'If a missile hit my home, people around the world would celebrate'

2026-03-13 - 20:07

For over a decade, Hen Mazzig has fought the delegitimization of Israel, the false narratives surrounding it, and the rising antisemitism that follows in their wake – whether through viral social media posts or in combative debates on every major international television channel, from the BBC to Piers Morgan's show. Mazzig, who has expanded his advocacy work into a full-fledged organization and founded the Tel Aviv Institute for Combating Antisemitism, told Israel Hayom with statistical backing, "Israel's global image is in the worst state it has been since its creation." The interview was filmed just days before the launch of the joint Israeli-American operation against Iran, at a Jaffa overlook that is not only beautiful but contains within it the layers and complexities of the State of Israel – on the right, the modern Tel Aviv coastline, and on the left, Jaffa's historic alleyways, a church, and a mosque. We had not imagined that, from that same vantage point, Hen Mazzig's work – invaluable in ordinary times – would be relocated to bomb shelters and take on an even greater urgency. For in the West, many have continued to embrace a mindset Israelis and Jews know all too well, especially over the past two years – and now the Iranian regime, "the head of the octopus", stands at the heart of that support. As part of the "The 11th Million" project announced by Israel Hayom in October 2025 – a Zionist call for one million Jews from the diaspora to make Aliyah over the coming decade – Mazzig, who now lives in London, highlighted the unprecedented impact of the Hamas attack on October 7 and the outbreak of the Iron Swords war on diaspora Jews – an impact unlike anything seen before in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "Jews are being attacked in New York, in LA, in DC, and in London. This assault was not just on Israel; it was an assault on the entire Jewish people. And Jews around the world are paying the price for it," he said. "I'm afraid that the Israeli government and the official bodies don't realize how bad it is. They think that they can do some small things or cater to a specific audience, and maybe that would change, but even with the conservative party that used to be so pro-Israel, and understanding why we have a right for self-determination, even there, you see voices that are becoming more hostile." A mental illness London – where Mazzig lives – is considered one of the world's most hostile cities toward Israel, with a long history of pro-Palestinian protests and surging antisemitism. Even now, in the wake of Operation Roaring Lion, the city has seen demonstrations in support of the Iranian regime, mourning over the elimination of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. "My husband is not Jewish; all of his friends were in the queer community, and he used to work in fashion. Since October 7th, they all stopped talking to him. All of his friends, all of his colleagues, he has two or three friends left. I kept on apologizing to him. I said, 'I'm so sorry you lost so many friends.' And he said, 'It's not about you. It's not about something you did. It's just about who you are.'" The loudest amplifiers of anti-Israel messaging are members of Generation Z, who consume content on the subject through social media. There, they encounter millions of shares of false narratives – or the output of figures such as Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson, known for their hostility toward Israel and their promotion of conspiracy theories. "There are millions of people who have been brainwashed and are thinking these things," Mazzig said. Pointing to the case of Nemo, the winner of Eurovision 2025, who sent back their trophy smashed to pieces in protest at Israel's participation in the song contest, Mazzig said, "I think it's a mental illness to get to the point that you hate a country and the people so much that you do something like this. What are you trying to prove by that?" "If a rocket or a missile were to hit my home tomorrow, people around the world would celebrate." Israeli activist Hen Mazzig at the site of an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv (Photo: Gil Kremer) It is not about whether they'll leave London, but when He described how the sense of boycott surrounding the Jewish state – and anyone identified with it – combined with an unprecedented spike in antisemitism and a leadership that has offered no meaningful response, has pushed London's Jewish community to weigh aliyah. "It's been a nightmare for so many Jews in London, and Israelis. At this point, so many of my friends are not asking if they're going to leave London for Israel. They're just saying when? When are we going to make Aliyah?" That sentiment was reflected in a surprising milestone – the past year saw record levels of British aliyah, even as Operation Rising Lion (Israel's first operation against Iran) brought ballistic missile threats and real destruction to Israel. For Mazzig, the timing makes perfect sense. "You see footage coming out of Israel of people running for their lives, scared, and hiding in bomb shelters. Then, in the heart of London, people are chanting, 'Keep bombing them,' and [you see] people celebrating Iran. That's obviously why people are not condemning the regime in Iran while it's brutally massacring tens of thousands of innocent civilians who have done nothing but protest. "Communities in the UK that have been very outspoken against war and for human rights can't even peep one word to say this is wrong? They think we deserve it. If a rocket or a missile were to hit my home tomorrow, or my family's home, and they would die, people around the world would celebrate it. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hen Mazzig (@henmazzig) "There's no such thing as a good Jew for an antisemite" Mazzig stressed that this realization has led to a shift in thinking among many in the Jewish community. "That is something that is very hard to live with. How can we live in the UK when people in our streets are celebrating it? When this sort of footage and violence is not triggering even a fraction of the reaction that a similar footage from Gaza would trigger? Because this picture from Gaza would immediately open headlines." Q: The numbers are still relatively low compared to other countries, and especially given that Britain has one of the largest Jewish communities in the world. Why do you think British Jews are reluctant to come here still? "I think some British Jews, even though in their heart they support Israel, are pretending as if they would be very critical of Israel and say they're not Zionists, they would get a 'free pass,' be protected, which obviously they won't be, because there's no such thing as a good Jew for an antisemite. For an antisemite, every Jew is bad. The only Jew that they will accept is a Jew who is willing to say the same things that they're saying. "You have that section of the Jewish community, but I think it's the minority. The majority of British Jews today are just still holding on to this hope that maybe things will change." "Things don't have to be perfect to be beautiful" According to Mazzig, the current Israeli government – and whichever government is elected in the coming elections – bears a great responsibility to strengthen the bond between Diaspora Jews and the State of Israel, in order to encourage aliyah. "The next leader of this country would have to answer a lot of questions. How are we going to help Diaspora Jews feel safer? How are we going to work hard to ensure that Israel is safe? What October 7th has done for Jews around the world and for Israelis is take away the feeling of safety and security. I think whoever is going to lead this country has to work so hard to bring it back through security measures, of course, but also through thinking of ways to tell our story better. "Israel has made mistakes just like every other country around the world. Things don't have to be perfect to be beautiful, and Israel is beautiful enough for so many of us to risk our lives fighting for it, and I think that's what we need to continue doing. It's the promise of 'never again.'"