'Fighting for our values': Israel's new unapologetic Public Diplomacy campaign

Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Ministry in conjunction with the National Public Diplomacy Directorate unveiled earlier this week a new Public Diplomacy campaign aimed at leading American press, among others, The Washington Post and The Hill, the ministry announced on Wednesday. 

The campaign comes amid growing calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and negative public opinion with regard to Israel's war against Hamas. In light of this, the purpose of the campaign is to clarify to the world that Israel has no other choice but to fight to protect its citizens, the ministry said in a statement. 

The campaign features a broad white poster, on which reads in big red lettering: “If Hamas put down its weapons there would be no more war,” followed by “If Israel put down its weapons, there would be no more Israel,” in bold black letters.

It is a paraphrase of Golda Meir’s famous quote, “If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel.”

Clarifying Hamas's intentions

This is flanked by a quote from Hamas’s founding charter, equally in red, which lays bare Hamas’s intentions regarding Jews worldwide: “The Day of Judgment will not come about until Muslims fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: ‘O Muslim, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him.’”

Below it, and in stark contrast, is a quote in black letters taken from Israel’s Declaration of Independence, which states, “The State of Israel will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex.”

The campaign’s final message is encapsulated in the question it asks its readers: “What are your values? We’re fighting for ours.”