Public diplomacy in army boots: the chronic failure of Israel’s Hasbara.

INTERNATIONAL relations; INTERNATIONAL relations policy; POLICY sciences; BUREAUCRACY; PUBLIC administration

Israel’s image in the world and its attempts at public diplomacy have always provoked intense discussion and criticism at home and abroad. Through analysis of reports, official documents, and protocols, this article shows how weaknesses in public policymaking undermine the establishment of Israel’s public diplomacy. Israel’s weakness in public policymaking and crisis of governance preclude the possibility of encompassing official measures for an efficient decision-making process, or for long-term strategic planning. This ‘institutional void’ is filled by the IDF, creating a process that causes the ‘security mindset’ to triumph over all other foreign policy factors. The outcome is a less effective Hasbara, which also affects broader diplomatic considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Israel Affairs is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)