Public Diplomacy, Hasbara and the ReJEWenate Standard

Define public diplomacy, advocacy, education, propaganda, misinformation and disinformation.

Explain why ReJEWenate is a civil-society educational voice rather than an official government voice.

Apply “truth before speed,” LACE and the no-bluffing rule to simple scenarios.

Deliver a truthful 60-second ambassador introduction.

Read the Academy Core Safeguard and Ambassador Pledge in this manual.

Bring one example of a public statement about Israel that you consider persuasive and be prepared to explain why.

Complete the baseline questionnaire before class.

Public diplomacy is not a synonym for argument Public diplomacy works through relationships, explanation, cultural and civic engagement, media, education and dialogue. A person who appears only when there is a crisis and immediately starts rebutting others is doing something narrower: reactive advocacy. ReJEWenate trains ambassadors to build the conditions in which facts can be heard before a crisis and to preserve relationships after disagreement. The practical consequence is that an ambassador must be able to listen. Before answering, determine whether the audience wants a historical explanation, a moral conversation, a current-events fact check, a policy defense, or simply to be heard. The wrong answer to the wrong question can be factually correct and still be ineffective.

Advocacy is compatible with intellectual honesty An ambassador is not required to be neutral about Jewish dignity, Israel’s legitimacy as a state, antisemitism, or the safety of Jewish communities. Advocacy becomes unreliable when a desired conclusion is allowed to determine what counts as evidence. The Academy therefore separates three things: the values we openly hold, the facts we can verify, and the interpretations about which reasonable people may disagree. Discipline: State values as values; facts as facts; legal conclusions as legal conclusions; and uncertainty as uncertainty. Do not use one category to impersonate another.

“Hasbara” and external positioning Hasbara is commonly translated as “explanation,” but in public discourse the term can be heard as organized propaganda. The Academy may use the Hebrew term descriptively while externally emphasizing public diplomacy, Jewish civic advocacy, education and transparent sourcing. The answer to suspicion is not a new slogan; it is a visible method of verification, attribution and correction.

Who may speak for whom? Voice May properly say Must not imply Government / diplomatic mission Official government policy or authorized diplomatic position. That a civil-society volunteer has official authority unless formally authorized. ReJEWenate organizational voice The Academy’s approved educational position and sourced factual products. That it is a ministry, embassy, IDF unit or state agency. Jewish communal voice The position of the specific congregation or organization that has authorized the speaker. That all Jews share one political opinion. Personal voice Personal experience, values and interpretation, clearly identified as personal. That personal experience proves a general historical, military or legal claim.

LACE in a first encounter Suppose someone says, “Why should I believe any Israel advocate? You are paid to defend everything Israel does.” A weak response is to become defensive. A LACE response is: Listen for the concern — credibility and independence. Acknowledge it — “It is reasonable to ask who is speaking and on whose behalf.” Clarify — “I do not speak for the Israeli government.” Evidence — “Our program requires sources, attribution and visible correction; I can show you the source for any factual claim I make.”

Baseline conduct scenarios Scenario Correct academy response A volunteer receives an unverified dramatic video that would support Israel. Do not post it. Trace the original source and verify location/date/content first. A trainee is asked whether he works for the Government of Israel. Answer accurately. ReJEWenate is an independent civil-society program unless a separate formal authorization exists. A critic posts an insulting but non-threatening comment. Decide whether engagement has educational value. Do not retaliate, dox or mobilize harassment. A reporter asks a detailed military question outside your knowledge. State that you do not know reliably enough; refer to the media lead or verified source.

What is the practical difference between misinformation and disinformation?

Why is advocacy not automatically propaganda?

What does “truth before speed” require when a breaking claim supports your own side?

In LACE, what does Acknowledge mean?

Can an ambassador speak as an official representative of the Government of Israel merely because the ambassador supports Israel?

What should you say when you do not know an answer reliably enough?

Why can a personal story not substitute for evidence of a general claim?

Name two activities prohibited by the Core Safeguard.

Misinformation can be shared without intent to deceive; disinformation is deliberately deceptive. In both cases the ambassador verifies before amplifying.

Advocacy can openly argue for values or positions while still using accurate evidence, attribution and correction. Deception is prohibited.

Do not amplify it until it is verified. Supporting our preferred narrative does not lower the evidence standard.

Recognize the legitimate concern, emotion, uncertainty or complexity without conceding an unsupported factual claim.

No. Authority must be real and explicit.

“I do not know that reliably enough to answer. I will check the source.”

Personal experience is evidence of that experience, not automatically evidence about an entire population, war, law or historical period.

Any two of: fabrication, fake identities/sockpuppets, deceptive grassroots activity, harassment, concealed sponsorship, doxxing, private-data manipulation, false claim of official authority.

Separate a value statement from a factual statement.

Use all four LACE steps in order.

State the independence of ReJEWenate without ambiguity.

Use the no-bluffing sentence comfortably.

Treating “hasbara” as permission to defend every government decision.

Thinking confidence can compensate for weak sourcing.

Arguing before identifying the real concern.

Calling every hostile statement disinformation when it may simply be opinion or misinformation.

USC Center on Public Diplomacy, “What is Public Diplomacy?” uscpublicdiplomacy.org/page/what-is-pd

UNESCO, Journalism, “Fake News” & Disinformation resources. www.unesco.org/en/articles/new-handbook-journalism-education-andtraining-published-fight-fake-news-and-disinformation

Reuters, Journalistic Standards / Handbook. handbook.reuters.com/

ReJEWenate Manual v1.0, Parts II, V and XI: values, source hierarchy, LACE, no-bluffing and Ambassador Code of Conduct.