Public Diplomacy and its Role in Changing Foreign Policies and Convincing People, Case Study: Israeli Public Diplomacy "Hasbara" And How Israel Uses it to Cover Up its Crimes against Palestinians رسالة ماجستير

Abstract

Over the years, and for a long time, Israel has tried to polish its image and present itself to the world as the only democracy in the Middle East by demonstrating its respect for human rights, women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and minority rights. It has achieved this through its laws and actions, gaining the support of many people around the world, especially in Western countries and America. However, the question remains—and I'm particularly concerned—how did Israel succeed in this? As a Palestinian living in the West Bank, I witness Israel's racist practices and violations of international law and human rights. This question has arisen for me, especially since I witness these violations firsthand and experience them almost daily. However, when I examined Israeli public diplomacy, I discovered that Israel uses "hasbara" (Israeli public diplomacy) to present itself in the best possible light to the world by disseminating its narrative through cultural initiatives, student exchanges, education, art, and environmental conservation. While non-Palestinians might see all of this as an achievement for Israelis, Palestinians see only oppression, displacement, killing, violations, and the almost daily incursions into West Bank cities, as well as the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip. Through this research, the reader will understand the true nature of the Israeli government, which is based on self-promotion and portraying itself as the savior of the Palestinians and other oppressed peoples. The reader will see how Israel has succeeded in presenting Tel Aviv as a land of freedom, democracy, and security, especially for those in need of protection, based on the premise that Tel Aviv is their safe haven. On the other hand, Tel Aviv is an Israeli city built on the ruins of the lands of the village of Sheikh Munis in 1948. VI My grandparents were displaced from the lands of the Palestinian village of Tira Dandan, located northeast of Lod, in 1948. No trace of it remains today as a Palestinian village; it is now an Israeli town called Givat Koach. None of the family has had the opportunity to return due to the Israeli occupation, which promised the displaced Palestinians the right to return to their villages in the Oslo Accords. Despite this, the world sees Israel as a country of equality, rights, and democracy. Through this research, the reader will understand how the Israeli Hasbara (public relations apparatus) has worked to convince thousands of people worldwide of its narrative and present it in the best possible light. We will also see the methods Israel has used to succeed in its own narrative. On the other hand, I will expose the actions Israel has taken against the Palestinian people in recent years, actions that demonstrate grave and blatant violations of human rights, particularly the rights of the Palestinian people. Finally, the reader will see how Palestinians can work to build their own narrative, with practical examples on the ground representing Palestinian public diplomacy. They will also see how Palestinians can refute the Israeli narrative by disseminating their own narrative to convince the world of its validity, thereby strengthening the resilience of the Palestinian people and revealing the true nature of the Palestinian cause from an ideological and intellectual perspective, rather than simply as a military conflict between two equal powers.