The Problem with Israel’s Public Diplomacy

Many admire Benjamin Netanyahu for the clarity and persuasiveness with which he has defended Israel, particularly during and after Operation Protective Edge. Noga Arbell, however, argues that at the UN he made a mistake common to most of Israel’s efforts at public diplomacy (hasbara): by defending Israel against the outrageous claims of its enemies, he brought more attention to those claims, placed his country on the defensive, and compromised its dignity. Arbell writes: