“The Israelis seemed oblivious to the fact that they are facing major, possibly generational damage to their reputation.”
When your country has been invaded and over a thousand of your people have been murdered, do you
A. Smash Those Responsible
B. Focus on Your Reputation
America initially went with A after 9/11. And then decided to spend the next 20 years on B mode.
Israel is now understandably in A mode after spending even longer in B mode after the Oslo Accords. This is understandable to anyone who is a normal human being and therefore unemployable at the State Dept.
Assistant Secretary of State Bill Russo, overseeing global public affairs in the State Department, told Israeli foreign ministry officials in a call on March 13 that both the U.S. and Israel face a “major credibility problem” as a result of the “unpopular” Israeli military offensive in Gaza.
“The Israelis seemed oblivious to the fact that they are facing major, possibly generational damage to their reputation not just in the region but elsewhere in the world,” the memo says. “We are concerned that the Israelis are missing the forest for the trees and are making a major strategic error in writing off their reputation damage.”
The Israelis are too busy trying to win a war to worry about “reputation damage” since everything Israel does, beginning with merely existing, inflicts “reputation damage” since much of the Left and Islam spend much of their time launching every possible smear at Israel.
Israel was being accused of genocide even before Oct 7 for not letting Hamas invade Israel to kill Jews. Fighting back against Hamas is definitely genocide. Anything short of Jewish genocide is… genocide.
Israel is not going to win a “reputation” game, it can however rebuild its reputation of being too dangerous to attack. That’s worth a whole lot more in the Middle East than trying to win friends and influence enemies with territorial concessions and appeasement.
There are lessons here for America that the State Department is eager that we never ever learn.
tgusa says
Washington DC seems clueless to the generational damage to their reputation. But hey, they will just ignore it and attack Israel. Yes, a clueless lot they are.
King Lee says
In my honest opinion, Hamas needs to be obliterated! Period! Any structure they’re hiding in, needs to be leveled! Israel has played nice for a very long time, and now they’ve unleashed still only a fraction of their military capabilities, and because it’s Israel everyone wants to cry! You never hear about the Muslims murdering Christians in Africa, and the thousands dead at the hands of ISIS, and other Islamic groups! I stand with Israel!
maria says
Hamas and the Gazans must be oblitaretd
Rick Smith says
From what I’ve seen of the Palis, they all hate Jews…the vast majority support Hamas, so where are the so-called innocent civilians that we’re supposed to be saving?
Israel should go after Hamas and if some of their supporters die in the process…nobody give’s a deuce, certainly not the Muslims (or they’d take the Palis in their countries)…they’re only mad about Israel defending itself.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Is this State Department really concerned about Israel, be it its existence or its reputation, or is it more concerned w/ preserving the disparate coalition behind its ruling political establishment? Jews stupidly believed that they could back the same party as the muslims, but have finally come to the point where the party has to alienate one or the other! Only reason the State Department wants a ceasefire is so that the Dems can hold on to both their jihadist support as well as their Jewish support
However, Israel, unlike the US, is not interested in interfering in our elections
Bruce D Watt says
the Koran says to kill jews, that is the command from their g-d. from the top troglodyte down to the mini hamasters believes they will go to h-ll or be killed for disobeying the prophet they cannot alter the rules or die, what can change that belief system. ISOLATE THEM or kill them.
Jeffrey Fixler says
There are 14 million Jews in the world. Compare that with around 1.5 billion Muslims. There are 49 some odd majority Muslim nations , and some of those Muslim majority nations have fabulous wealth due to the geologic accident of sitting on large deposits of fossil fuels. And some of that fabulous wealth is used to influence , if not outright buy, the allegiance of many of those in the West. Israel is not going to win the PR war, but as Hugh points out, Israel must make the price of attacking it so high that those wishing to do so will consider , and re-consider, and consider again.
libertyORdeath says
How has the strategy of using kids’ gloves on terrorists worked out in the past 50 years?
