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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