Israeli gov't abandoned PR war, needs ‘army of hasbara’ led by ‘chief of staff,’ – interview

Gilad Erdan, former Israeli ambassador to the UN and leader of a new right-wing party, criticized the Israeli government for "abandoning" the battle for Israel's global image. He called for the creation of an "army of hasbara (public diplomacy) and PR that would be led by 'Ramatkal' (IDF chief of staff) of hasbara." Erdan stated that Israel's current public diplomacy efforts are underfunded and fragmented, leading to a decline in support among American Democrats and younger Republicans. He cited his experience at the UN, where his public diplomacy budget was only "$10,000 for public activities in New York." Erdan contrasted Israel's approach with Qatar's successful "soft diplomacy" efforts in the US, despite Qatar's smaller economy, and emphasized the need for a comprehensive and well-funded plan to improve Israel's global image.