Editor's Notes: How Daniel Hagari can win the narrative war for the IDF - comment

One of the stars of the Israel-Hamas War is no doubt Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari, the IDF Spokesperson, who heads the Spokesperson’s Unit, which includes hundreds of soldiers, officers and reservists specializing in media relations.

Hagari became a celebrity within the first few days of the war, since every day, and at times more than once daily, he was the only Israeli official updating the public about what was happening post-October 7. Articulate and intelligent, he has worked very well with his unit’s reservists on his public appearances, many of whom are in senior roles in Israeli society. 

“Israelis are increasingly yearning for a leader,” Lilac Sigan, a columnist for Maariv, wrote a few months ago, mentioning Hagari. “They seek someone strong yet imperfect, authentic and selfless, reliable, and embodying the best Israeli ethos, someone who cares for everyone. Describing this as un-feminist might be controversial, but it aligns with reality: Israel in winter 2023 is in search of a father figure.

“Given this sentiment, the collective adoration for the IDF spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari isn’t surprising,” she said. “A television and social media star, a special love video for him circulated on WhatsApp this week. The depth of existential anxiety mirrors the magnitude of affection for figures like him, who fill the void with regality and humanity. He has earned trust across the board in a world accustomed to spin cynicism. He isn’t chasing hollow TikTok fame but delivers professional information reminiscent of yesteryear’s heroes,” she wrote.

Out of about 450 soldiers and officers in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, only a few dozen of them are dedicated to working with the international media. This isn’t a new phenomenon; the unit has always preferred giving scoops and the best briefings to the Israeli media without understanding the ramifications of ignoring the international media in a more organized and proactive way.

Who is telling the IDF's narrative to the world?

THAT SAID, Hagari is the first spokesperson in the past few decades, if ever, to regularly speak to the international media. None of the previous spokespeople over this time period have run press conferences for the global media, but Hagari did so daily during the war. English isn’t his mother tongue, though he still successfully got the message across efficiently and concisely. He also successfully managed several massive international crises almost by himself, such as when Hamas falsely claimed that the IDF shot a missile at a hospital in Gaza.

It’s not only an issue of the number of soldiers in the IDF spokesperson’s unit; it’s the fact that there isn’t enough of a priority for telling the military’s narrative to the world. In its current situation, the IDF cannot cater to vast media outlets worldwide in hundreds of languages. 

Not every country is as important as some are, but strategic thought needs to be put into this process. For instance, a small country like Albania, which was a part of the UN Security Council until recently, should have received special treatment and even a proactive approach from the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. The Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, hasn’t made this issue a central focus for the IDF, and it is harming Israel in the international arena.

It is important to note that the Spokesperson’s Unit is the only real and functioning entity working with the media in Israel. The Prime Minister’s Office took a long time to get its act together. It wasn’t able to get to all of the requests for information, and other official ministries or entities tasked with advocating for Israel internationally barely functioned at the start of the war.

Gaza's tunnels and hungry children

ANOTHER THING that the Spokesperson’s Unit should do is show war footage that is at least equally as dramatic as that of Hamas. The genocidal terrorist group, as well as foreign media, has regularly been publishing horrifying photos and footage of injured or killed Gazan children and women. 

While the world is sympathizing with the children of Gaza, the IDF proudly shows the world the tunnels where the heads of Hamas lived and operated. How can you compare a photo of a hungry child in Gaza to a tunnel? 

Hamas is winning the narrative over the legitimacy of this war – even though they are the terrorist organization that slaughtered more than 1,200 people and kidnapped hundreds on October 7. Israel needs to show more and more footage from that horrific massacre. The footage is still being processed, but the IDF learns about different elements of this bloody day every day. The IDF needs to release these images actively.

After failing to predict the October 7 massacre, the IDF intelligence units should show their strength and release information about Hamas and their activities, as well as their ideology. President Isaac Herzog tends to show different objects that the IDF found in Gazan houses, such as Adolf Hitler’s books in Arabic, but why isn’t the IDF systematically doing this every other day? Why won’t they release recordings and reports showing the magnitude of evil these monsters demonstrated? 

They should responsibly leak information to international news outlets with influence that support our just narrative. The IDF has such impressive intelligence and espionage, so why not show short clips that demonstrate it while exposing this horrific enemy?

Work with pro-Israel news outlets with an international audience: The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit is very focused on Israeli media but hasn’t devoted enough of its resources to the global media. It should start with pro-Israel media groups such as Welt and Bild in Germany, who have been supportive of Israel but had difficulty getting information from the IDF when they needed it. The unit should utilize news sites such as The Jerusalem Post not just to promote “fluff” stories but to release essential information in a monitored way.

It’s not too late. The IDF must get its act together and invest several times the amount of energy and resources in the international media than it has been. Only the IDF, as well as the Shin Bet and the Mossad, can responsibly shift public opinion around the world about Israel during this historic and sensitive period. 

Hagari, you can do it. We’re counting on you.