How to improve Israeli advocacy abroad

So after reviewing the issues I'm facing Israeli propaganda, the time has come to also present some possible solutions to improve Israeli advocacy abroad. I'm not an expert in TV strategies or the topic of social networks, so I won't focus on these topics, even though they clearly need a considerable upgrade as well. What I do know is that there is a deep lack of professionalism in the field of speaking in front of an audience among the Israeli explainers, which could be improved in several ways:

The micro level: tips for the amateur explainer

Beware of rants and other English failures

Israeli speakers also tend to rant in Hebrew (according to Popolitica), but when they rant in English, they use words in a way that sounds natural to us and manipulative to a foreign audience. For example, we say "terror" as a general word for anyone who wants to harm Israel, but in English we don't buy it. There, the word terror has a very clear meaning "a person who does not wear a uniform, who harms civilians with violence". When an Israeli uses 'terror' to describe the attack at the Park Hotel or the Dolphinarium, he is accurate. To call the murder of Rehabam Zeevi 'terrorism' is borderline, and terrorism as a definition for the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit or the assassination of Tal Erez Gerstein is to lose the trust of the foreign press and the international audience (the correct word, by the way, is 'guerrilla'). For example, when Danny Ayalon claimed that the Islamic extremists on board the Mavi-Marmara were terrorists, they immediately contacted the Foreign Ministry and asked for proof that any of them were involved in the attacks. Of course, there are no such proofs, and we lost a few more credibility points abroad. The Israeli audience had no need for this, because for us they are terrorists by the very act of attacking the fighters of the Shehita, but an Israeli who does not distinguish between an internal audience and an external audience when interviewed abroad causes a lot of damage.

Additional examples of irresponsibly used words: calling "anti-Semitic" to those who oppose Israel's actions. Distinguish between different types of settlements - abroad they do not recognize the difference between 'authorized outposts', 'unauthorized outposts', 'expansions of settlements' or 'neighborhoods of Jerusalem', therefore an Israeli who wants to protect the settlements must protect them all. To use the phrase "separation fence" - there is nothing to be done, in the rest of the world it is called a wall, and when we insist on a fence we are simply not understood. Whoever wants to say a fence must explain that a wall only exists in populated areas, and understand that this explanation takes up 20 precious seconds in which he could have emphasized something more important.

to be interviewed in Hebrew

When Sarkozy, Berlusconi and Gintau are interviewed by the American media they speak in French, Italian and Chinese, although all three speak fluent English. In contrast, all Israeli representatives abroad at any level of English, from Amir Peretz to Abba Even, are interviewed in English, and the results are sometimes embarrassing.

So the rule should be clear - anyone who does not know how to speak English well (how well? See the proposal for a practical test in the next chapter) should be honored and interviewed in Hebrew, especially in front of a hostile audience or a critical media outlet.

Research the target audience

Apart from these differences, arriving at a speech in front of an audience without knowing who will be present is a bit like landing at night on a Turkish ship armed only with paintball guns - the result may be a lynching. And I still get to hear all the time about Israeli speakers who were surprised abroad by demonstrators, and see Israeli interviewees fail in awkward mouthings in front of foreign media.

For this purpose, there are rules that every American publicist knows, and that Israeli speakers should be made available. The first and most important is that no matter how much you want to get to a certain forum, and how short the time, you must find out carefully the circumstances you are about to enter.

The macro level: organizational solutions that include tests, courses, and ongoing practice

As you know, I wholeheartedly believe that anyone can learn to speak in front of an audience, but I also think that when it comes to representing Israel abroad, the best should be sent. The problem is that too many Israelis are sure that they themselves are the best, and we all see the results on CNN. Therefore, in my opinion, we need an organized program that sorts and trains the people who are allowed to speak about Israel abroad, and prohibits the others from appearing in the media.

Such a program should begin with a practical test - putting each candidate through the real fire test, of performing in front of a foreign audience in front of a spokesperson for the other side. It is not difficult to stage such events, and there are several tools to decide what level is required (for example audience voting, a panel of experts or a combination of the two). Anyone who fails to convince the audience in such a framework will only cause damage to Israeli propaganda, and should be banned from being interviewed by the foreign media - whether he is a minister, a diplomat or a 'communications consultant'. I assume that the immunity of the MKs protects them from such a ban, but perhaps it is possible to obtain voluntary consent from everyone (except Ahmed Tibi and Co., of course).

And what happens to those who failed the test? Here, organized courses on the subject should be made available to them. I transferred this year Such guidance As part of the cadet course of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and there should be no problem organizing more of these for more senior staff as well. In any case, the course should be conducted entirely in a foreign language, include a large amount of practical practice, and focus on dealing with breakdowns and surprises.

Finally, I think that all members of the information staff should go through annual refreshers, in which they will compete against each other, and also against 'Enemy Day' speakers who represent anti-Israel positions. Such refreshers will make it possible to transfer knowledge between different explainers and will help unify the message and make it more accurate and convincing.

English public speaking course

The difficulty that many Israelis have in conveying messages abroad does not end only with advocacy: many of us also have a problem conducting business negotiations or delivering a presentation at an academic conference. For this reason, a good course for speaking in front of an audience abroad should include not only the tools of speech and lecture, but also techniques to improve fluency and accuracy in English, and tools to avoid misunderstandings and intercultural mishaps.

So if you need to present abroad or talk to a foreign audience that comes to Israel, this course is for you. Sign up now: