Lizzy Savetsky is one of the leading figures in the information war that Israel has been waging since October 7th last year. Experiencing the events from a bomb shelter at the King George Hotel in Jerusalem, she felt compelled to share the truth of what transpired from that day forward. Lizzy, who was born and raised in Texas, moved to New York at the age of 18, where she met her husband and began to develop a strong Jewish identity, which eventually led her to her activism.
In October, she was in Israel with her family, marking her son's "Chalaka" at the age of three, and experienced air raid sirens for the first time. Since then, she has frequently returned to Israel with the aim of sharing what is happening from a perspective of support and public diplomacy.
She explains that she works to present the truth in contrast to what she sees as biased media portrayals against Israel. Her visit to Soroka Hospital highlighted the cooperation between Jews and Arabs working side-by-side there, emphasizing the human aspect often neglected in international media coverage.
Currently, Lizzy manages an Instagram account with nearly 400,000 followers and dedicates her time to the battle for public diplomacy on social media, despite facing threats and challenges.
Lizzy emphasizes that the moment she heard the first siren on October 7th, she knew what was about to unfold on the international stage: "I knew exactly what would happen. I knew that Israel would respond and no one would care about what triggered it. The focus would solely be on Israel's actions while ignoring its right to self-defense. I understood then that it would be my job to show what the world was not seeing. The hardest moment for me was on October 8th, when I had to return to the United States. I wanted to stay with my family. It may sound strange, but I feel safer in Israel. When I see what pro-Hamas activists do on campuses, it's frightening. In Israel, I don't have to worry about antisemitism. It may sound odd, but that's why I feel compelled to return to Israel every time—to show what the media doesn't cover. I traveled to Kiryat Shmona, where there was a direct hit on the street next to me, just to illustrate what it's like living under constant missile threat. To show that tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes—stories that are overlooked in America and that the world needs to know."
When asked how she feels seeing the media coverage of the war compared to her experiences, she responded, "I am angry, but I'm not surprised. I knew exactly what would happen. Sitting in that bomb shelter, I knew that the media would not be on our side, that they wouldn't mention what was done to us and would only show Israel's reaction. Nothing surprises me anymore. I knew the world would turn against Israel. There is a significant wave of antisemitism, and the world has always turned its back on the one Jewish state. My mission is to reveal the truth amidst a sea of lies. It is infuriating that intelligent people turn their backs on us because they only hear propaganda. There is a well-oiled propaganda machine against Israel, even in the United States. Posters of hostages were torn down within hours. People were attacked for hanging these posters. A man was assaulted outside a kosher store simply for wearing a kippah. History is repeating itself. This is the world today."
About a month ago, Lizzy visited Israel again, this time traveling to Be'er Sheva. Beyond enjoying the "excellent" hummus she found there, she visited Soroka Hospital. She calls it Israel's "Iron Dome" for two reasons: "I wanted to see and show the world the heroism of Israel's medical teams since October 7th. But it's not just that—I wanted to highlight how Jewish and Arab doctors, nurses, and medical staff work together to save lives. This is a narrative that the media refuses to show—the coexistence between Jews and Arabs, which is exemplified in hospitals. I heard many heartbreaking stories at Soroka. Perhaps the most tragic was about Dr. Daniel Levy, a young doctor from Soroka who was murdered while treating the wounded in Bari. He had set up an improvised clinic in Bari, even as terrorists surrounded him, to save lives. I stood where he had worked, and there was almost nothing left. I was told that he was asked to come to Soroka because they needed more help, but he chose to stay and save lives at the kibbutz. He died doing just that. Soroka will go down in history as a symbol of resilience during such a massive crisis. I wanted to be there to ensure these stories are heard. To show the heroism and sacrifice of these doctors and medical staff. Soroka is Israel's Iron Dome. When soldiers are wounded in battle, they are brought to Soroka. I wanted to visit these wounded soldiers and let them know they are not alone, that they are deeply appreciated and loved."
Lizzy maintains an Instagram account with nearly 400,000 followers. Over the past year, she has been engaged in a 24/7 battle of public diplomacy, striving to present Israel's side in the conflict. For her, this is her contribution to Israel's effort: "I am not afraid because this is my job. Just like soldiers on the front lines do everything they can, I fight on the digital battlefield in public diplomacy. We constantly need to involve the police, engage the authorities due to the threats we receive, but if I don't do this and stand up for my people, then who will?"
We conducted this interview with Lizzy already back in New York, just a day after celebrating her daughter's bat mitzvah. For her, the bat mitzvah took on a new and deeper significance: "It was so meaningful for me. In good times, Jews sometimes take things for granted—being able to celebrate a brit, a wedding, or a bat mitzvah—and forget what it truly means. Every time we celebrate being Jewish, we are saying that we are here to stay, that we are not going anywhere."