Israel's Struggle is Not a War of Words.............by Dan Friedman

I disagree with the proposition that Israel’s problems with the “international community” can be ameliorated by slicker, more professional hasbara (PR), because that presupposes hatred for Jews, and the Jewish state, can be corrected if only reasonable people among the haters were presented with the “truth.” This is a complete contradiction and it makes no sense. You can not dispel a mania by trying to prove to the maniacs that they can’t fly. Just ask the great Rabbis who were brought before the Papal Courts to debate theology - and never lost. Debunking the Church’s narrative won no converts, it just raised its wrath.

Now have a look at this video featuring Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon. It has excellent production values, a clear presentation of the facts and a sincere simplicity that holds your attention until the end. The problem is that it addresses two types of audiences: One that already knows and one that doesn’t care. Still, there’s probably nothing lost by Israel getting its message out – as long as it continues to beef up the IDF.


Dan Friedman
NYC