Israel's Foreign Ministry shut down its hasbara efforts on Tuesday due to a lack of budget, Deputy Director-General of the Public Diplomacy Department Emanuel Nachshon told the Knesset's Hasbara Committee.
According to Nachshon, the Foreign Ministry's hasbara budget only equals 10% of what Israel invests in tourism, and the ministry ran out of funds for its Spanish hasbara this week.
The ministry has already shut down its hasbara efforts in Persian and Russian for the same reason.
The Foreign Ministry denied that the Foreign Ministry had run out of its hasbara budget, saying that on Tuesday, the two had agreed on a further NIS 100 million for that purpose.
In response to the announcement, the Civil Hasbara Headquarters called on the government not to neglect the hasbara effort and to make use of the resources it offers.
Yoseph Haddad urges the govt to find money for hasbara
"We established the headquarters a little more than a month ago, and in that short time, we have made some impressive achievements without a budget," said its head Eliav Betito. "Imagine what we could do if we had support. The important activity is done thanks to thousands of civilians who enlisted to the effort and work voluntarily around the clock. We are prepared to lead the activity and hope that Israel's government will know to use us at this critical hour."
Israeli Arab activist Yoseph Haddad, who generally works on hasbara for Israel, especially during the war, also urged the government to find ways to help the Foreign Ministry.
"I speak with many ambassadors and employees in foreign ministries around the world who are doing holy work these days without a budget or with a minimal budget and still succeed," he said. "Just think what would happen if the state would invest and give them money for this purpose!"
Opposition leader Yair Lapid took to Twitter to suggest hasbara activities that the Foreign Ministry could do without a budget including interviewing for foreign media, brief foreign reporters, make use of government members' social media, work with influencers, and finally, "stop whining and, for God's sake, start working".