We are already two and a half weeks into the war. It's a war on the ground, in Gaza, with a front also in the north. But in addition, it's a war for international public opinion – a war of perception.
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The terrorist organization Hamas uses psychological warfare and spreads propaganda. Just two weeks ago, we received broad international support that gave Israel some breathing room to act with full force to eliminate the terrorist organization, but as time has gone by the Palestinian propaganda managed to win hearts and minds along with the images from Gaza. This has resulted in a noticeable change in the world's posture toward us. It's a challenging battle of perception, but it's clear that Israel has faced a failure on this front.
It all started with the decision to shut down the Ministry of Information during the war. This is like a decision to close the Health Ministry during the COVID crisis. It reached its peak at the press conference with Yocheved Lifshitz, who had been released from Gaza this week.
Video: Relative of kidnapped Israeli family of four hopes for an end to nightmare / Credit: Reuters
It is just unthinkable that a hostage that had just been released by Hamas would be allowed to be interviewed without first being briefed by someone on the communications aspect of it. It's unthinkable that someone would allow such a hostage to speak while her husband is still held captive by the very same terrorists. But this is exactly what happened on Tuesday, and this dealt a crushing blow to Israel's efforts to win over hearts and minds around the world.
Every communications advisor knows that preparation is essential before an interview. The blame game among government officials only reflects a loss of direction regarding Israel's public relations, as there is no central entity managing the situation.
It's unclear whether at the higher levels, they underestimate Hamas's psychological warfare, or if it's just sheer neglect. It could also be a failure to understand the gravity of the situation. What's clear is that it's a serious public relations blunder, and Israel is paying a heavy price in terms of global public opinion.
Lifshitz's words about how well the captives were being treated were widely quoted by the international media. They play into Hamas' terrorist agenda and help it shape the narrative it wants, reducing the international pressure for the release of the captives.
Just yesterday, a few hours before the release of the two captives, foreign journalists came to a central base in Israel to watch a video prepared by an IDF spokesperson. The video showed 43 seconds of horrifying footage from the terrorists' cameras, showing the homes and kidnapped soldiers. I was there, and I saw the international journalists in shock, some with tears in their eyes, looking away from the screen to avoid the gory footage.
The fact that less than a day later, the world is talking about the "humanity" shown by Hamas terrorists is a self-inflicted wound. Israel's luck is that many in the country are dedicated to public relations efforts and are doing this work on their own. I truly hope that those responsible on behalf of the government will wake up and begin doing their job. If not, at least they shouldn't interfere with those who have chosen to engage in the effort to help Israel win over the hearts and minds of the world.
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