The Israeli government plans to offset wartime spending and an economic slowdown with tax hikes and deep cuts to public services. But the proposed budget for 2025 also includes a massive new allocation: toward pro-Israel advocacy efforts abroad.

Under the new budget, Israel’s Foreign Ministry will receive $150 million, on top of what it gets for its existing activities, for what’s officially known as public diplomacy, or in Hebrew, hasbara. That sum is more than 20 times what such efforts have typically been allotted in past years.

  • @[email protected]
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    305 days ago

    Ducking hell. Just say propaganda. Why use a foreign word when there’s a perfectly usable alternative?

    • @IndustryStandardOP
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      185 days ago

      Many say English has no fitting translation, but I believe the word “justification” is the correct word…

      Hasbara means “justifying anything Israel does or has done (mostly by lying)”.

  • @OccamsTeapot
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    225 days ago

    All the hasbara money in the world cannot wash the blood from their hands

  • @Lionheadbud
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    205 days ago

    Great, just what the world needs

    • @IndustryStandardOP
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      185 days ago

      Hasbara is in large part online troll farms. Get ready to argue online with many more people who suddenly love Israel.

  • @[email protected]
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    35 days ago

    Oh boy, can’t wait for the Israel government to sponsor some e-sports tournaments to engage in a little sportswashing. Finally, it’ll be their turn to ban all the Muslim players, as opposed to countries like the UAE who typically ban Jewish players!