West Jerusalem is expected to allocate nearly $729 million to “public diplomacy” efforts in the next fiscal year
The Israeli cabinet has allocated a massive 2.35 billion shekels (almost $729 million) to “public diplomacy” in its next budget, constituting a sharp, almost five-fold hike in spending on fixing the country’s heavily dented image.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced a new Public Diplomacy Division in his ministry on Sunday at a conference in Jerusalem. The move constitutes a “significant strategic decision,” the top diplomat stated, adding that “when public opinion shifts toward an anti-Israeli stance” in a third country, it can “promptly impact government actions.”
“The second decision is the approval of a budget of 2.35 billion shekels (of which one billion shekels is authorized) for the battle for public awareness and the promotion of Israel’s image worldwide. The concept that the battle for public awareness is part of national security was fundamental to this decision,” he said.
Last year, Israel allocated some $150 million to public diplomacy – 20 times more than what was spent on average over the previous years.
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