
The Soviet Union died. Its lies about Jews didn’t. How Soviet disinformation is destroying the West
I'm Jonathan SacerdotiShow Notes
She grew up in the Soviet Union. Now she hears its propaganda repeated in the West — by people who think they are fighting for justice. Why does so much of today’s anti-Israel rhetoric sound familiar to someone raised behind the Iron Curtain? Izabella Tabarovsky argues that Soviet antizionism outlived the regime that promoted it — and that its language is shaping how a new generation thinks about Israel, Jews and the West. Tabarovsky, a writer and researcher of Soviet antizionism and contemporary antisemitism, joins Jonathan Sacerdoti to discuss life under communism, the export of Soviet propaganda and the dangers of romanticising a system millions wanted to escape. Drawing on her own experience and her book, Be a Refusenik: A Jewish Student Survival Guide, she explains how demonising Zionism affected ordinary Jews — and why she recognises disturbing echoes today.
👁🗨 Watch if you want to understand the Soviet roots of modern anti-Zionism — and why someone who lived under communism believes a free society can teach its citizens to silence themselves. 💬 We Discuss:☭ Growing up in the USSR: shortages, censorship and stifled ambition 🛒 Socialism’s renewed appeal and the promises of Zohran Mamdani ✡️ How Soviet anti-Zionism put ordinary Jews under suspicion 🇮🇱 Why Israel’s victory in 1967 triggered a new propaganda offensive 🌍 How the USSR spread its message through political movements, diplomacy and the UN 🎓 Soviet influence and the changing language of the Western left 📚 Why young people learn about Nazism but know so little about communism 💔 “The left has left and it’s not coming back” 🤝 Do Jews have more allies than they realise 📱 Social media, foreign influence and the exploitation of division 💰 Antisemitism as a route to attention, followers and money 🤐 How social and professional pressure can silence dissent 👏 The fear of being the first person to stop applauding 🗣️ Compelled speech, online mobs and the demand to prove your virtue ✊ What Soviet Jewish refuseniks can teach a new generation 📖 How to preserve your independence of mind when the crowd demands conformity
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