South African activist Olga Meshoe Washington was on her way to Israel to attend The Jerusalem Post’s “Top 25 Young ViZionaries” awards ceremony, when she landed in Ben Gurion Airport on October 7th to a country at war. Instead of turning back, the CEO of Defend Embrace Invest (in) Support Israel (DEISI) and a powerful advocate for the land and people of Israel, decided to roll up her sleeves and get right to work. In a recent interview with Jewish National Fund-USA’s IsraelCast podcast, hosted by Steven Shalowitz, Olga spoke about her experience in Israel and her first air-raid siren. With the support of Jewish National Fund-USA CEO, Russell Robinson and his wife Marcie, she participated in a number of the organization’s initiatives, such as packing supplies and working out of the organization’s situation room, before flying back home to the US.
“My experiences only strengthened my resolve to tell the truth,” she said, “to be an ally to Israel and encourage others to be an ally to the Jewish people.”
Olga Meshoe Washington has dedicated her life’s work to taking a stand for Israel against a continuously hostile world, especially in the wake of immense anti-Jewish propaganda following the recent Hamas massacres. Born in South Africa, Olga’s eyes were opened to the double standards of anti-Israel groups such as Boycott, Disinvestment, Sanctions (BDS) by her Christian pastor father. She considers DEISI as a bulwark against BDS, constantly challenging their messages and educating young people about the truth.
Meshoe Washington says that one of the biggest lies used by the anti-Israel movement is calling Israel an “Apartheid state,” and - as a Black South African woman - she is especially irate about this comparison.
“How dare other people use our narrative as a weapon to delegitimize the State of Israel and to call for the elimination of the Jewish people,” she said. “It not only diminishes the sufferings that Black South Africans experienced, but it also allows international organizations to take legal jargon to try and make Israel fit into the South African mold. They not only trivialize what Black South Africans went through; they’re erasing our experience.”
In her regular appearances on the speakers’ circuit in Israel and the US, Meshoe Washington talks about the history of Israel-African relations, and how heads of African states have been bullied by Arab leaders to downplay their ties with the Jewish state. She points out that many Africans are by nature pro-Zionist, and her aim is to translate that sentiment on the ground into policies at diplomatic levels.
As COO of Club Z, a US National Zionist youth movement, Meshoe Washington also aims to create a generation of young leaders who are unapologetic about their Judaism and their connection to Israel. She works hard with her team at Club Z to empower youth with facts and tools so that they can go onto their school campuses without being afraid and being able to hold their own.
Asked about her feelings about the current war still raging in Israel, Meshoe Washington predicted that Israel would emerge victorious, and the people will continue to be resilient.
“Truth always prevails,” she said.