What Good is Hasbara?

One of the routines of Israeli political life is the postbellum tug-of-war over Israel’s efforts at Hasbara, literally “explanation.” Where did Israel succeed at explaining itself? Where did it fail? Why? Amid this debate, Avi Woolf takes a larger view in Mida. Hasbara, Woolf argues, cannot undo the international media’s considerable biases, nor can it halt the Radical Islam-driven rise of European anti-Semitism. In addition, it’s foolish to believe Israel can change the minds of an average person who is very likely too busy to investigate the facts surrounding Israel’s decisions. The sense that Hasbara is failing is based largely on a set of unreasonable expectations. Instead of its current strategy, Israel should focus on bolstering its own supporters and making inroads with consequential elites:

First, private citizens who are pro-Israel are people most likely will contribute much-needed investment and donations or contribute in myriad other ways such as volunteering or recommending the country to friends. Engaging in Hasbara helps those who support us feel like they’re on the “front lines” of Israel’s war and maintains their emotional and intellectual attachment – even when they disagree with one another. Furthermore, given how much support for Israel correlates with maintenance of Jewish identity, engaging in Hasbara is a fairly easy way to keep Jews Jewishly attached.

Second, targeted – as opposed to general – campaigns towards people in positions of power and influence is worth far more than a campaign to win the hearts of millions of the generally uninvolved. Retaining the support or at least neutrality of such people is crucial. There is also importance in giving moral support to our many supporters and defenders, even if that is not always strategically critical. Public Relations may not convince, and it may not usually be strategically decisive, but it is an important tool of diplomacy nonetheless.

Contrary to the facile ideas of the liberal jet set, statecraft is not a popularity contest or a matter of who gets the most hashtags and likes on facebook. Hasbara, like war or peace negotiations, is the furtherance of policy by other means, to mangle Clausewitz’s dictum. It has built-in uses and drawbacks and needs to be used or at least channeled towards concrete ends, not just as a ready riposte for being called nasty words, important though that is.

Furthermore, it is one tool among many, not a cure-all for Israel’s political position, at least some of the causes for which are not really in our control. Many on both the right and left complain that Israel doesn’t seem to have a long-term, well-thought strategy vis-à-vis the Palestinians. It’s past time we start figuring one out for Hasbara.

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What Good is Hasbara?

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