Where We Do Fail in Hasbara Public Diplomacy

My good friend Michael Freund at Pundicity deals with Hasbara (croos-posted at the Jerusalem Post), analyzes it well and makes a 'heretical' point:

...if the mainstream media is so profoundly against us, then why are we doing so well in the arena of American public opinion? If the image being conveyed of Israel is so consistently negative, then why do people there seem to like us so much?...the fact remains that we must be doing something right in how we explain ourselves if our public standing in America is so strong and resilient.
 

True.

However, the really injurious damage to Israel - its image, its standing, its security, its polices - that is done by the media is within that element of America's, as well as Europe's, population (and the problem in Spanish-speaking countries, whether Spain or South Anmerica is also bad) that more than any other are already in, or preparing to enter, the corridors of public service and the academic world, as well as to the media.

These are overwhelmingly liberal/progressive, still, and they refill the anti-Israel trenches.  They are not convinced by the turth for they have their personal, cultural and ideological issues with Israel, with Zionism and with Jews and Judaism.  They are naturally sympathetic to ther Arab/Islamic cause and, from my four-decades long experience, refuse to believe the truth, ignore the facts, extend no empathy to Israel and this group is not only strengthened but even emboldened by the media to rathc up the public diplomacy war against Israel.

And that is why any failings on our part is important to be corrected, sooner than later.

For the future.

^