When Israel is criticized about its rights-abusive policies
in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the refrain most often heard among
local politicians is that the government’s hasbara—the
Israeli propaganda machine—is inadequate. The problem, in other words,
is not what Israel actually does to the Palestinians, but rather the
inability to get its positive message across to the international
community. This is usually referred to as “rebranding Israel”. The underlying assumption here is that the merchandise is fine, and only the packaging needs to be replaced.
in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the refrain most often heard among
local politicians is that the government’s hasbara—the
Israeli propaganda machine—is inadequate. The problem, in other words,
is not what Israel actually does to the Palestinians, but rather the
inability to get its positive message across to the international
community. This is usually referred to as “rebranding Israel”. The underlying assumption here is that the merchandise is fine, and only the packaging needs to be replaced.
Rachel Krys’ recent argument
is based on a similar logic, even though she is writing about a
different issue. She tells us that most people in the UK do not support
human rights, while arguing that this is happening because human rights
are presented in a way that is disconnected from people’s everyday
lives. She claims that if the public would hear less “negative
discourse” about human rights and more “stories about old people
challenging bad treatment, invasive decisions or the intrusion into
their private and family life”, support for human rights would be much
wider. Once again the problem with human rights has to do with
perceptions, and the solution, here as well, is hasbara.
Theis based on a similar logic, even though she is writing about a
different issue. She tells us that most people in the UK do not support
human rights, while arguing that this is happening because human rights
are presented in a way that is disconnected from people’s everyday
lives. She claims that if the public would hear less “negative
discourse” about human rights and more “stories about old people
challenging bad treatment, invasive decisions or the intrusion into
their private and family life”, support for human rights would be much
wider. Once again the problem with human rights has to do with
perceptions, and the solution, here as well, is hasbara.
relationship between representation and reality is, however, much more
complex. It has to do with human rights themselves: the way they have
been institutionalized, the political projects to which they lend
themselves, their intricate connections to the state, and the
alternative discourses of justice they omit and repress.
