[96916] Naftali Bennett harshly criticizes the state of Israeli public diplomacy in the US

Naftali Bennett harshly criticizes the state of Israeli public diplomacy

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke out very harshly today (June 23, 2026) regarding Israel's diplomatic-media situation in the international arena, and specifically in the United States. Bennett, in a series of statements published on the Turkish channel gdh, noted that "for the first time since the founding of the state, the 'Israel' brand has a clearly negative perception in the US" - a situation he defined as a "catastrophe."

Bennett did not spare criticism of the conduct of the current political echelon, and in particular Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. According to Bennett, as reported in gdh, Ben-Gvir makes "meaningless and stupid" statements with the goal of appearing strong, which forces him, in his words, "to give dozens of interviews to CNN and the BBC to try to fix the damage."

Regarding the national public diplomacy apparatus, Bennett was firm in his diagnosis: "We are the worst in the world at public diplomacy. If Israel were a PR firm, I certainly wouldn't hire us" (gdh).

Alongside the criticism of the system, Bennett emphasized the security narrative he believes in, noting that Israel is surrounded by entities seeking its destruction. According to him, as published in various media outlets including Son Dakika Haberler Gündem, if Israel does not defend itself, "these barbarians will come and slaughter all the Israelis with axes."

The reports come from Turkish media sources, which are sometimes characterized by a critical approach toward Israel's foreign policy, something reflected in the choice of Bennett's quotes that highlight the country's public diplomacy failure.