bluewhiteENOperation Protective Edge is the third large scale operation that Israel has undertaken since the disengagement from Gaza in 2005 in an effort to strengthen deterrence and restore quiet to the communities in southern Israel and the cities to their north. The images fixed in the minds of millions around the world are the difficult pictures from the fighting in Gaza – in the vast majority of cases, in harsh and biased coverage. Thus while in the short run relative peace and quiet may be obtained, in the long run, for every such round of fighting, Israel pays a much heavier price in public opinion and in erosion of support for its positions in the negotiations with the Palestinians. Consequently, this is not merely a problem of public relations. The struggle is not over Israel’s image alone, but over the very essence of the Israeli narrative, and hence, Israel’s future and security as well.
