JERUSALEM STRATEGIC TRIBUNE
In Israel, A Public Diplomacy Pivot
Ilan Berman
July 7, 2025

…Belatedly, Israeli authorities have concluded that an overhaul of their messaging is in order. Officials in Jerusalem now increasingly refer to waging a “war of knowledge” while hasbara has become something resembling a dirty word in official parlance. More concretely, and significantly, the country has begun allocating real resources to this endeavor. In March, the Israeli government for the first time passed a budget that earmarked some $150 million for public diplomacy. In comparative terms, Israel’s $150 million does not represent a significant investment. Qatar’s popular al-Jazeera channel, for instance, boasts an annual budget of $1 billion, while the Islamic Republic of Iran officially allocated at least $600 million between 2024 and 2025 for propaganda activities. Still, for Israel, which has never fielded a public diplomacy budget of any note, it represents a major evolution. READ MORE