In a recently published op-ed in the Jerusalem Post, I argue that the recent assaults on Israel’s legitimacy threaten to push Israel towards the status of a pariah state. These assaults are being promoted by a coalition of pro-Palestinian, anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic groups that have made the fundamental delegitimization of Israel their main rallying cry. The increasing threat they pose emanates from their ability to unite with “softer” critics of Israeli policies to create a “wall of delegitimacy” against Israel.
In this context, the confusion in Israel regarding the increasing attempts to put senior Israeli officers on trial following the Goldstone report demonstrate the lack of a clear Israeli strategy to deal with the political-diplomatic challenges.
BREAKING THIS unholy alliance between the hard-core anti-Zionists and “softer” critics can be achieved through several measures: recapturing international trust, identifying and neutralizing hubs of de-legitimacy, and improving Israel’s image through branding. Click here for the full article.
General
Amit Granek
Yuval Holtzmann
Ronit Gudes
Gidi Grinstein
Gaddy Weissman
Calev Ben Dor
Yossi Horesh
Dana Preisler
Omri Dagan
Eran Shayshon
Liran Bainvol
Merav Pick
Noa Ecker
Netaly Ophir
Yariv Mann
Daniel Kerenji
Omri Zegen
Yael Weisz
Toni Hasson
Talia Gorodess
Gil Murciano
Anat Horowitz
Abed Assli
Daphna Kaufman
Shay Gurion
Elad Leshem
Aliza Petrack
Jessica Brandt
The need for a firewall against de-legitimization is becoming a critical issue for Israel. The tipping point is approaching and Eran Shayshon is absolutely correct in prescribing the need for Israel to re-brand itself. However, pushing the concept of Israel as a “modern” and “vibrant” nation will not be sufficient. The softer critics, not only in the “hubs” identified, but here in the U.S. and elsewhere, are responding to Israel’s unwillingness to halt construction of settlements and to commit to the peace process, (so that with the Obama Administration’s help, since they could claim to the Arabs that they moved Israel to take this step) the onus for not moving forward would then fall on the Palestinians. At that point, the “soft” critics would be able to re-evaluate the Israeli brand.