Israel/Palestine
Related: About this forumHasbara group wants you to infiltrate human rights NGOs
A private Israeli hasbara or public diplomacy organization on Wednesday put out one of the weirdest responses yet to the incitement campaign by far-right group Im Tirzu of two weeks ago
First, the existence of this Centre, however off-grid, is part of a frenzy of private hasbara efforts. It is part of the national obsession with propaganda fostered and funded by the government through numerous bodies, public and private. The Israeli Foreign Ministry itself functions largely as a Ministry of Hasbara these days. As I have argued, this hasbara obsession is damaging to the national psyche, especially when presented as an educational endeavor to shape the thinking of young people.
Second, the idea that impostors might apply for jobs in a human rights organization not as committed employees but to police their activities is not impossible at all. And what do they mean by opposing the dissemination of lies abroad? Would such planted employees covertly record conversations? Testify for Im Tirzus next report? Create situations to make the organizations look bad, just as Likud MK Oren Hazan tried to do by giving a made-up testimony to Breaking the Silence? Why does Hermelin need to remind interested people to obey the law?
Finally, the whole thing reminds us how easily other groups are jumping onto Im Tirzus mission a proto-fascist organization whose main activity is inciting and threatening civil society, academia and left-wing causes.
http://972mag.com/hasbara-group-wants-you-to-infiltrate-human-rights-ngos/115376/
leveymg
(36,418 posts)The US funds the private propaganda efforts of Syrian opposition groups. It seems that if you dig far enough into State Dept documents, one might also find similar programs operating out of Israel.
azurnoir
(45,850 posts)however in the future after the next election that could well change