For years, a familiar question has dogged Israeli officials: Why is Israel’s public diplomacy so poor? A new op-ed in American Thinker argues that the perception is largely correct, and that Israel’s enemies have won the narrative war while Israel’s own messaging has been muddled, slow, and ineffective.
The piece, written by Joseph Puder, contends that since the October 7, 2023, attacks, Israel’s adversaries have been “vastly successful” in swaying international public opinion with what he calls “blatant lies” — including the charges of genocide in Gaza and apartheid. He argues that the facts of October 7 — the unprovoked Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages — have been overshadowed by “inflated and unverified” figures of Gazan civilian deaths.
Puder writes that Israel had both a moral and legal right to retaliate, and that Palestinian civilians died because Hamas used them as human shields. He also notes the “unusual and unprecedented” measures taken by the IDF to warn and protect civilians, measures he says have no equal in open warfare.
The core of his argument, though, is about messaging. He draws a parallel to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, who “proved that if you tell a lie often enough, it will become accepted as the truth.” Israel’s enemies, he says, have followed that logic — while Israeli leadership has failed to produce an articulate, authoritative, and confident spokesperson who can “rise above the noise.”
A splintered messaging apparatus
Puder points to a structural problem: Israel’s public diplomacy is split among several entities, including the IDF spokesperson, the National Information Office (Hasbara), the Foreign Ministry, and the prime minister’s office. In an age of 24/7 cable news and rapid social media, that fragmentation means Israel’s voice gets lost in the shuffle. There is no single figure who is always on camera, always available, and always recognizable to the press.
He calls for a “charismatic” and “telegenic” spokesperson who would address the press in civilian clothes — noting that Western media are generally averse to voices in military uniform. Such a figure, he argues, should have a seat in the Cabinet room, where decisions are made, so they can speak with authority.
‘A Karoline Leavitt of its own’
Puder cites Dr. Nissim Katz, an Israeli communications expert, who says Israel needs “a Karoline Leavitt of its own” — someone who can connect with multiple audiences, especially young audiences in the West. Leavitt, the White House press secretary, is described as a “true digital combatant” who can drive her narrative effectively.
Katz warns that Israel is losing the younger generation in both the U.S. and Europe because it is “speaking the language of the 20th century instead of using the content of the 21st century.” He says Israel needs someone with Leavitt’s determination, sharpness, and energy — someone who can “expose and demolish lies on the spot, in live broadcasts.”
The op-ed also reflects on Israel’s past attempts to find such a figure, mentioning the young Eylon Levy, whose appointment as a spokesperson was reportedly “killed” by ego and jealousy among rival offices. Puder laments that Israel cannot afford ever-changing spokespeople who limit themselves to “general slogans intended to douse fires.”
A role reversal with the Palestinians
Puder also traces how Israel’s international image has shifted over time. Before the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel was seen as “little David” facing an “Arab world Goliath.” After its decisive victory and the peace with Egypt, the perception flipped — Israel became the Goliath, while the Palestinians adopted the appealing, albeit false, David narrative of self-determination within a two-state solution.
He calls that narrative a “deadly illusion,” arguing that both Hamas and the so-called moderate Fatah seek the same goal: the demise of the Jewish state.
“Intelligently and factually exposing the Palestinian narrative as fraudulent and suicidal to Israel’s existence is the primary task of Israel’s public diplomacy,” he writes.
The piece concludes with a blunt warning: “Words are first-rate, strategic weapons, and those who do not know how to use them effectively will be left behind.”
Source: www.americanthinker.com — https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/what-s-wrong-with-israel-s-public-diplomacy/