Government officials criticized Sunday Israel's public relations ministry and its handling during the ongoing war with Hamas and acknowledged that the PR plan didn't function as intended.
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"In practice, Israel lacks effective public relations, relying solely on civilian initiatives," one official stated. These remarks were made on the same day that the official decision to dissolve the Public Relations Ministry was announced. This ministry was initially established to create a role for Minister Galit Distel-Atbaryan but came to an end when she resigned last week, citing insufficient authority and resources.
Prominent ministers expressed bewilderment about the absence of a government-appointed figure centralizing Israel's explanatory efforts during an exceptional crisis. Not only does Israel fail to produce enough explanatory videos and formulate a coherent message to convey to the world, but it also doesn't have a government spokesperson organizing regular briefings in Hebrew and English. Several briefings were held last week within the PR ministry, but they were conducted by government ministers and political figures, rather than by professional PR representatives.
"Television networks are devoid of explainers," says a senior insider familiar with the situation behind the scenes. "There are no effective explanatory videos, and there's no real battle for international public opinion." Sources describe a largely dormant explanatory effort, with a nearly non-functional department. "Former head of the PR system, Elad Tana, who was appointed by Naftali Bennett, began to rebuild the PR system alongside his deputy, Gadi Ezra, and they had a specific vision. They worked in the right direction and established a professional system that had already started operating, but it crumbled immediately after the government changed."
In the examination of the result, the failure was glaring: there was no organized division of responsibilities between the ministers and the head of the PR system, and there was no coordination. Ultimately, Distel resigned, and the PR system faced harsh criticism. Since Distel's resignation, it remains unclear where her office and authority have been transferred. In her vicinity, it is said that she is currently overseeing a project involving sending bereaved families from Israel to major cities around the world for explanatory purposes.
Other sources, delving into the specifics, emphasize that, in the meantime, supporters of Hamas and Israel's opponents are operating over a million bots promoting their stance on social networks, while support for the Israeli side is almost non-existent. They underline that Israel does not produce any videos in Arabic, and the messages that do come out of it are weak and not well-defined.
Officials in the Prime Minister's Office rejected allegations of confusion and disorder in the PR activities and stated that immediately upon the outbreak of the war, a PR headquarters was established for daily and ongoing coordination of messages, comprising relevant systems, including the police, IDF spokesperson's Unit, PR system, and the Foreign Ministry. According to their accounts, since the war began, there have been 100 interviews with foreign media initiated by the PR system and dozens more organized by other ministries.