The International Diplomacy of Israel's Founders

Hasbara is a Hebrew term that one hears frequently in public parlance in Israel. Literally, hasbara means “explanation.” In its usage in the public realm in Israel, hasbara relates to explanations given about Israel's policies and actions, explanations aimed at an audience abroad. It is how Israel explains itself to the world. Hasbara can be carried out by individuals. It can be carried out by government agencies. Hasbara in the realm of Israel's explanations of itself is sometimes defined as “public diplomacy.” To some, Israel's practice of hasbara is a benign way of gaining acceptance abroad for actions and policies that fall within the realm of acceptable behavior but may not be immediately understood without explanation. To others, hasbara is “the Israeli euphemism for propaganda,” a deceptive practice that is used to give a false explanation for actions and policies for which there is no valid justification.

All peoples and governments have a public face. They try to show themselves as worthy citizens of the planet. This function may be performed by any governmental official or ministry that has occasion to comment on an issue. It may be performed by an official press office. In some countries, one finds a cabinet-level ministry, sometimes called a ministry of information.

In Israel, one finds particular emphasis. Israel has been subjected to frequent criticism over the way it deals with the Arab population in the Palestine territories it occupied in 1967. That criticism has heightened a felt need to explain Israel to a world audience. Some say that hasbara is a national obsession in Israel. Government ministers are often criticized for failures in hasbara. They have not, it is said, adequately explained to the world why Israel engaged in one or another action. Israel acts correctly and justly in the world, so the criticism runs, but others do not understand. If only our government gave a better account of itself, the world would love us more.

The government of Israel has devoted considerable bureaucratic effort to hasbara. At various times, hasbara has been carried out by a cabinet-level ministry devoted to it, a ministry that has borne different names. As a governmental function, the term hasbara carries in Israel a positive connotation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a public diplomacy division that deals with issues that yield negative public relations.