The Israeli government is planning to address wartime spending and an economic slowdown by implementing tax hikes and making deep cuts to public services. However, the proposed budget for 2025 also includes a significant allocation towards pro-Israel advocacy efforts abroad.
Under the new budget, Israel’s Foreign Ministry will receive $150 million for public diplomacy, known as hasbara in Hebrew. This amount is more than 20 times what has typically been allocated for such efforts in previous years.
This increase in funding is the result of a political agreement Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made to strengthen his governing coalition. Gideon Saar and his New Hope party agreed to rejoin the coalition in exchange for the funding and Saar’s appointment as Israel’s foreign minister.
At a time when public opinion about Israel has been negatively impacted by a recent war, Saar plans to use the funds to influence foreign press and social media. He also intends to focus on American college campuses, which have seen pro-Palestinian protests following the conflict with Hamas.
Saar stated, “Israel’s hasbara efforts and consciousness warfare have not received the critical resources they require. I am determined to make a change and strengthen Israel’s standing in the world.”
Saar and his team are collaborating with various individuals and groups involved in pro-Israel advocacy to develop strategies for utilizing the funds effectively. The government aims to improve upon past advocacy initiatives that have fallen short of expectations.
Avi Cohen-Scali, the director general of the Ministry of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism, acknowledged the previous failures in advocacy efforts and expressed a commitment to achieving better results in the future.