For a while now, people have agreed that Israel isn’t great at explaining itself to the world. They’ve had a hard time getting others to see things from their perspective, especially because many people around the world don’t seem to like them very much. 

The most common methods they have used are giving speeches, doing different interviews and also sending out professional messages, haven’t really changed how people see them on a big scale.

In the following 6 months the horrible events of October 7, harsh reality check faced by Israel. The surge in global anti-Israel and antisemitic feelings after Hamas’s violent actions and the subsequent Gaza offensive caught Israel off guard.

Global media landscape is also surprising for Israel, they were not ready for it. Where Hamas’s claims and numbers are taken without question, while Israel’s official messages are dismissed. Furthermore, China and Russia and other foreign members also play a key role. They spread wrong information to make the position of Israel weaken. All of this creates a more challenging situation for Israel.

Israel is now not just battling Hamas and Iran physically but also in terms of information. Given this situation, a completely new approach is needed to win over people’s support worldwide.

How can Israel improve its public diplomacy?

Before discussing, it is vital to know the true meaning of public diplomacy. Israeli hasbara, or public relations, isn’t exactly the same thing. It stems from the Hebrew word for “explaining.” The idea behind it is that if people hear Israel’s perspective, they’ll automatically understand and support it.

Well, it is cut and clear that’s not happening. According to today’s situation Israel is often seen as the aggressor. The perspective of the world remains unchanged about Israel. Now matter how they try to explain the Hamas violence or its own legal reason for the war. Especially during a prolonged conflict where the enemy controls much of the narrative.

Instead of just explaining, Israel should focus on a new approach to communication: one that prioritizes speed, engagement, and influence.

Clearly, the current approach isn’t working. In today’s global narrative, Israel is often portrayed as the aggressor. Despite efforts to explain Hamas’s actions or Israel’s legitimate reasons for conflict, this perception persists, especially during a prolonged military campaign where the enemy controls much of the information available to a news-hungry global audience.

Rather than continuing with mere explanations, Israel would be wise to adopt a new strategy for communication, one that emphasizes speed, engagement, and influence.

The involvement of different numbers of people is important. No doubt that Israel is a small country whose resources are constrained. It doesn’t have the financial means or the manpower to maintain a strong public diplomacy system. The efforts of this small nation in strategic communication have been lacking. From the last few years the focus of the Government is on other matters they ignore the importance of messaging. As a result, the responsibility of sharing Israel’s narrative has fallen largely on the Diaspora, organizations like the Jewish Agency, and even private individuals with influence.

Israel’s public diplomacy professionals deserve recognition for their efforts within the constraints they face. For instance, the Foreign Ministry’s digital bureau has made significant investments in social media messaging and next-generation technologies like artificial intelligence to engage global audiences. However, these endeavors have largely been during peacetime. Today, Israel’s foreign policy and security needs are urgent, demanding increased budgets, manpower, and governmental focus on strategic communications to cut through media chaos.

Professionals of Israel public diplomacy work hard even if they have limited resources. These people require credit. Furthermore, the digital team of Foreign Ministry spends a handsome amount on different social media platforms and AI technologies just for the sake of talking around the world. But one can not ignore that this investment was done when there is peace from all over the globe. But in today’s age it is important for Israel to focus on security measures. For this purpose they need the support of the Government and people along with money . Furthermore, the Government needs to pay more attention to how they communicate with others to make sure people understand them better, especially with all the confusing information out there.

The pace of communication is critical. Previous efforts were reactive or delayed by bureaucratic processes, which is inadequate now. Israel’s messaging should resemble a political campaign, swiftly debunking falsehoods. In an era of fast-spreading misinformation, prioritizing speed, agility, and flexibility is essential.

While a new public diplomacy approach alone won’t solve Israel’s image problem, it can significantly aid in maintaining support, particularly from allies like the United States. A more competitive strategy in the adversarial media landscape would allow Israel to effectively convey the true stakes of the conflict.