Institute for National Security Studies, Tel Aviv -- The Image and Status of the State of Israel: A Situation Analysis

[Sid Shniad]

Google translation:

https://www.inss.org.il/he/publication/hasbara-restoration/

Institute for National Security Studies, Tel Aviv

Executive Summary

The Image and Status of the State of Israel: A Situation Analysis

Two years after an unprecedented terrorist attack on its citizens, the State of Israel is facing a profound image crisis that threatens its international standing, the basic legitimacy of its existence, and the security of Jewish communities around the world. Although Israel has achieved significant strategic and military achievements against Hamas, Iran, Hezbollah, and other arenas, Israel is today perceived in the international community in a very negative light and in many quarters even as a leper state.

Israel's isolation is reflected, among other things, in a profound damage to public opinion about Israel in the United States and Europe, in the erosion of Israel's status in the American political system, in open and quiet boycott processes in academia and the economy, in a legal attack that culminated in accusations of genocide and the issuance of arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials, in a sharp increase in anti-Semitism, in attacks against Jewish communities around the world and undermining their security. The purpose of this document is to analyze the policy and systemic failures during and in the aftermath of the "Iron Swords" war, which contributed to this deterioration and continue to damage Israel's image even now.

The main failure of the policy stemmed from the prolongation of the war without a clear political purpose. In the absence of the ability to clarify the goals of the fighting and the destruction and loss of life caused in the Gaza Strip by IDF activity, the international community interpreted the government's intentions based on the extreme statements of some ministers and as a campaign of revenge against all Palestinians.

The main failure in operation and organization stemmed from the lack of unified management of the Israeli information effort, mainly due to the failure to appoint a head of a national information system and the deep politicization of the war discourse, which in some cases subordinated it to the domestic Israeli political reality. The politicization prevented an active discourse that could have benefited Israel in the international arena. These failures led to the neglect of international media, poor handling and defeat on social media, and poor operation and discourse of humanitarian aid.

Emergency measures are required in the immediate term

Appointment of the head of the national information system – to rebuild the national information system as a body with powers and budgets that will lead and manage the effort to restore the image of the State of Israel.

Establishing an emergency team to handle the genocide charge – The International Court of Justice’s ruling against Israel will set an extremely negative narrative in the eyes of many in the West, will negatively impact Jewish communities, and will harm the State of Israel’s ability to conduct itself in the international arena. Therefore, the legal and advocacy effort should be considered on the scale of a national project. In addition to the best legal team that Israel can present, a research and public diplomacy team should be appointed to support the work of the legal defense team.

Harnessing the Jewish people and pro-Israel Christian communities to strengthen Israel's legitimacy - the President of the State must convene an emergency discussion at the President's Office, to which senior leaders will be invited, with the aim of promoting the establishment of a joint framework for the adoption and promotion of a master plan to stem the attack on the legitimacy of Israel and its supporters. 4 Deterioration of Israel's image as a threat to national security: A plan to restore the Israeli propaganda system

Outline for a work plan for the rehabilitation of the Israeli information system

The proposed outline in the final part of the document presents a detailed roadmap and recommendations for improving the outreach and treatment of foreign media, for structural reforms in the information system and cooperation with civil society required to deal with the challenge of social networks, for steps to restore Israel's status in global academia, for the establishment of an authority to manage extensive media activity in Arabic and Persian, for activities to strengthen solidarity with the American Jewish community and with communities around the world, and a recommendation to establish a joint venture for Israel, the Jewish people, and pro-Israel Christian communities to strengthen Israel's international status and renew legitimacy for the idea of Zionism.

Note: This document was written before the outbreak of Operation Roaring Eagle. The image challenges facing Israel in the context of the war, which is ongoing at the time of writing, are different from those it has faced and still faces in the context of the war in the Gaza Strip. While during the war with Hamas, Israel was accused of deliberately starving the residents of the Gaza Strip and committing genocide, these days Israel is accused of dragging the United States into a costly and dangerous war that is not in line with American national interest and even has a decisive influence on the American administration. The difficulty of dealing with these challenges only accentuates the shortcomings of the Israeli propaganda system and the ongoing failure to communicate the Israeli narrative to the international audience. Israel's poor image in the global public, in contrast to its extraordinary military achievements and intimate alliance with the United States, lends added validity to the analysis in this essay, its conclusions, and the policy recommendations derived from them.