We’ve been hearing about how we should just give in to the terrorists because if we don’t, we’ll just piss off the local Muslims and create more terrorists for decades now.
What do we get out of this misguided strategy?
Over 45,000 Terror Attacks since 9/11
Nonstop terrorism in Israel
international terrorist groups in charge of Gaza and the West Bank
20 years and TRILLIONS lost in Afghanistan
Tens of BILLIONS in weapons and equipment surrendered to the terrorists
THOUSANDS of jihadi terrorist groups.
The Taliban back in charge of Afghanistan
Thousands of dead Americans
MILLIONS of illegal Muslim migrant invaders
Maybe it’s time to start trying to DESTROY the terrorists instead of coddling them and their supporters? Maybe if they were AFRAID of us instead of angry, there’d be fewer terrorists?
Did everyone forget the first rule of dealing with terrorists?
You DON’T negotiate with terrorists.
You KILL them.
ALL of them.
And anyone standing in the way.
Ray Jarman says
When Daniel Greenfield writes, “Israel was being accused of genocide even before Oct 7 for not letting Hamas invade Israel to kill Jews. Fighting back against Hamas is definitely genocide. Anything short of Jewish genocide is… genocide,” he hits the nail on the head. Since the day that the last English soldier boarded the ship home, the Muslim states have endeavored to annihilate this small three thousand plus years old piece of land of the Jews. If Israel wanted to destroy the people of Gaza, they could have and would have by now. Only one small nuclear bomb would have destroyed more than eighty percent of the population but they have not.
I also hope that if former president Trump becomes President Trump removes our ships and planes from Doha and lets them defend themselves from their friends and Al Jazeera can televise the destruction of Qatar.
SJ says
Didn’t you hear? Biden already signed up for our forces in enemy Qatar, and yes I hope Trump, if elected will get out of that and get Qatar out of the U.S. with the rest of the 1.5 million Muslims that Obama brought in, and the rest that Biden brought in. They do not belong in a Western nation.
Ray Jarman says
Thanks and I agree.
SC says
The USA fucked up on both counts Iraq was a Bush family personal vendetta againsat Saddam Hussein. Our guys then spent 20 more years throwing lives away in Afghanistan. They were legally and tactically castrated at every move by the same, too old to fight, people who never do anything but talk and sit on their asses in congress betraying the trust of everyone that elected them and all those that were dying on their behalf. As for the US’s reputation biden and his felons, faggots and freaks have done more damage in 3 years than anyone else since pearl harbor.
At least Israel is eliminating their threat permanently.and not prosecuting their real heroes, those guys putting their lives on the line, eliminating the threat. Frankly as long as they dont rape children or 90 year old grannies everything else is a propaganda war. Most important Blue helmets are not Israels friends and never will be.
Viv Taylor says
You chose the right option. Option A is the right option for the simple reason that there is no other option. Option B does not come into play if you’re obliterated by genocidal Hamas and their Palestinian/Gaza supporters.
Goofy says
Please don’t underestimate the value of the opinions expressed by the Biden administration.
As long as you do the opposite you should be just fine!
Legally speaking it is doubtful that the US can be considered to be a sovereign nation as the first requirement is that you exercise your sovereignty. The US certainly doesn’t as it’s southern border is deliberately wide open.
On top of that the US apparently has no clue who participates in presidential elections, alive or dead, citizens or illegals. Having said that the US can still boast of having a consistent administration, as it is consistently wrong in all what it is doing!
Gamaliel says
No matter what Israel does it will hurt its reputation because the world is full of people (especially leftists and Muslims) out to destroy Israel’s reputation.
James Lincoln says
Gamaliel,
So, I guess you’re saying that Israel will be hated no matter what they do.
Ergo, they should finish the job.
Eric says
It’s more likely they’re “writing off” the State Department.
Rick Gordon says
To the U.S. State Department ……. they should look in the mirror regarding generational reputational damage.
Karl says
Do I understand that they shouldn’t depreciatie, but appreciate? Revalue instead of revalue?