Erin Molan on dealing with ‘venomous hate’
'Telling these stories is crucial, particularly at the moment when there is so much misinformation,' says Erin Molan.
With the swirling narratives around humanitarian aid in Gaza, Erin Molan says the past couple of weeks have been particularly “venomous” in the online space.
Molan is sadly no stranger to online hate, but her pro-Israel advocacy and support of the Jewish community have come at great personal cost.
She will share her story at this year’s WIZO NSW major event, alongside special guests from Israel Ayelet Zohar Cohen and Shoval Cohen.
“Of course I get hate,” Molan told The AJN.
“I got hate when I hosted rugby league. I got hate when I was ambassador for cancer charities. I got hate when I advocated for online safety. This is a particularly venomous form of hate, but it’s nothing I’m not used to, prepared for, or willing to accept, because I know I am on the right side of history.”
The hate plays out in the comments of virtually everything Molan posts on social media, but it is the sharing of lies by those with little understanding of the situation that Molan takes offence to.
“The image of the little boy with muscular dystrophy and genetic disorders that has been shared as apparently the face of famine that is being forced upon Gazans by Israel, it’s just completely untrue,” she said.
“But the amount of people blindly sharing it and the amount of people believing propaganda from terrorists is mind blowing.
“Have an opinion, absolutely, but when you’re sharing lies, that’s when I take offence.”
Molan believes children in Gaza benefit far more from her trying to call out terrorism than they ever will from “these idiotic simpletons who share the propaganda from those who are actually hurting them”.
She also says it’s crucial to keep reminding the world about what occurred on October 7, like what happened to young Ariel Zohar on Kibbutz Nahal Oz. At the event Zohar’s aunt and cousin will share not only the horrific story, but the story of a new life for Ariel and hope for a better future.
“A little boy went for his run and lost his entire family. How do you ever recover from that?” Molan said.
“Telling these stories is crucial, particularly at the moment when there is so much misinformation and so much demonisation of Israel and the Jewish people. It is crucial to remind people exactly who Hamas are.”
To book tickets for the WIZO NSW major event taking place on August 17 visit wizonsw.org.au/event