For years Israel’s failure in its public diplomacy, what they call in Israel hasbara, meaning to explain, has been discussed ad nauseam and to no avail. This has been a critical and sore point for those who support and try to help defend Israel’s position in the world.
While Israel prides itself on victory in battle, yet, in the narrative, it suffers perpetual defeat.
Where the Battle Stands
While Israeli fighter jets are flying over the skies of the Middle East – over the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, across Iran and its capital Tehran – while IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers are fighting valiantly deep inside enemy territory and on the high skies front – Israel neglects a critical strategic front that is no less important: the Ideological Consciousness front.
Failed Narrative
For a long time, Israel abandoned the common narrative to its enemies. That narrative is found in the global media, the social media arena and public narratives, in a way that poses a tangible danger to its national security, the legitimacy of its self-defense actions – in fact, to the very right of the State of Israel to exist as a Jewish and democratic state.
Since October 7, 2023 – due to the terrible day of the massacre by Hamas in southern Israel, the national trauma that has befallen the State of Israel should have made it clear to the entire world what Israel has long known – the lawlessness of Hamas’ murderous behavior. For a moment, it seemed that Israel would finally be able to explain itself and its essence to the world.
Such brief moments of identifying with the country that has gone through unspeakable and unfathomable trauma – videos of fathers and sons murdered, mothers terrified and crying, and children and the elderly kidnapped by murderers.
But then again Israel has forgotten or failed to grasp that today the Western world and Arab and adversary public opinion operate on just a few minutes’ timeline. What is not controlled by a narrative – does not last. What is not disseminated time and time again – is erased. And what is not maintained in the consciousness – turns on you.
Where the Battle Is Lost
In less than two weeks after October 7, 2023, in the eyes of many, Israel was transformed from a victim, with conclusive evidence, to a perpetrator; its military, from a protective army – to an oppressive army; from a victim of terrorism – to one accused of war crimes. And all this not because the facts have changed – but because the narrative has changed; and the narrative, as we all know – is the one that ultimately wins nowadays.
Control of the public narrative is not only a privilege of democratic governments or balanced media outlets. This control has become an active battlefield. And this battle is not taking place on the ground of Gaza or in the fields of southern Lebanon, but on X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Telegram, and other social media. Today, in posts on social media is where morality, truth, good and evil are determined.
This is a critical and cruel arena where way too often logic is pushed aside – and emotion, often incomprehensible, dominates. Whoever controls the feed – controls public opinion and whoever controls public opinion – dictates the positions of politicians. As a result, decisions that are made are often most critical.
In the era of the data revolution, extremist groups in the Western world – Muslims, radical leftists, anti-Israel activists and opponents to the existence of the Jewish state – have managed to successfully penetrate the public sphere through strategic digital influence, loud protests and demonstrations and T-shirts with viral slogans printed on them.
In the meantime, the silent majority continues to be silent and those who long to hear another voice do not hear it, because the State of Israel is simply not there.
The Paradox That Demands Correction
And here begins the great ironic paradox. While Israel is struggling to form a functioning and influential information system, precisely on its soil some of the world’s leading companies in the field of consciousness influence are located. These are cyber, data and strategy companies that successfully run political and diplomatic campaigns for rulers, prime ministers, presidents and candidates around the world – from North America to West Africa, from Eastern Europe to South America.
These companies know how to manage operational desks according to time zones, in the local language, with customized accent, with in-depth intelligence on target audiences and complete control over local discourse along the activation of thousands of profiles, timed responses, viral content and replicated messages using AI technology.
They build a narrative, not respond to it; they create reality, not adapt to it. And all this, without a rocket, a cannon, or a shell, only with a deep understanding of how the world thinks, feels and votes.
And with all the knowledge at its disposal, all the ability, all the means within the borders of the country, Israel continues to act as if it is still in the 1990s. As if the IDF spokesman’s statement in English or an energetic Israeli ambassador in an interview with the BBC can regain control of the consciousness. But it doesn’t work that way.
In 2025, one conversation in a social media feed with three million views, is worth more than a press conference in London. One graphic illustration that spreads in a minute in Algiers, Paris and New York City does more harm than any bombing of Tehran. And this damage is perceptible.
The Price of Failure
And the price for this failure is that countries are imposing sanctions against Israel; Western insurance companies are canceling insurance coverage for Israelis; universities are halting academic collaborations, parliaments are voting to recognize “Palestine.”
None of this because of facts, but because of emotion.
And this emotion is built by a narrative. And a narrative, unlike facts, is something that can be managed and directed. But in order to manage and direct it you need to understand its importance. You need to invest in it, mobilize the new tools, the sharp minds and the right budgets for it – and the determined decision that public diplomacy – “hasbara” is not an ornament. It is a deadly weapon, quite literally.
Today Israel is fighting not only Hamas in Gaza but also Iran, the head of the terrorism snake. This is an ongoing campaign with many extended tentacles against enemies equipped with missiles and intent on developing nuclear weapons who hold a religious-messianic ideology to destroy Israel.
This is an existential war. But as long as Israel continues to lose the narrative war – it will be forced to fight again and again in enemy territory, and this is precisely where the neglected arena, public diplomacy – hasbara – comes in.
For years, Israel has been in a defensive position. However, it cannot afford to remain in a reactive-defensive position. It must become a leader and use the right tools that have already proven themselves around the world.
Israel must connect the capabilities of Israeli cyber and AI companies with the security-political cabinet. It is necessary to immediately create a new, aggressive, sophisticated, present, active and unapologetic national public diplomacy – “hasbara” system. A global campaign that crosses languages, religions, platforms – that carries only one truth.
Pulling Oneself Up by the Bootstraps
We must be honest. In today’s reality, controlling the narrative is equivalent to controlling one’s fate.
It is time to understand that Israel’s control of the propaganda narrative in the world is not a luxury; it is a security obligation.
As long as Israel does not make the decision to exploit its comparative advantage and influence in the cyber world, Israelis will have to continue to fight not only Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran – any other foes that may appear from somewhere near of far – but also the lies about their country that flood the world in fast pace. And this is, perhaps, the most difficult battle of all.
Is Israel finally listening?
