In this powerful episode of Common Voices, host Justin Chow sits down with Ashley Waxman Bakshi, a Canadian-born beauty and lifestyle influencer turned outspoken advocate against antisemitism and misinformation. Now based in Israel, Ashley shares her journey from growing up detached from her Israeli-Jewish identity, to facing antisemitism at university, to discovering her voice as a fierce defender of truth. Ashley opens up about her early activism, her shock at the anti-Israel narratives on campus, and her deep dive into history to seek answers. She discusses her shift from YouTube makeup tutorials to global advocacy, and how moments like Operation Guardian of the Walls and October 7th compelled her to speak out. Together, Justin and Ashley unpack common misconceptions about Israel, Zionism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, touching on media bias, propaganda, coexistence within Israel, and the complexity of Middle Eastern geopolitics. Ashley explains why peace—not polarization—is the true goal, and why Canadians need to educate themselves beyond headlines.

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