In the aftermath of the Hamas terror organization's attack on Simchat Torah, Chairman of the Public Diplomacy Caucus Member of Knesset Dan Illouz held an emergency discussion to connect civil initiatives in advocacy to government officials. The event was attended by Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli, as well as dozens of entrepreneurs, leaders of organizations, public opinion leaders, and influencers who have been involved in public relations efforts since the Swords of Iron war broke. Member of Knesset Dan Illouz said: 'The forefront of advocacy is crucial to give the IDF the necessary moral strength to win the war and defeat Hamas. The Israeli government must recognize and support civil initiatives that have emerged from the field. The atrocities committed by Hamas are among the worst ever seen, and the international community stands by our side, largely thanks to civilians leading an uncompromising battle for the truth and Israel's narrative on social media. We cannot back down'. Related articles: 'Open your borders to Gazans – or expose your hypocrisy' Diplomatic incident at Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly Jerusalem's protests reach Knesset Committee to discuss bill on Jerusalem envelope sovereignty Head of EXPLAIN ISRAEL, Eliav Batito, said: 'The State of Israel needs to understand that there is an urgent need for a civil explanation body to operate in parallel to the national explanation apparatus, not in its place. We have the tools and capabilities to convey messages much faster and to convey messages that the government cannot convey on its own in such issues and others. It took the IDF and the government a long time to respond to the incident at the Gaza hospital due to the need for fact-checking. We, as a civil body, are authorized to expedite the same verification process and release the details even when we are 99% sure and not 100%. Therefore, this time is critical and important. In this field, we cannot afford to wait hours to verify all the details, and Hamas, as a terrorist organization, exploits this to our detriment. As long as we continue the explanatory dispute with a terrorist organization against a state, we will lose. Therefore, we need to act against them with the good minds that the country has to offer in civil organizations'. Senia Waldberg, marketing expert and one of the founders of the Civil Information Corps: 'The State of Israel must start building a long-term strategy for advocacy, because advocacy has become a life-saving weapon for many Israelis and Jews. We are here to change what has been happening so far, and to give the IDF the tools it requires forever, with minimal casualties'.
