The government is expected to approve at its meeting today (Sunday) a proposal to establish a new body in the Foreign Ministry under the title "Public Diplomacy Unit," two years after the outbreak of the war and due to significant criticism of Israel's public diplomacy in the face of Hamas's own publicity campaigns.
The new unit is intended to coordinate and manage Israel's image on the international stage, with the aim of improving the response to public diplomacy challenges of the current period.
According to the decision to be brought for ministers' approval, the unit will receive unique authorities, including the ability to employ civilian actors directly, such as bloggers and influencers, as well as experts in digital and social media.
The purpose of contracting these actors is to more effectively combat the spread of false information and hate speech directed at Israel in the digital sphere.
An additional clause in the decision states that the head of the unit, who will be responsible for managing the efforts, may be appointed exempt from a tender if necessary.
The Foreign Ministry currently operates a public diplomacy division that works to promote Israel's interests in global media, and the new unit is intended to significantly improve its capabilities.