Above the largest Christmas market in Munich flew a huge Israeli flag, clearly and decisively expressing Germany's unconditional support for Israel during the Gaza war. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also spoken out many times on the issue and left no doubt about his clear support for the State of Israel. Germany supports us completely, probably the biggest and most significant supporter among the EU countries.
In recent weeks I have been staying in Munich for professional purposes, and during my stay I met many journalists who also cover the war in Gaza. The picture that emerges from these meetings is complex, but the conclusion is that in the long run we may lose the war over the narrative. Politicians, journalists and the public support Israel, but find it hard to ignore the flood of photos coming from the Gaza Strip. The scale of the destruction reflected in the photos, along with the number of fatalities, does not leave them indifferent. On the one hand, they are shocked by the massacre carried out by Hamas on October 7 and back the Israeli response, and on the other hand, they are also shocked by the results of that response.
Hasbara itself is not an end but a tool for gaining public support that will be translated into political support. Therefore, broad support from all sides of the triangle – politicians, the media and the general public – is essential and essential to Israel's goals
This is happening, among other things, because the ability of the local media to maintain proper context with images from Gaza is limited. The horrific images of the massacre carried out by Hamas are no longer "new," and as such, they do not appear in the editions. What does appear are pictures that arrive daily from inside the Gaza Strip through news agencies. Anyone who watches them regardless of the reason for the outbreak of the war might think that the IDF is operating in Khan Yunis without justification, or worse, that Israel is attempting genocide, a baseless claim made by Palestinian propagandists who receive a platform from time to time.
The prolongation of the war requires Israel to conduct intensive public relations in world capitals in order to maintain support for its actions. Hasbara itself is not an end but a tool for obtaining public support that will be translated into political support. Therefore, broad support from all sides of the triangle – politicians, the media and the general public – is essential and essential to Israel's goals.
We should not shy away from the current support, as it is slowly eroding. We must remember that the leaders in the world who support Israel are not only statesmen but also – and perhaps mainly – politicians who want to be re-elected. Their support for Israel is liable to be undermined as the public's support diminishes, since in order to maintain political status, one must be attentive to the feelings of the people. It is only a matter of time before the public loses patience with the pictures from Gaza, and then the politicians recognize that they must change their tone towards Israel. Absolute support will turn into support with an asterisk, and from there the road to demanding a ceasefire is short.
The role of Israeli public diplomacy today is one and only – to put the pictures from Gaza into the right context and to remind the world why the IDF is operating there now. No one will succeed in persuading the editors of the editions to broadcast the pictures from the village of Gaza again, but here in Germany they are thirsty for more information and testimonies of survivors of the inferno and those who returned from Hamas captivity. Like the military campaign, the media campaign also has different stages, and at least from Munich it seems that Israel has not yet made the necessary change in order to win it as well.
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