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Israel’s Public Diplomacy Failure
Objects are seen in the sky above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in Jerusalem April 14, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
JNS.org – Despite military achievements in Gaza, Israel faces defeats on other fronts: public relations, diplomacy and legal battles. These are part of public diplomacy, which is as crucial as military strategy.
The failure lies in framing the war. Framing events is critical in the battle for media and public opinion, and whoever sets the narrative first gains a significant advantage.
Since Oct. 7, Israel is not only fighting in Gaza. The war is against Iran and all its proxies in the region, including Hamas, Hezbollah, militias in Syria and Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen. Iran also directly attacked Israel on the night of April 13-14.
Why, in response to South Africa’s unfounded complaint to the International Court of Justice in The Hague against Israel for alleged “genocide” intentions in Gaza, which are baseless, does Israel not file a justified complaint against Iran for its intentions and plans to destroy Israel?
The Palestinians have enormous achievements in the field of public relations because they appear weak compared to Israel and because of the destruction in Gaza. But framing the war against Iran and its proxies would change the picture, as Iranian power is equal to or greater than Israel’s. Iran’s civilian and military leaders have repeatedly declared their intention to destroy Israel and the circle of fire they have created around it is aimed at achieving this goal.
Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7 was intended to ignite the Iranian circle of fire or at least to test the waters for a more decisive move in the future.
Even the term “the war against Hamas in Gaza” is misleading. Few people in the world know what Hamas is and are familiar with its charter and platform, which call for the destruction of Israel. Few know about its conduct in Gaza since it took over. The war is presented in the media as aggression against Gaza’s civilians, not against Hamas fighters and the military infrastructure they built above and below ground.
When the skilled IDF spokesperson provides evidence against Hamas, it is often too late.
Therefore, from the outset, the war should have been defined as one against Iran and its proxies, not against the Palestinians or Hamas in Gaza.
Hezbollah claims it attacks only military targets in Israel. This is a lie. Anti-tank missile fire directly at houses along the entire northern border is not aimed at military targets. The Houthis have fired several times at Eilat and recently hit Tel Aviv. Hezbollah and the Houthis are committing serious war crimes. Israel’s counterattacks in Gaza and on all other fronts are justified as basic self-defense.
The propaganda war against Israel is waged in international U.N. bodies and it must be addressed primarily there.
It is unclear why Israel does not file complaints with the Security Council against Lebanon and Yemen for aggression and war crimes whenever Hezbollah attacks from the north and the Houthis from the south, demanding condemnation and action against them.
The U.N. and its institutions are indeed heavily biased against Israel and infected with covert or overt antisemitism. Therefore, Israel tends to ignore them. But many countries, including those in the liberal West, regard them with respect and seriousness. When Israel is accused of war crimes in U.N. institutions and only tries to defend itself, the result is predictable and, ultimately, only Israel is found guilty.
Effective public diplomacy uses all available tools and, like any war, must combine defense with offense. It is time to launch a multi-front public relations, diplomatic and legal offensive against Iran and its proxies.
If U.N. institutions seriously consider Israel’s complaints and act accordingly, Israel will benefit. If not, they can be condemned as biased and one-sided, making it harder for the West to accept their decisions against Israel.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
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French Police Arrest Man Suspected of Attempted Arson Against Synagogue
French police stand guard after cars were set on fire in front of the city’s synagogue, in La Grande-Motte, France, August 24, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Manon Cruz
French police have arrested a man suspected of trying to set a synagogue ablaze in the southern French city of la Grande-Motte on Saturday, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said.
About 200 police officers had been hunting for the suspect, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said earlier, adding that the attacker had set fire to several entry doors to the synagogue and several cars nearby.
BFM TV said the suspect was a 33-year-old Algerian. Local police declined to give details.
The anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office, which was put in charge of the investigation, said early on Sunday that a suspect had been arrested in Nîmes on Saturday evening.
