At times, military raids result in civilian casualties and this, unfortunately, also includes journalists who are killed in the line of duty. In days when the media front has a dramatic impact on national morale, public opinion, decision-making processes, and human life, the raid in which Al-Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was killed is an event of global magnitude, which has the potential to cause strategic damage to Israeli legitimacy.
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On the one hand, you had the Biden administration and its approach to Middle East affairs, alongside hostile Arab media that wields enormous influence on Arab and global public opinion. On the other hand, stand a shaky coalition, some of whose members – Jews and Arabs alike – have already adopted the Palestinian narrative on the incident, before the investigation has even had a chance to figure out what really happened.
At this moment in time, we have no idea whether Abu Akleh was shot by Palestinian terrorists or IDF troops. What we do know, is that 19 Israelis have been murdered in terrorist attacks since March.
Wednesday's deadly events in Jenin have met Israeli public diplomacy at a very sensitive stage. All those involved – the IDF, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, and the Public Diplomacy Directorate – must band together and forge a clear narrative based on maximum transparency.
The lessons of the Muhammad al-Durrah fiasco in 2000, which at the time prompted the October riots, must be implemented without delay. At the time, it took Israel over a decade to make its narrative heard. The accelerated digital revolution the media has undergone since then, has turned 10 years into 10 minutes and there is no time to waste.
Israel's public diplomacy officials must take several critical steps, chief among them is framing the narrative. The core of this incident is political – not military and even if we only have partial information at this time, it is important to reflect it to the public in Israel and particular worldwide using civilian officials – not ones clad in uniforms.
The visual aspect must also be used wisely. Israel has to put out a clear visual investigation of the incident, in English, including aerial shots, intelligence, bodycam footage, and every possible piece of military information that illustrates the enemy's modus operandi and how it resulted in this tragedy.
These steps must also include messages of empathy, especially over the fact that Abu Akleh was both a foreign correspondent and an American citizen.
No effort can be spared to highlight the terrorist activity in Jenin, the Temple Mount and Israel in general. Only by linking these events using clear and uniform public diplomacy lines that echo with empathy to the fact that a journalist came in harm's way could Israel gain some public attention and deal with what has already emerged as one of the most complex media crises in recent years.
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