When people think of propaganda, their minds are often drawn to obvious, exclusive statements, such as those seen in authoritarian governments like Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. But the idea that propaganda always fits this specific model is entirely false, with the case point being the Israeli government’s exploitation of international relations and sentiments through its use of pink-washing and the concept of “soft power.”
Israel was able to use homonationalism to frame the conflict in Gaza as one between a morally right, modern, and Western government, such as Israel, against a backward, Eastern, morally wrong community in Gaza and the West Bank. As stated by a UW-Madison scholar, homonationalism can be described as “the collusion between LGBTQ subjects or rights discourses and nationalism.” Put simply, homonationalism is the inclusion of ideas surrounding LGBTQ rights into national discourse to frame a nation as more welcoming, even if that isn’t the case. When this strategy is employed by governments for political control, it is known as pinkwashing, which is misrepresenting a disagreement or conflict as one of a morally obvious quality or falsely leading others to believe that one corrupt government is more accepting or morally correct.
For example, Israeli tourism launched a program centered around marketing Tel Aviv as a popular queer tourist destination, framing it as the only destination safe for queer people in the Middle East. Not only is this a broad oversimplification, but it is also simply incorrect that Israel is a haven for LGBTQ rights. Israel, a nation where gay marriage is still illegal, with queer couples also having limited protections, is by no means a queer haven in a sea of backward Middle Eastern policies like the government attempts to frame it as.
A prime example of Israel’s use of soft power to sway public opinion is its voting manipulation at the international music festival, the Eurovision Song Contest. Prior to the 2024 edition, calls for the exclusion of Israel from the song contest began following reports of its response to the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 the previous year. The Israeli act that year was a young, beautiful woman singing a song about hope and perseverance in wartime.
The song, originally titled “October Rain” before Eurovision’s apolitical policy forced a change, was clearly about the Oct. 7 attacks. The lyricism painted Eden Golan, and consequently, Israel as the only victims of the ongoing conflict in the region. Combined with the obvious message that lay in the song, the government-funded Israeli Broadcasting Authority led an astroturfing campaign, showing ads in multiple languages to multiple voting countries throughout Europe and a Times Square ad.
Not only was a strong public vote spearheaded by an Israeli agency, but numerous Zionist politicians across countries such as the Netherlands and Spain added to the flame, with one Dutch politician writing, “Another year I will not watch Eurovision but vote for Israel.”
It is important to clarify that criticism of Israel should not be conflated with Jewish hate or anti-Semitic talking points. A common tactic used by Israeli officials is to conflate criticism of the government of Israel with Anti-Semitism, which should be a position that any person should steer clear of.
Israel’s soft propaganda can be seen in the current conflicts in Iran, likely enhanced due to American sentiments that Israel is the most morally good in the region, and its existence is necessary for the survival of Western values. However, don’t be fooled by the forms of propaganda being played at this point. Israel is not purely at fault for conflicts concerning Gaza and the West Bank, but they are certainly not the victim either. Through its use of soft power, Israel has been rebranded as the beacon of Western values in the Middle East, but don’t be fooled. It’s important to question the governments that you believe are morally correct, because lives are at stake. Just over two million, to be exact.
