Why Israel Must Rebrand Itself? | Dr. Yaniv Levitan
Dr. Yaniv Levitan calls for a change in Israel's hasbara strategy: a shift from institutional hasbara to decentralized diplomacy, rebranding as a 'global laboratory', and disconnecting the media from the security emergency through ongoing cultural presence.
Dr. Yaniv Levitan argues in an opinion piece in Ma'ariv that Israel's hasbara is outdated and unsuitable for the digital age. According to him, the classic model of official hasbara has failed, and Israel must move from a reactive strategy of defense and justification to a proactive strategy of leading the narrative. Levitan proposes three pillars: decentralized diplomacy where citizens and content creators are the most credible spokespeople; rebranding Israel as a 'global laboratory for humanity to deal with extremism and an uncertain future'; and disconnecting international media from the security emergency through ongoing presence around culture, science, technology, and cuisine. The article emphasizes that the war for consciousness is won in feeds and digital communities, not in UN speeches.