Yael Zisling Adar, is the publisher of the award winning Gems in Israel. A marketing and public relations consultant, she writes frequently for Israel21C. Her articles have been published in a variety of publications both in Israel and in the U.S. She can be reached at: Yael@GemsinIsrael.com
	What is "good hasbara?" Hans Doeleman, journalist
	They speak for us?? Judy Lash Balint
	Gems in Israel

Unfortunately, time after time we witness a complete lack of coordination and/or understanding by Israel's public relations spokespeople of the very basics of good hasbara (literally - 'explaining'). Almost on a weekly basis, we miss some opportunity to get our side of the story out and seemingly witness one public relations blunder after another.

It's not as though we don't have to deal with crises - quite the opposite is true. Israel deals with crises literally on a daily basis - so we can't claim not to have experience in living with the turmoil. There are those who would assert that therein lies the problem - we're just so busy surviving, that we can't seem to get the job done properly. I believe that's part of the problem, but also that it's too easy to use this as an excuse.

Why?

First of all, we should learn to accept as a 'fact of life' that even if Israel did everything properly - there is still a very high likelihood that the other side would get 'better' coverage. The world loves an underdog - that's a simple truth. It's been years since we were the underdog, so right from the starting gate, the Palestinian side has an advantage. We should be cognizant of this, not try to fight or gripe about it - but rather, factor it into how we respond and what we do.

It's easy to attack the issue of Israel's hasbara, or rather appalling lack thereof. However, we should first ask the following questions: Does Israel even have an overall communications media strategy? More specifically, does it have a crisis communications plan? I believe that the answer to both questions, is, "no" - and that is at the very heart of our successive hasbara failures.

We seem to constantly be in a reactive mode rather than a proactive one. We let events dictate the message instead of having an overall plan that will enable us to tailor the message based on the events.

Sure, it's easy to lash out at government officials that seemingly do not present things properly - but in order for proper representation to take place - there must be a clear plan, with very clear (long-term) goals and (short-term) objectives. We also need people who are adept at the specialty of crisis communications in order to formulate and implement such a plan.

There's an old adage in journalism that says, "If it bleeds it leads." Yet we see an interesting pattern that repeats itself across a wide variety of media outlets and mediums. Palestinian blood seems to be more valuable than Israeli blood (and not just because they are the underdog). That of course is the conclusion that one must reach, by reviewing how the media (particularly in the U.S.) portrays the loss of life on the Palestinian side versus the loss of life on the Israeli side. There are those among us who would say that the media is simply biased against Israel. But here too, that is an oversimplification.

The truth is, that Israel would do well to take a lesson or two from the Palestinians, who have excelled at humanizing their victims. Israel knows how to report dry facts and give numbers. We know how to issue statements saying that there were 'x' number of incidents on any given day and after each terrorist attack we say how many people died, were injured etc. However, we fail miserably at 'putting a face' to the innocent victims who have lost their lives. We say nothing about those whose lives will forever be changed by the violence they have experienced, or their families.

And if learning from the Palestinians hurts our national pride, how about going to our strongest ally and supporter, the United States and asking for some help and training in this area? Americans after all, wrote the book on PR - they are the true masters of this art form.

"Don't be ridiculous," you might say, Israel already gets enough money and arms from the U.S., isn't that enough? The answer is, "no, we need help, sorely." Most of us know that the first step in overcoming a problem often lies in recognizing that a problem exists. My question is whether the "powers that be" in Israel even recognize that a problem exists?

Israelis excel in many areas. We are perhaps best at the art of innovation - but that is simply a byproduct of the environment in which we live. For years we have had to "create from nothing." In developing new technologies and thinking "out of the box," this ability to create and produce with a bare minimum of resources is a great asset. Unfortunately, it is actually also at the heart of our downfall, both in the area of hasbara and in business.

When I was a marketing & PR consultant in the U.S., time and again I kept hearing that "Israel has great technology, but simply doesn't 'get' marketing." Both the government and Israeli companies who try to enter overseas markets often seem to think that they can simply 'wing it' - which perhaps is why things look the way they do, especially in the area of hasbara. At least in the business world, Israel has made significant strides in the area of marketing (although it still has quite a bit of catch-up to do).

When you think about it, hasbara IS a form of marketing. The government understandably carries out this form of marketing. However, unlike the business sector which has at least begun to make positive changes, the governmental sector still seems stuck in the rut of old world hasbara.

It's time for Israel to develop a cohesive media communications plan that will incorporate a strong crisis communications component. Creating and implementing such a plan is a job for professionals who specialize in this area.

Once such a plan is developed, the next test will be to see if all the professional spokespersons at the various levels of government can learn to cooperate and work as a team, instead of constantly trying to outdo each other in getting coverage for their respective ministries, which only exacerbates our problems.

Views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.

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