JERUSALEM, Israel — Israel’s first Special Envoy to the Christian World has urged journalists and the international community to verify claims about the Jewish state firsthand, warning that artificial intelligence-generated content and organized misinformation are making it increasingly difficult to distinguish fact from fabrication.
Speaking before a Philippine media delegation on August 6, including Panay News, veteran diplomat George Deek said Israel is fighting an information war alongside its armed conflict with Hamas as manipulated photographs, fabricated videos and conflicting narratives flood social media.
“The only way we can fight that campaign is with a very simple but very powerful tool, and that is the truth,” Deek said. “Today we live in a world with AI where nothing is true anymore. Everything can be faked. The best way to know what is real is to come here, see it with your own eyes, and experience what Israel truly is.”
Deek said the battle over public opinion has become as consequential as the conflict itself, with what he described as a coordinated propaganda campaign seeking to isolate Israel internationally.
“We are witnessing today a campaign led by what we call the red-green axis,” he explained. “Red represents the Marxist far left, while green represents Islamist movements. These are two ideologies that have almost nothing in common except one thing — their hostility toward the Jewish people, toward Israel as a country, and toward the Zionist idea.”
He accused the campaign of portraying Israel as uniquely oppressive while disregarding its history, democratic institutions and diverse population.
“They are trying to falsify Israeli reality and Israeli history in a way that will make people turn against Israel worldwide,” he said.
Rather than respond with counter-propaganda, Deek said Israel is encouraging journalists, diplomats, religious leaders and other visitors to personally observe conditions in the country.
“Truth can only be revealed when people come here themselves,” he said.
Deek pointed to his own background and diplomatic appointment as evidence of Israel’s diversity. He is an Arab Christian whose family has lived in the ancient port city of Jaffa for more than 300 years.
“I come from an Arab family. I am an Arab Christian,” he said. “Nothing could be further from the truth than this campaign trying to falsify Israeli reality.”
Deek was appointed three months ago as Israel’s first Special Envoy to the Christian World. He said Israel was also the first country to create such a diplomatic position, reflecting its special responsibility toward Christians and their holy sites.
“Every Christian believes in the life of Jesus Christ,” Deek said. “Jesus did not live in Atlantis or some imaginary place. He was born here. He preached here. He was crucified here. He was resurrected here. This is the Holy Land.”
“We are entrusted with making sure that the holiest places for Christians remain open, safe, and welcoming to every Christian, wherever they come from,” he added.
Israel’s relationship with Christians is also anchored in shared Judeo-Christian principles. Deek further said.
“We believe in human dignity. We believe that every person is created equal in the image of God. We believe in individual freedom and the freedom of nations,” he stressed.
Deek warned that AI technology has made fabricated visual content more convincing and urged people not to form conclusions about Israel solely from what they encounter online.
“Today, you can look at a picture — even one of yourself — and later discover that it is fake,” he said. “It has become extremely difficult to know what is real and what is not. The best way to understand Israel is to come here, to walk its streets, meet its people, and see reality with your own eyes.”
Deek also disputed allegations that Israel discriminates against Christians, citing figures showing that the country’s Christian population increased from around 34,000 in 1950 to approximately 189,000 today — or by roughly 400 percent.
“The Christian community in Israel is the only Christian community across the Middle East — from Morocco to Afghanistan — that is actually growing,” he said.
He added that Christians hold prominent positions in Israel as Supreme Court justices, physicians, professors, researchers, entrepreneurs, diplomats and senior government officials.
Deek cited Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies and an Arab Christian from Israel, as an example of a member of the minority community succeeding in the global technology industry.
“Every iPhone people carry today contains hardware developed under his leadership,” Deek said.
While acknowledging that Israel cannot stop false information from circulating online, Deek said it would continue promoting transparency, dialogue and firsthand engagement.
“Truth remains our strongest answer,” Deek said. “And the truth is best understood by those willing to come, to see, and to judge for themselves.”/PN
