Israel Battles Global Backlash Over Gaza

Thursday, 29 May 2025 | Graphic images from Gaza continue to dominate international media coverage, triggering growing condemnation of Israel. France is spearheading an international summit aimed at advancing a two-state solution, while Chilean President Gabriel Boric has recalled his country's military attachés from Israel—raising concerns among diplomatic sources that a full severance of ties may follow. 

Amid this diplomatic fallout, Israel’s public diplomacy efforts face growing strain. The Foreign Ministry, working with a delayed and partial budget, is attempting to counter the wave of criticism. “We’ve never operated on this scale,” officials said. “We’ll present the truth about Israel at every opportunity and in every possible way.” 

Budget Delays Stall Public Diplomacy Push 

In November 2024, following Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s entry into the coalition, the government unanimously approved a NIS 545 million (US $146 million) budget increase for global public diplomacy efforts for 2025. The move was part of a political agreement making Sa’ar responsible for international messaging, with a significantly expanded budget to match. 

But according to information obtained by Ynet, the funds only began reaching the Foreign Ministry about a month ago. As a result, only NIS 60 million (US $16 million) of the NIS 532 million (US $143 million) allocated for diplomatic campaigns has been used so far. The Ministry’s public diplomacy department had previously operated with a yearly budget of just NIS 28 million (US $7.5 million), underscoring the importance of the promised funding. 

‘A War Against the Tide, Qatari Money and Global Public Opinion’ 

“After nearly 600 days of war, the global public is tired and wants it to end,” diplomatic sources said. “Foreign media are broadcasting images far more graphic than what’s shown in Israeli outlets. Against that backdrop, the Foreign Ministry is pushing hard on traditional and social media to emphasize the need to return the hostages and eliminate Hamas.” 

“This is a war against the tide—against anti-Israel sentiment among the Muslim public, Qatari-funded campaigns, outspoken celebrities and international media narratives,” the sources continued. 

“There are no magic solutions. Many self-proclaimed PR experts don’t understand how the world operates. The Foreign Ministry is carrying out an unprecedented level of communications activity and we’ll keep going until the hostages are back and the war ends.” 

According to the ministry, operations shifted into high gear in early 2025. Over the past week alone, Foreign Ministry officials have given more than 130 interviews to international media. Since the beginning of the year, the ministry has held over 25 briefings and press conferences for foreign outlets—compared to just four throughout all of 2024 and none in 2023. 

In the digital front, the ministry has launched around 20 campaigns and produced over 300 videos, resulting in more than 500 million impressions. It also plans to host hundreds of delegations in Israel in the coming months, including key opinion leaders, influencers and public figures. 

Global Response: Criticism and Crackdowns 

Among the recent high-profile interviews, Israel’s ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor pushed back against criticism from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on ZDF, Germany’s public broadcaster. Prosor said Merz’s comments were noted in Jerusalem and warned against rewarding Hamas for its massacre. 

He called for the destruction of Hamas and its infrastructure to enable “a different future” for Gaza, stressing the challenges of delivering aid while fighting terrorism. Prosor noted that Hamas has turned schools into weapons depots, mosques into military bases and hospitals into command centers. 

Hungary, meanwhile, announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing the court’s “politicization” and “anti-Israel bias.” Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó made the announcement during an anti-antisemitism summit in Jerusalem, saying, “Hungary has no place in a court that’s become a political tool.” 

He also criticized the EU’s immigration policy, noting Hungary pays €1 million [US $1.27 million] per day in penalties for refusing to participate. “But that’s why Hungary is a safe place for Jews and not fertile ground for antisemitism,” he said. The Hungarian parliament had already approved the withdrawal last week. 

France and Chile Take Divergent Diplomatic Steps 

While Hungary aligns with Israel, France is moving in the opposite direction. In coordination with Saudi Arabia, it is organizing an international summit in New York from June 17 to 20, 2025, aimed at advancing the two-state solution. 

The summit stems from UN General Assembly Resolution 79/81 and will focus on four core goals: recognition of a Palestinian state, regional normalization with Israel, Palestinian Authority reforms and the full disarmament and exclusion of Hamas from governance. 

In Latin America, Chile has escalated tensions by recalling its remaining military attachés from Israel. One had already returned months ago for what officials described as “technical reasons,” and the remaining two have now been withdrawn. 

President Boric is expected to address the nation this Sunday and diplomatic sources say there’s a strong chance he’ll announce a full diplomatic break with Israel. This follows Boric’s October 31, 2023 decision to recall Chile’s ambassador—three weeks after the October 7 massacre. 

UAE Rebuke Over Jerusalem 

In another setback, the United Arab Emirates summoned Israel’s Ambassador Yossi Shelley for a formal reprimand. The Emirati Foreign Ministry condemned what it described as “disgraceful and offensive practices” against Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and in the Old City of Jerusalem.

The Ministry called these actions “arbitrary provocations and severe incitement against Muslims,” and accused Israel of violating the sanctity of the city. The UAE demanded that Israel take full responsibility, denounce the actions, punish those involved—including ministers and officials—and take immediate steps to prevent the use of Jerusalem for violence.