In the average classroom at Baruch College in New York City, students seem to know Israel exclusively in the context of politics, conflict and what they see in the headlines. From the moment news broke of the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, many media outlets have focused on politics rather than the people of Israel, and the world has been fed an unbalanced and often false narrative.
Headlines don’t match the reality on the ground, and one-sided social media feeds are deliberately designed to sensationalize. I didn’t know this to be the case until I saw, heard and experienced Israel and its people firsthand.
As a student at Baruch, a division of the City University of New York, I had the opportunity to live in Israel and work with Israelis, through a business internship I did with the TAMID Group—an unfiltered, immersive bridge between aspiring business leaders and Israel’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
I wasn’t looking for an education on Israel; I thought that I knew the facts. I was looking for a business experience that would help my career. Through hands-on consulting projects and competitive fellowship opportunities, TAMID helped me turn abstract ideas about Israel and Israelis into tangible, transformative experiences. I can attest that the Israel I got to know firsthand looks nothing like the one described on my campus or by others in my city.
When we talk about Israel in the United States, we’re missing key characteristics of the Israeli culture that define the country beyond politics. First, Israel is a dynamic force in innovation, driven by relentless creativity. Israeli startup founders aren’t just selling products; they are solving global problems. Whether it’s in health tech, fintech, cybersecurity or sustainable agriculture, Israeli startups tend to reflect the resilience and resourcefulness embedded in the country’s DNA.
Companies like the start-up Netafim, which is pioneering the world of drip irrigation and has helped Israel defy all odds by growing farms in the desert. Or AIVF, which is working tirelessly to create a tool that helps doctors select embryos for IVF that will most likely lead to successful pregnancies; thus, making IVF more successful and giving women the chance to become mothers. Working closely with these companies shatters one-dimensional views and replaces them with admiration for Israel’s role as a problem-solving powerhouse.
Second, living and working alongside Israelis, it’s impossible to ignore the informality, speed of decision-making and constant search for solutions that drives Israelis. These cultural nuances are rarely captured in lectures, classroom discussions or on a vacation. It’s one thing to visit Israel as a tourist, but it’s another to contribute meaningfully to a startup’s development, to analyze their market strategy and to see your input taken seriously by founders who treat you as part of the team. That experience redefines what it means to “support” Israel, not as a political stance, but as a partnership rooted in innovation and shared values.
Right now, the harsh reality is that there are strong opinions against Israel on college campuses by professors and students, especially in New York City. For many students with minimal prior connection to Israel, college can be a gateway for exploring new perspectives and seeing the world through a different lens. College students need more opportunities to understand Israel through collaboration and business, not always debate and rhetoric. We need opportunities that invite students to engage with Israel as a living, breathing start-up nation—full of contradictions, yes, but also full of promise.
There is something deeply powerful about contributing to an Israeli company’s success and then walking through the streets of Tel Aviv knowing that innovation is happening behind doors. There is a singular pride in explaining to peers back home that Israel is a case study in grit and genius. Supporting Israel doesn’t have to mean signing a petition or waving a flag; it can mean helping a startup pivot its marketing strategy, drafting a pitch deck or analyzing competitive trends. As contributors, collaborators and allies in a shared pursuit of progress.
Engaging with Israel is not isolated to college campuses; reading up on news and staying up to date with the truth is vital. By becoming more knowledgeable, one can engage in more conversations surrounding Israel and defend it in ways that speak to people, especially young people. It is so easy to get caught up in the clickbait pushed by social media, and so, by engaging in productive conversations with Israelis and hearing their stories, veritable steps to peace can be achieved.
