HOLLYWOOD, FL, Saturday October 27, 2025 — Jewish National Fund-USA's Global Conference for Israel highlighted how courageous non-Jewish allies from diverse fields are stepping forward to fight Jew-hatred, proving that the defense of Israel and the Jewish people is a shared human cause rooted in truth, education, and moral solidarity.
During the session, “Friends and Allies: Those Beyond the Jewish Faith Are Stepping Out and Standing with Israel,” sponsored by Creations VC, the discussion brought together a diverse panel of Jewish and non-Jewish voices who have taken public stands against hate and disinformation targeting Israel.
Panelists included Hayvi Bouzo, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Yalla Productions; Prof. Cathy Ann Elias, Professor at DePaul University’s School of Music and an alumna of Jewish National Fund-USA’s Faculty Fellowship Program in Israel; Richard Hurowitz, author and CEO of Octavian and Company; and Pastor Dumisani Washington, Founder and CEO of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel. The session was moderated by Ambassador Ido Aharoni Aronoff.
By showcasing non-Jewish advocates who champion Israel and fight antisemitism, Jewish National Fund-USA underscored its broader mission to build bridges of understanding and strengthen Israel’s standing in the world. Through its educational and engagement programs—such as the Faculty Fellowship Program, which connects U.S. academics like Professor Elias to the realities of modern Israel—the organization continues to foster meaningful dialogue, inspire informed allyship, and cultivate lasting partnerships that transcend faith and geography.
Aronoff asked the panel what they believed the root cause of antisemitism is. Bouzo, who was born in Syria, shared her perspective from her familiarity with authoritarian regimes. “The problem that we have is that there is a relapse that we are witnessing,” she remarked. “You have corruption in Arab-speaking countries that are blaming their corrupt systems on Israel.”
Elias said she witnessed students at DePaul repeating slogans without understanding their origins or implications: “Antisemitism is so baked into the language that people think it’s accessible. It’s rather shocking.” When she or others on campus tried to create conversations with students, they were often shut down. “[The students] don’t know anything and all they want to do is fight...we need to re-educate them to get them to want to listen to more than one thing.”
Dumisani, whose Zionism stems from the biblical connection between Africans, African Americans, and ancient Israel, argued that antisemitism can be traced back to slavery in Egypt: “It’s biblical. Why does Pharaoh say ‘let’s kill these people’? There's too many people, they’re growing, and they’re going to take over. This is nothing new.” Despite this, he expressed hope for greater support of Israel in his religious community: “We’ve seen a rise in antisemitism, but we’ve also seen a counter-rise who are pro-Israel. It's a civil war that is happening.”
Hurowitz agreed with Washington’s sentiment that antisemitism is ancient. To him, “It feels like what it must have felt like in the Middle Ages with the blood libel.” He also expanded on Elias’s observations of the connection between education and antisemitism, using the example that the officials who voted on the Final Solution for the Jews during the Second World War all had PhDs. “We cannot confuse ignorance with education.”
The panel concluded with an appeal to the Jewish community to strengthen the fight against anti-Israel rhetoric by welcoming partnership, amplifying supportive voices, and ensuring that those who stand with Israel are never standing alone. The sentiment was summarized by Hurowitz: “At the end of the day, the people on this panel are very important for combatting antisemitism...People who are not Jewish are very important as spokespeople.”
