Ministry of Strategic Affairs (Israel)

	Hebrew המשרד לנושאים אסטרטגיים והסברה; English Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy
Consist	since 2006
Authority management	Orit Farkash-Hacohen

The Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Hasbara ( Hebrew המשרד לנושאים אסטרטגיים והסברה; haMisrad leNos'im Estrategi'im weHasbara ) is a ministry in Israel. It was formed in 2006 following the subsequent entry of the Jisra'el Beitenu party into the coalition government led by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert , was temporarily shut down from 2008 to 2009 and was expanded significantly from 2015.

The focus of the current area of responsibility under Minister Gilad Erdan is the international fight against the pro-Palestinian initiative Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS). It works in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice as well as in partnership with pro-Israeli organizations worldwide using open and hidden methods against organizations and individuals who call for protest measures against Israel's policy towards the Palestinians.

List of ministers

minister	Political party	government	Term of office
Avigdor Lieberman	Jisra'el Beitenu	31.	Oct 30, 2006 - Jan 18, 2008
Ehud Olmert	Kadima	31.	Jan 18, 2008 - Apr 13, 2008
Moshe Jaalon	Likud	32.	March 31, 2009 - March 18, 2013
Juval Steinitz	Likud	33.	March 18, 2013 - May 14, 2015
Ze'ev Elkin	Likud	34.	May 14, 2015 - May 25, 2015
Gilad Erdan	Likud	34.	May 25, 2015 - May 17, 2020
Orit Farkash-Hacohen	Chosen LeJisra'el	35.	May 17, 2020 - acting

Controversy

In October 2018, the ministry pointed out that a US student with Palestinian roots should be banned from entering Israel because she had led a BDS group at her former university. The case of Lara Alqasem, who was subsequently detained at Tel Aviv airport despite a valid entry visa, subsequently sparked controversial discussions within Israel and internationally. After both the Hebrew University of Jerusalem , at which Alqasem had been accepted for a master’s degree, and various politicians and human rights organizations publicly opposed the entry ban, the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the student and against the Israeli government. Minister Erdan regretted the verdict as a "great victory for BDS".

literature

Nachman Shai: Hearts and Minds: Israel and the Battle for Public Opinion. State University of New York Press, Albany 2018, ISBN 9781438469058 , especially Chapter 15 “Countering the BDS Movement” (English)

Web links

Uri Blau: Inside the Clandestine World of Israel's "BDS-busting" Ministry. In: Haaretz from March 26, 2017 (English)
Benjamin Weinthal: Israel's anti-BDS "Start-up" Ministry. In: Jerusalem Post of May 27, 2017 (English)
Ulrich Schmid: Why a 22-year-old student poses a threat to Israel. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung from October 18, 2018
David Horovitz: BDS is a dirty business. Those who battle it on Israel's behalf must stay clean. In: The Times of Israel of June 17, 2018 (English)

Individual evidence

↑ Joseph Croitoru: Israel Refuses Entry: Under Suspicion. In: FAZ.net from October 11, 2018
↑ Alexandra Föderl-Schmid: Profile: Lara Alqasem. In: Süddeutsche.de of October 14, 2018
↑ Noa Landau and Jonathan Lis: Israel's Supreme Court Grants Lara Alqasem's Appeal; She Will Be Allowed to Enter the Country. In: Haaretz.com from October 19, 2018 (English)

[1] Joseph Croitoru: Israel Refuses Entry: Under Suspicion. In: FAZ.net from October 11, 2018

[2] Alexandra Föderl-Schmid: Profile: Lara Alqasem. In: Süddeutsche.de of October 14, 2018

[3] Noa Landau and Jonathan Lis: Israel's Supreme Court Grants Lara Alqasem's Appeal; She Will Be Allowed to Enter the Country. In: Haaretz.com from October 19, 2018 (English)