Now that Israel is in Gaza and surrounds Gaza City, little news is being publicized to keep plans secret and save lives. Israel has made a point of showing how it protects Gazans fleeing southward and that Italian and other floating and field hospitals will soon be in place, allowing the world to realize that this makes it possible to empty existng Gaza hospitals of real patients so the Hamas operatives underneath them can be dealt with.
In 1976, Yoni Netanyahu played a crucial role in a covert operation to free hostages in Entebbe, Uganda. Any leak could have jeopardized the mission, underlining the importance of information control in both war and peace.
What stunned me at the beginning of the war against Hamas isn't what was shared on social media or how outlets like Al Jazeera sidestep censorship—it was the Israeli government's own disclosures. For instance, on October 23-24, officials announced the relocation of 60,000 evacuees to Eilat, detailing plans for a 25-acre “tent city.” The Mayor of Eilat was vocal about this, and the municipality even released satellite images and coordinates. The very next day, Hamas targeted Eilat with missiles for the first time.
No one was hurt, but the matter raises critical questions. We've already underestimated Hamas, as seen in the October 7th intelligence failure. Can we confidently say that they—or other groups like the Iran-backed Houthis—lack the capability to strike a large, well-publicized 25-acre target? Meanwhile, Ramat Gan, located much closer to Gaza, also has its own publicized tent city. A missile there recently bypassed the Iron Dome and struck a building. Thankfully, the family was safe in a secure room. Whereas, any Bedouin could tell you that tents make poor bomb shelters.
Additional public disclosures by the Israeli government have raised concerns about endangering not just local citizens, but Jewish communities worldwide. For instance, videos depicting the horrors of Hamas's October 7 massacre were presented to foreign journalists and partially released to the public with other less macabre footage. While the intent was to counter denials of the massacre and showcase the brutality of Hamas, especially since Hamas publicized them itself at first, this was a double edged sword.
Such transparency comes at a cost. Since the October 7 events, Hamas has been elevated as a symbol for group terrorism. Every single video is exploited by Jihadists and Neo-Nazis for propaganda, recruitment, and fundraising. Meanwhile, anti-Semitic attacks are increasing globally, and the risks are no longer confined to isolated acts of violence by lone gunmen. Hamas made group terror the new standard for anti-Jewish violence. Does it encourage Hamas and its sympathizers to release additional videos of their “successes” on network television?
There have been several other questionable media revelations.
Public Statements by a Released Hostage: Allowing 85-year-old Israeli hostage Yocheved Lifshitz to speak to the media after her release by Hamas was puzzling. It seems she disobeyed government diectives to remain silent. To Hamas’s delight, she praised the care she received while captive and expressed her gratitude. While no one believed her, since her husband is still captive, perhaps less effusive praise, might have encouraged Hamas to release additional hostages to garner sympathetic press coverage.
Recorded Conversations: The IDF's disclosure of audio recordings—featuring Hamas operatives discussing a stray missile from Islamic Jihad that damaged part of the Al-Ahli Hospital—confirmed Israel's ability to eavesdrop on enemy communications. While this may seem like a minor revelation, it can encourage extremist groups to plant disinformation, creating ambushes and traps for Israeli forces. (IDF Intelligence, however, can probably spot that.)
Gaza Relocation Plans: The leaked report advocating the “relocation and final settlement of the entire Gaza population” to northern Egypt's Sinai Peninsula drew widespread criticism and Egypt's categorical refusal.. Even typically pro-Israel voices in the Saudi press, who have been critical of Hamas and Hezbollah, criticized the plan. The leak angered Muslims globally, leading to cries of a “Second Nakba.” Since then, international pressure on Israel to curb its military actions in Gaza has increased. Morally and militarily, the plan offers advantages: it risks fewer IDF soldiers' lives, grants them greater freedom of movement, and minimizes collateral deaths among Gaza’s non-combatants. However, introducing such a transformative idea requires careful public groundwork; it cannot be dropped on the public abruptly without due consideration and explanation. Egypt's refusal, however, highlighted the fact that no one wants the Gazans and caused Christian Lebaneser refugess to explain why.
Western Media Biases: Many have criticized Western journalism for its ‘both-sides-ism,’ which emphasizes contrary perspectives over digging for truth. Israeli authorities have been astute in using this to their advantage, releasing information designed to appeal to Western media sensibilities. The result is that images of Gazans in tents are paired with images of Israelis in tents. On CNN, footage of destroyed Gazan buildings alternates with footage of destroyed Kibbutzim or damage from Hamas rocket attacks, and so forth. Israel protecting Gazans fleeing south versus Hamas shooting at them.
International optics are critical for Israel, but world opinion is far less important than domestic security. As Golda Meir put it, “If we have to have a choice between being dead and pitied, and being alive with a bad image, we'd rather be alive and have the bad image.”
The Day After Hamas: As Israelis grapple with an existential conflict with Hamas, a pivot in media strategy is non-negotiable. Unfortunately, the West's fixation on a two-state solution glosses over the Palestinian Arab population's deep-seated objections; the Messiah will come before the EU or US ever admits that imposing a solution unwanted by a Palestinian Arab populace has been a remarkable display of colonial arrogance. But the State of Israel must look to its own health above all.
Government spokespersons must think beyond short-term media wins to address larger issues—protecting Israelis both now and in the foreseeable future, especially after Hamas is defeated, to ensure that events like those on October 7th never recur.
The first step is clear: the world must understand that coexistence with Gaza’s population, even post-Hamas, is unattainable. This task is made easier by the recent surge in violent worldwide Palestinian Arab solidarity rallies and riots. It will go on, and it will get worse. We need only point and say, ‘this is what exists in Gaza.’
Despite other shortcomings, Netanyahu remains a master at articulating Israel's position to the West and his responsibility is to maintain international backing, as much as possible, while laying the groundwork for a different future. With between 30,000 and 40,000 Hamas terrorists fighting (or hiding) in Gaza, this is likely to be a protracted conflict. It may expand to the north, where 100,000 Hizbullah fighters await with 150,000 rockets. An uprising may rise among 'West Bank' Palestinian Arabs. Major General (ret.) Yitzchak Brik estimated they possess some 400,000 guns.
The days ahead will be difficult, and messaging will certainly be critical to our success. But whatever the world says and does, let’s not forget that State of Israel was created to protect Am Yisrael. That’s the most important message. Period.
Rabbi Yehuda Hausman, a native of Los Angeles, is an educator and writer. He has taught at the Academy of Jewish Religion California, American Jewish University, and the Melton School of Jewish Learning. He writes about healthcare policy and technology and is the author of “Against History,” a book exploring the Bible’s attitude toward the past.