist Yoav Limor, she lamented, “Israel has the worst PR of any group I have ever known. The story that needed to be told is not being told effectively, and I think it is only getting worse now.”

Clinton explained that while teaching at Columbia University after October 7, she saw firsthand how students were absorbing wildly skewed narratives about the attacks. She said, “We saw an almost organized effort to turn what happened into something unrecognizable. We began to understand that our students smart, educated, young where are they getting their information? From social media, especially TikTok.” She cautioned that such unfiltered consumption of manipulated content is a threat to democratic discourse, “whether in Israel or in the United States.”

She argued that the problem transcends party alignment and stems instead from a generational shift in how people — particularly the young — consume information. Clinton pointed to extremist voices on the right as proof that this isn’t a partisan phenomenon, saying, “When you hear Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes speak, they are part of the right. This isn’t Democrats versus Republicans; it is a generational issue.” And she underscored the scale of the challenge: “More than 50% of young people in America get their news from social media. They see short videos, some of them completely fabricated, and that is where they get their information.”

To demonstrate how this online ecosystem shapes political outcomes, she referenced the rise of New York legislator Zohran Mamdani. “He was a social media candidate that is exactly my point. Young people were the engine, from every background and every ethnic origin, who connected to him. The social media campaign was extremely effective,” she said.

Still, Clinton indicated that Israel is not without opportunities. She pointed to the durability of the Abraham Accords as proof that regional cooperation remains viable. “When the Abraham Accords were signed, I publicly supported them immediately. Even after October 7, you did not see the signatories abandoning them and that is proof that there are more optimistic scenarios for Israel in the region,” she said, adding that “it is critical to keep Iran on the back foot and stop chasing a nuclear deal.”

Clinton concluded with a direct appeal to Israeli leadership to revamp its global messaging strategy. “You must engage in the narrative. You must do a better job telling Israel’s story not only looking inward, but outward, and especially toward the younger generation,” she insisted. She also urged more dialogue-focused gatherings, reflecting, “I hope there will be more events like this one bringing people together and engaging in dialogue. It is important not to dismiss anyone before we have a chance for a conversation.”

{Matzav.com}