Consider using the other elders unloving actions to your advantage.
Reminds me of something from my childhood. One of the first times I was tasked with milking the cows. We had a cow that always would lean on you as you tried to milk her. I pushed back on her trying to get her to move over. The harder I pushed, the harder she leaned. After watching for a time my father said, "Son, I will show you how to get her to mover over." He stepped beside me and began to PULL her towards us. The harder he pulled, the more she resisted, and at the right time he suddenly pushed, and off balance she took two steps away from us.
I have used that psychological tactic many times to my advantage. In front of others I will seemingly "pull" them towards me using either their exact words or slight variations of them. Of course they naturally resist as they cannot allow themselves to agree with me, and then at the exact right time I suddenly "push" by using MY words to make my point. Of course if they disagree at that time it shows them up for doing or saying something hypocritical.