Source: IsraelNationalNews, 11-07-2007
A year has passed since the outbreak of the Second Lebanon War and there could be another round soon. The Winograd Commission of investigation published its report on the first days of the war last July. Hopefully, the second part of the report will deal with "Israel`s" failures in the media. For the present, it is worthwhile to devote some attention to the public debate on the subject.
Through its use of the press, the enemy won a significant military advantage.
Shortly after the cease-fire in mid-August 2006, retired ambassador Zvi Mazel published a critique entitled, "Tzipi, You Failed" (Ynet, August 24, 2006). Mazel accused Foreign Minister Livni of not doing her job in presenting the government`s position in the media during the war. Ra`anan Gisin, a former spokesman for the prime minister, published, "Want to Win the Media War? Don't Apologize" (Ynet, September 11, 2006).
More recently, two important articles appeared in the "Israel" Journal of Foreign Affairs: one by Zev Furst, an American media expert; and the other by retired ambassador Zalman Shoval. Separately, the veteran American journalist and media expert Marvin Kalb, with Carol Seivitz, published The "Israeli"-Hizbullah War of 2006: The Media as a Weapon in Asymmetrical Conflict (February 2007).
This partial selection of literature indicates an awareness and concern that "Israel" has failed to make its case in the media, and that there is an urgent need for rethinking and improvement.
All agree that, for the most part, the Hizbullah controlled the media message and that the government of "Israel" was not capable of presenting a coordinated message to the press. This is not a recent development. Five years ago, the State Comptroller dealt with the same problem of media failures in the context of the Palestinians` Second Armed Uprising (Annual Report [53] of 2002), as follows:
The hasbarah [public relations] apparatus of the Foreign Ministry was not prepared in time for the possibility of an armed confrontation with the Palestinians, and preparation of plans of action for hasbarah abroad were totally lacking.... A major part of various procedures common to the field of foreign hasbarah that were concentrated in the Foreign Ministry, such as coordinating foreign hasbarah, were not carried out. The Foreign Ministry was not even designated as the leading professional coordinator for the field of hasbarah abroad. As a result, the professional aspect of the work of hasbarah was not dealt with comprehensively: a center of professional knowledge designated for foreign hasbarah was not developed, and, in any case, there was no professional guidance for hasbarah abroad for all of the government parties dealing with it in the State of "Israel".
Little has changed since the State Comptroller`s report. At the very least, this problem deserves be considered on its own merits, and not as a partisan or ideological issue.
The enemy uses the media as a tool of warfare in order to achieve two specific objectives: to delegitimize the Jewish state and to paralyze "Israel`s" will to use its superior military force effectively. This is entirely different from projecting a favorable image, or branding, which has more to do with advertising and public relations.
For example, on July 31, 2006, during the visit of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Jerusalem, the Hizbullah either staged the scene of the bombing of Kfar Kana or exploited a tragedy, with outstanding expertise. Thoughtlessly, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced an immediate temporary suspension of the bombing of Lebanon. Thus, through its use of the press, the enemy won a significant military advantage. The government spokesperson apologized immediately on CNN. Eager to apologize and totally lacking dignity, she was unable to face down an aggressive interviewer. Here was the State of "Israel", which had embarked on a war of self-defense and was in possession of the moral high ground, publicly shamed by the international media and placed on the defensive. The enemy had turned the tables.
This was not the first time, however, that through skillful use of the media, "Israel" had been paralyzed and forced to curtail military action. We should recall the phony Jenin massacre during the military campaign "Defensive Shield," in April 2002. No massacre took place; there was a battle between the "Israeli" Military Forces and Palestinian terrorists. The false accusation of a massacre damaged "Israel" terribly, and almost resulted in a United Nations commission of investigation with such righteous figures of international standing as Desmond Tutu and Mary Robinson.
"Israel`s" leaders must find suitable responses to the enemies` tactics of media warfare.
On the military level, our enemies have been able to create a situation in which "Israel" hesitates to use its superior military force and expertise. This was also a major strategic accomplishment.
"Israel`s" leaders must find suitable responses to the enemies` tactics of media warfare. They must find a way to neutralize the influence of figures such as the producer-director of the scene at Kfar Kana, who wore a green helmet, and his evil collaborators in the Western media. If they don`t, then "Israel" will suffer more miserable defeats in the media battle. Such failures in the war for public opinion carry a high military and political price.
The above article originally appeared in Hebrew in Makor Rishon on July 7, 2007.