There is one word in Israel’s political vocabulary that has long troubled me. It’s the term “hasbara.” In Hebrew, hasbara simply means explanation. It stems from the verb lehasbir, to explain. Yet somewhere along the way, Israel adopted this literal term as its official label for its advocacy and public diplomacy.

Whenever Israel attempts to communicate its policies, context or security concerns to the world, it categorizes the effort under the banner of hasbara. In practice, this means Israel is framing its global outreach as an ongoing exercise in explaining itself, again and again, over and over, often before it has even articulated its message.

But ask yourself: Why should a sovereign nation feel compelled to constantly explain its actions to the world? Why should Israel, uniquely among democratic states, feel the need to justify its every move?

Most countries act in their own national interest. They implement policies, pursue security strategies, and, if necessary, weather criticism. If the public disapproves, they vote for change. What they don’t do is run a perpetual global campaign to explain themselves to foreign audiences.

A sovereign nation does not owe the world an endless stream of clarifications for doing what any responsible government is obligated to do: protect its people and advance their interests. Israel can, and should, communicate, reach out and promote its values and policies with confidence.

But it must do so from a place of national self-assurance, not defensiveness. Sharing a message is not the same as explaining oneself, and Israel should never feel compelled to justify or explain its policies for its security.

While in some instances, Israel may also use hasbara as shorthand for “public diplomacy,” its actual meaning in English is not diplomacy at all. It is, as stated, an “explanation.” And “explanation” in the international arena sounds like something far worse: justification. With this single mistranslated term, Israel begins every conversation on the defensive. Instead of projecting confidence, purpose, and legitimacy, the country frames itself as needing to plead its case, often to people determined not to listen.

Effective diplomacy is not a defensive exercise. It is about telling a story, sharing values, creating genuine understanding, building alliances and strengthening ties. Hasbara, by contrast, narrows the mission to damage control and justification. It boxes Israel into a reactive posture, undermining the credibility and clarity of its messaging.

There is a practical issue as well: most supporters of Israel abroad, including Jews themselves, don’t know what hasbara means. Any term that requires explanation before communication even begins is a strategic liability. It confuses allies and hands opponents an easy weapon to mischaracterize Israel’s efforts as propaganda.

Isn’t it ironic that the very word meant to explain Israel to the world—hasbara—so often does the exact opposite? Rather than clarifying Israel’s positions, the term itself creates confusion, misunderstanding and even suspicion.

Instead of opening doors, it raises eyebrows. Instead of communicating strength, it signals defensiveness. A word whose purpose is to illuminate ends up obscuring, turning what should be clear and confident messaging into something that sounds apologetic and strained. In many ways, hasbara has become the opposite of what it claims to be.

Israel today is a global powerhouse of innovation, culture, technology and international cooperation. Israel’s story is powerful. Its achievements are remarkable. Its internal and regional strategic challenges are complex and deserve a clear, compelling explanation, not a defensive justification. Its diplomacy should reflect that modern reality. Using outdated, misunderstood terminology does not.

To change direction and truly move forward, Israel must begin by defining the problem using the right language. Words shape perception, and perception shapes policy. As long as Israel describes its global engagement in terms that imply defensiveness or justification, it will remain trapped in a framework that weakens its voice. Reframing the language is the first step toward reframing the narrative, and toward projecting the confidence and legitimacy that every sovereign nation deserves.

The term hasbara is holding Israel back and undermining its global voice. By retiring the term, Israel can step out of the linguistic corner into which it has boxed itself. It can speak the language of modern diplomacy, using words such as public diplomacy, global engagement, and outreach, and in doing so, Israel can communicate its story more clearly, more persuasively, and with far greater credibility on the world stage, with all the clarity and authority it deserves.

It is definitely high time to move beyond explanations and start shaping the narrative with clarity, confidence and purpose as a proactive and leading country on the global stage.

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