‘Voices of Iron’ award honors 50 advocates for Israel’s truth

Fifty pro-Israel advocates, including public diplomacy professionals, social-media influencers, and activists, were honored at the inaugural “Voices of Iron” award ceremony held at the Knesset auditorium on Tuesday. The award recognizes their tireless efforts in defending Israel’s reputation over the past 15 months of the Swords of Iron war.

The initiative was led by Likud Knesset member Dan Illouz, who sought to thank those who have gone above and beyond to combat misinformation and stand up for the Jewish state.

“Look around you,” Illouz told the audience. “You see dozens of people who have given of themselves day and night since Oct. 7 to defend Israel. Many have risked their careers, been attacked on social media, some even physically threatened—and many are doing this completely voluntarily. …But you refused to let the truth be buried.”

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana called the honorees “modern-day media Maccabees”, praising their work as a “cyber Iron Dome intercepting misinformation and blowing lies out of the sky.”

Among the award recipients was Lizzy Savetsky, a New York-based influencer who has been a leading voice in Israel advocacy.

“To be called a ‘Voice of Iron’ and to be a voice for the Jewish nation has never felt like a choice to me. It’s always felt like a sacred obligation and responsibility,” she told JNS.

Other honorees included:

• Josh Reinstein, president of the Israel Allies Foundation, who highlighted the unwavering support of millions of pro-Israel Christians worldwide.

• Michael Dickson, executive director of StandWithUs Israel, who noted that his organization’s outreach has reached 2.2 billion people since October 7.

• Aviva Klompas, CEO of Boundless, who emphasized the importance of fighting antisemitism and supporting hostages and IDF soldiers.

• Gil Hoffman, executive director of HonestReporting, who described the media battlefield as key to securing Israel’s military success.

• Yigal Dilmoni, co-founder of American Friends of Judea and Samaria, who reaffirmed the importance of securing Judea and Samaria for future generations.

The Voices of Iron award highlights the increasing importance of advocacy in today’s digital battlefield, where misinformation against Israel spreads rapidly.

As Ohana put it:

“Just as IDF warriors defend Israel on the front lines, you have done the same on the front lines of public opinion.”

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