Tel Aviv is planning to increase its funding for global propaganda efforts by 20 times. The surge in spending comes as Israel’s public image is sagging around the world over the onslaught in Gaza.
A new budget for the Israeli Foreign Ministry includes $150 million for what Israel calls “Hasbara,” or consciousness warfare. According to the Times of Israel, the new budget is a 20-fold increase from the previous spending level.
The images, videos, and reports from Gaza detailing the horrors experienced by innocent civilians have driven global protests against Tel Aviv. In the US, Tel Aviv’s most crucial supporter, Israel’s favorability has plummeted.
The new spending on Hasbara is the result of a demand by newly appointed Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. Sa’ar secured the appointment from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was looking to maintain his hold on power as he battles multiple corruption charges.
According to the Israeli outlet Maariv, “The program will include, among other things, research activity and public relations firms, social networks, campaign management, conferences and events, bringing delegations of public opinion leaders to Israel, activity on campuses around the world, and political-legal activity.”
American college campuses were the main hotspot driving the debate in the US about the Israeli destruction of Gaza in the Spring of 2024. University presidents received significant pushback from Washington over the protests, and the Palestinian solidarity movement was largely absent from campuses in the fall semester.
“Israel’s hasbara [public diplomacy] efforts and consciousness warfare have for decades not received the critical and life-saving resources and tools they require,” Sa’ar said. “I am determined to make a change. Every shekel devoted to this cause is an investment, not an expense, and will strengthen Israel and its standing in the world.”
The Forward notes that Sa’ar said, “that [the ministry’s] activity will be carried out in cooperation with American Jewish groups and alongside similar efforts by the Diaspora Affairs Ministry.”
Israeli officials have admitted that without US support, it would have to cease its military activities in Gaza after just a few months. Ensuring that Americans’ attitudes towards Israel do not continue to deteriorate could be critical to maintaining Washington’s support in the long-term.
One source speaking with Jewish Insider said Sa’ar is holding meetings with leaders of Israeli NGOs and cultural figures to develop his public relations campaign. According to the source, during the meeting, it became clear that Sa’ar “wants to make the Foreign Ministry more right-wing.”
