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

Gilad Erdan, the newly announced leader of a right-wing party and former Israeli ambassador to the UN, has called for the creation of an "army of hasbara", a dedicated public diplomacy force, led by a "chief of staff" to combat Israel's deteriorating global image. Erdan asserts that the Israeli government has "abandoned" the crucial fight for the nation's narrative and is ill-equipped to counter widespread criticism.

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You need an army of hasbara (public diplomacy) and PR that would be led by ‘Ramatkal’ (IDF chief of staff) of hasbara. It never happened. You don't have it. You have only one agency here, one agency there. You have few people with little money. They can't fight with their arms tied behind their backs.

Erdan criticized the current approach, stating, "It never happened. You don't have it. You have only one agency here, one agency there. You have few people with little money. They can't fight with their arms tied behind their backs." He attributes Israel's declining support among American Democrats and younger Republicans partly to government neglect. He also noted that leaders from Turning Point USA informed him that Israel is "losing the young generation of the Republican Party."

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The Israeli government abandoned maybe one of the most important battles that we were supposed to fight: the fight for the truth and the narrative.

"So I know exactly what should be done," Erdan declared, outlining his "comprehensive plan" to proactively shape Israel's image and expose adversaries. He drew lessons from groups like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) on how to counter delegitimization efforts. A significant challenge, he highlighted, is a substantial funding deficit. Erdan expressed shock at his former public diplomacy budget at the UN, which he stated began with only $10,000 for New York activities.

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So I know exactly what should be done. I have a comprehensive plan on how we should work there to portray Israel in the right way, how to be on the offensive, how to expose the true face of our enemies, Qatar and others.

Despite Israel maintaining an embassy and eight consulates in the US, Erdan argued that these diplomatic missions lack the necessary resources for effective public diplomacy. He contrasted Israel's spending with Qatar's successful "soft diplomacy" investments in the US, despite Qatar's smaller economy. Given Israel's larger GDP, Erdan believes the country should be able to allocate more resources to counter negative narratives and promote its own.

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When I arrived at the UN as the ambassador, I was shocked at my public diplomacy budget. It started with $10,000 for public activities in New York.