Boy George reminds us why you can't reason with unreasonable Oct. 7 deniers

Pop icon Boy George has become an unlikely ally for Israel, releasing a song titled "We Will Dance Again" as a tribute to those killed at the Supernova music festival on October 7, 2023. The author, Jonathan Lieberman, highlights this as an act of courage in an entertainment industry where supporting Israel can have professional repercussions.

“

you can’t reason with unreasonable people – so don’t try.

Predictably, the song's release sparked a divided reaction. While many applauded George for his conviction, others resorted to mockery. One social media comment dismissed his support, suggesting Israel's only remaining allies were "an aging 80s pop weirdo and Tommy Robinson."

However, a particularly disturbing comment stopped Lieberman in his tracks. Posted anonymously, it claimed that the young people murdered at the festival were actually killed by Israeli helicopters, with Hamas only intending to take hostages. This comment prompted Lieberman to ponder a question that has troubled him since October 7: how to engage with individuals who hold such beliefs.

“

an aging 80s pop weirdo and Tommy Robinson.

Lieberman draws on a lesson from his former medical trainer: "you can’t reason with unreasonable people – so don’t try." He explains that reason and evidence only hold sway when both parties are willing to engage. When individuals are emotionally invested in a belief, facts can become irrelevant, with new information being reinterpreted to confirm pre-existing conclusions. This lesson, learned decades ago, has become acutely relevant to the current world, where the events of October 7 have not only been a military conflict but also a battleground for truth itself, with facts becoming negotiable and atrocities subject to alternative explanations.

“

the young people murdered at the Supernova festival had in fact been killed by Israeli helicopters, and that Hamas had merely come to take hostages.