HASBARA: the art of deception since 1948
Hebrew term “hasbara” introduced by Nahum Sokolow, which translates roughly to “explaining”. This communicative strategy seeks to justify actions and is considered reactive and event-driven.
Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has successfully created a new illogic of its own;
👉 an illogic that has made the illegal seem legal
👉 the immoral appear moral and
👉 the undemocratic sound democratic.
As a consequence …
of its effective disinformation campaign, many Americans have come to believe that Israel is a democratic, progressive and humane state; a small but brave nation defending itself against “foreign” violence and terrorism.
Example:
“Israel has the right to defend itself” has become a political weapon to shut down any discussions or disengage from arguments – under threat of antisemitism
