Experts agree that the mass spending on 'Hasbara' will do little to reverse Israel's reputational freefall

Snip:

Israeli lawmakers last month approved a sharp increase in the 2026 public diplomacy budget, allocating roughly $730 million to the global messaging apparatus, also known as “Hasbara,” according to a report by the Jerusalem Post on 29 April.

Surveys point to a deepening collapse in international support, as Israel’s genocide in Gaza and continued aggression toward its neighboring countries have sent the Tel Aviv’s reputation into freefall on the global stage.

The funding accounts for more than four times the previous year’s allocation, and forms part of a broader push led by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who characterized the effort as a strategic imperative, saying it should be treated “like investing in jets, bombs, and missile interceptors” and calling it “an existential issue.”

The campaign spans large-scale digital outreach and political engagement aimed at bending perceptions and influencing narratives around Israel.

  • peeonyou [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    22·
    3 days ago

    that might seem like a lot but that’s about how much St. Jude’s Hospital spends every year on marketing and admin expenses

    • LeeeroooyJeeenkiiins [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
      23·
      3 days ago

      it’s still a lot

      according to the google lying machine (too drunk to math, too lazy to grab calculator) it’s like, i dunno man like around 12000 plus jobs that pay 60k for a year

      that’s like, a fuckload imo, when I hear figures like this I always wonder “where does the money fucking go because it sure as shit doesn’t go to workers”

      • hellinkilla [they/them, they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
        12·
        3 days ago

        well there was a story a while ago about how a bunch of their influencers were owed money for hasbara done. some had been sending invoices since oct 7 and never getting paid, decided to cut their losses and give up.

        I bet like half of it goes to fund weird AI start ups and otherwise funnel money to loser fake ass businesses. Consultants, designers, front businesses, medallions and other sponsorships (as mentioned elsewhere in thread).

        But then, consider all the work someone like Bari Weisse did for them. Only one example: that Free Press story about how the photos of starving gazan babies were actually starving sick babies so it was OK. That story by the way, is cited by Israel in their defence filings against South Africa’s genocide case in the ICJ. How much $$ did that cost and what were the line items? At some point they probably paid for something that put her on her trajectory. They might have backchannel funded some of the writing even. But her payment is really her nice new job, and the state of israel isn’t directly paying for that.

      • Mardoniush [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
        6·
        2 days ago

        Advertising fees. It’s shockingly easy to rack up 6-7 figures of spend a day just using the platforms available to small businesses. Once you hit enterprise and government an 8 figure tv placement is nothing.