“Before the police could intervene, (the suspect) opened fire on the (police), which returned fire. The man was wounded in the face,” the office said in a statement, adding that two other people were taken into custody.
A policeman was slightly injured when a gas bottle exploded as police secured the site of the attack on Saturday morning, Attal said.
“This is an antisemitic attack. Once more, our Jewish compatriots are targeted,” Attal said on X. “In the face of antisemitism, in the face of violence, we will never allow ourselves to be intimidated.”
After visiting the synagogue, Attal said an “absolute tragedy” had been narrowly averted after firefighters and police arrived quickly at the scene.
Local media reported earlier that the suspect had set fire to two cars, one of which contained at least one gas bottle, in the synagogue’s parking area at about 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT).
Police protection of synagogues, and Jewish schools and shops would be stepped up across France, the government said.
France, like other countries in Europe, has seen a surge in antisemitic incidents following the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel’s retaliatory action in Gaza.
Le Parisien, franceinfo and other media said the suspect had been seen on CCTV shortly before the attack with a Palestinian flag tied round his waist.
“Exploding a gas bottle in a car in front of the Grande Motte synagogue at the expected time of arrival of the faithful: it’s not just attacking a place of worship, it’s an attempt to kill Jews,” Yonathan Arfi, who leads the CRIF, an umbrella organization of French Jewish groups, said on X.
La Grande-Motte is a port and resort city on the French Mediterranean coast.
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‘First Phase’ of Attack Against Israel is ‘Over,’ Hezbollah Declares, Amid Fears of Regional War
Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters through a screen during a rally commemorating the annual Hezbollah Martyrs’ Day, in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Photo: Reuters/Aziz Taher
i24 News – A Hezbollah official said on Sunday that the jihadist group does not wish that its rocket and drone attack against Israel early in the morning should trigger a regional war and, as far as it is concerned, the “first phase” of the attack is over.
The official said the group took time to retaliate for the assassination of top commander Fuad Shukr last month due to “political considerations,” chiefly the ongoing talks on a ceasefire and hostage release deal for the Gaza Strip.
The terrorist did not elaborate as to why the group decided to launch its attack despite the still-ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
The official stressed the Shiite militia had “worked” to make sure its response to the July 30 assassination would not trigger a full-scale war.
Hezbollah launched over 320 rockets & drones at Israel, responding to the killing of terrorist Fuad Shukr
But before the strike, the IDF preemptively hit thousands of rocket launchers in Lebanon
Here is everything you need to know, including the latest safety instructions: pic.twitter.com/FyHik3aeIz
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) August 25, 2024
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Syrian President Says Efforts to Restore Ties with Turkey Have Yielded No Results
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad speaks to the Syrian parliament in Damascus, Syria August 25, 2024. Photo: SANA/Handout via REUTERS
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday that efforts to mend ties with Turkey had so far brought no tangible results.
“The initiatives did not yield any results worth mentioning despite the seriousness and genuine keenness of mediators,” Assad said in a speech to the Syrian parliament, referring to conciliation efforts by Russia, Iran and Iraq.
Turkey severed ties with Syria in 2011 after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, in which it supported rebels seeking to oust Assad. Assad views the rebels as terrorists.
“The solution is openness,” Assad said. “Restoring a relationship requires first removing the causes that led to its destruction.”
The Syrian president made clear that while he wants Turkish troops to withdraw from Syria, that was not a precondition for talks.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said earlier in July he would extend an invitation to Assad “any time” for possible talks to restore relations.
A Turkish newspaper earlier reported Erdogan and Assad could meet in August, but a Turkish diplomat denied the report.
Russia has been trying to facilitate a meeting between the two leaders in an effort to restore ties. Iraq also said in July that it may seek to try to bring the two leaders together.
The post Syrian President Says Efforts to Restore Ties with Turkey Have Yielded No Results first appeared on Algemeiner.com.