Israeli gov't abandoned PR war, needs ‘army of hasbara’ led by ‘chief of staff’ - interview

Former Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan has called for the creation of an "army of hasbara" - a term referring to Israel's public diplomacy efforts - to combat the country's global image issues. In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Erdan criticized the current government's neglect of this battle, stating that Israel lacks a comprehensive plan and significant funding for effective public diplomacy.

The current agency-based approach, Erdan argued, is insufficient and unable to effectively fight off negative narratives. He pointed to a major funding gap, noting that his budget as ambassador was a mere $10,000 for public activities in New York, compared to Qatar's successful investments in "soft diplomacy" despite a smaller economy.

Erdan emphasized that Israel's diplomatic missions lack the necessary resources for effective public diplomacy, drawing a stark contrast with Qatar's approach. He argued that if Israel were to allocate more resources to public diplomacy, it could better counteract negative narratives and protect its image.