It certainly doesn’t happen often, but on the question of humanitarian aid in Gaza, it appears that Israel has blinked.
Israel’s leaders have made their indifference to public relations clear for most of the modern Jewish state’s existence. They have consistently argued strongly, almost defiantly, that the existential threats they face simply do not permit them to devote much time or attention to the way other countries regard them.
After receiving a brief (but far from unanimous) expression of support immediately following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, Israel has spent most of the last 22 months simultaneously fighting terrorists in Gaza and condemnation around the world. Hamas’ leaders have skillfully displayed photos and videos of civilians – often women, children and the elderly – suffering the ravages of war. But pictures are unable to provide context, so the overwhelming majority of the international audience was only occasionally reminded of the reason that the Israeli military was in Gaza in the first place.
There were no visual images of the more than 250 hostages who had been kidnapped and assaulted, so their plight received only sporadic attention from foreign media. Because Israel’s government is as unsuccessful at mass communications as its military is effective at waging war, two predictable trends soon emerged. Israeli soldiers gradually achieved notable success in their battles against Hamas at the same time that public opinion gradually turned against the Israeli people throughout much of the rest of the world.
A short-lived ceasefire and Israel’s successful strikes against Hezbollah and Iran temporarily shifted the focus away from Gaza, but global attention has returned in recent weeks to the Palestinians caught in the middle of a war seemingly without end.
But once again, the reason the war has continued is too often lost in the international indignation over the plight of those surrounded by the ongoing fighting. Just as there is no visual evidence of the few dozen remaining hostages circulating on social media, the Hamas negotiators who refuse to negotiate are not particularly photogenic either. The result is worldwide horror at the outcome but not the cause.
I do not possess the vocabulary to describe how far off the world’s radar the Israeli hostages have slipped, so perhaps this alarming trend can be more effectively summarized by data. According to a recent poll by the Boundless Israel advocacy organization (https://boundlessisrael.org/polling-insights/israel-at-war-with-hamas), more than 40% of Americans are not aware that Israeli hostages are still being held in Gaza. Those numbers become even more unsettling when they are broken down by age: more than half of young people (ages 18-34) in this country said that they did not know that those abducted almost two years ago still remain in captivity.
If someone who sees pictures of malnourished children is ignorant as to the reason for their hunger, it should be no surprise that they lay blame on the nearest and most convenient target. Since Israeli hostages and Hamas terrorists are largely out of sight, they are also out of mind. Not surprisingly, those misguided conclusions lead to equally scathing condemnations. The Boundless Israel poll also showed that large majorities of U.S. respondents believe that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Even after offering several arguments as to why the charge is invalid, more than half of Americans still accept the genocide charge. The numbers are more worrisome among 18-34 year olds, who were even more likely to accept the allegation, and still higher than that among young minorities and self-described liberal respondents.
If someone who sees pictures of malnourished children is ignorant as to the reason for their hunger, it should be no surprise that they lay blame on the nearest and most convenient target.
Faced with growing and scathing criticism from almost every corner of the planet, Israel’s leaders recently and belatedly recognized that public opinion is a goal worth at least some of their attention. Benjamin Netanyahu hurriedly announced a series of humanitarian relief efforts that will delay final military victory for his country but will also protect his people from pariah status. His decision temporarily saved the lives of Hamas terrorists, but it also rescued Palestinian children from starvation.
Israel may have blinked, but it also provided us with an important reminder: the battle for hearts and minds matters too.
Dan Schnur is the U.S. Politics Editor for the Jewish Journal. He teaches courses in politics, communications, and leadership at UC Berkeley, USC and Pepperdine. He hosts the monthly webinar “The Dan Schnur Political Report” for the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall. Follow Dan’s work at www.danschnurpolitics.com.
