Viral Video about the West Bank Causes Islamist Headaches

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Viral Video about the West Bank Causes Islamist Headaches

This video appeared on The Blaze: Israel Releases 'The Truth About the West Bank' Video Challenging Palestinian Narrative

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The presentation is so well put together, understandable by anyone, and logical that the thing has gone viral in a very short time. According to The Blaze, it has even been featured on Al Jazeera. From the Blaze article:

Based on the video's positive reaction, [israel's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Danny] Ayalon and his team are also reportedly planning to translate the video into more languages including Farsi. Ayalon said he now realizes that "there has been such a thirst for the truth," and not just among supporters of Israel but also among "the undecided."

Ayalon says the video's success has prompted him to explore developing more diplomatic initiatives in the same area, perhaps using the same medium.

Here's an oddity. I am now studying one of the most fascinating books on epistemology I have ever read or heard of--and it isn't even a book that intended to be about epistemology: The Back of the Napkin by Dan Roam. Using a very practical method of drawing with stick figures, but based on neuroscience, Roam developed a system where you can present any idea and engage all the pertinent areas of the brain. You light it up all over. In other words, the ideas become extremely clear, they are not boring and they "stick." This has been tested over and over by scientists, companies and organizations all over the world and apparently there is some real meat to the system.

I have been working on my own manner of using Roam's ideas with making videos, so I can see clearly that Ayalon used them in his video.

There's something about talking and--at the same time--drawing figures to illustrate what you are talking about--it reflects mental activity. But note, the images are not just any images. They have to be appropriate for the part of the brain being addressed.

And, one of the strongest things about a 6 minute video with this level of clarity is that there is no way for any opponent to confuse people with hairsplitting and doubletalk. The video is short enough to watch again--and even again and again and again (and so on) if need be if someone gets any doubt because of a discussion.

Also, the historical facts presented in the video can easily be checked against original documents by anyone--anyone at all--to ascertain if they are true since they are so unambiguous. Doubletalk needs mental confusion or doubt to work and there's no way for anyone to say that, in this video, Ayalon really meant X, Y or Z instead.

I don't expect this thing to persuade Israel haters, but I do expect it to do some major damage to the false image in the general public's mind that has been portrayed by all the yelling and hatred.

Michael