No hasbara without policy: You cannot explain what you cannot defend | Tova Herzl
In every image crisis, the call for 'hasbara' returns, but without a consistent policy that can be defended, even the best explainer will struggle to convince. Israel needs fewer inflammatory reactions – and more management,…
Assessment
The piece argues that Israel's public diplomacy efforts are structurally doomed because they try to explain policies that are themselves indefensible. The real problem isn't messaging or spokespeople. It's the absence of a coherent, defensible policy framework. Until that changes, no amount of polished hasbara will work. The author is calling for a shift in focus from spin to substance, from reactive outrage to strategic governance.