David Halbfinger

Jerusalem bureau chief for The New York Times.

[David Halbfinger @halbfinger]

Heck of a scoop from @natan_oden and @adamrasgon on the behind-the-scenes efforts of a top U.S. embassy official in Jerusalem to paint Netanyahu in a positive light, even at the expense of President Trump's policies.

https://t.co/UgkB6Kpjmj

[Danny (Dennis) Citrinowicz ,داني سيترينوفيتش @citrinowicz]

Israel's problem is not primarily one of influence. It is a problem of strategy.

No new public-diplomacy operation, influence unit or communications campaign — whether Bennett calls it "Unit 8300" or "Unit 83000" — can solve the fundamental challenge Israel faces in Washington and across the West.

For years, Israeli leaders have increasingly treated the country's deteriorating international standing as a communications problem. If younger Americans are turning against Israel, the argument goes, Israel must be losing the information war. If criticism spreads across universities and social media, Qatar must be financing it. If Israel's image deteriorates, the answer is better messaging.

There is certainly foreign influence in American politics, and Qatar's activities deserve scrutiny like those of any other state. But focusing on influence operations can become a convenient way to avoid a much harder question: What if much of the damage to Israel's standing is being caused by Israeli policy itself?

Israel currently has no convincing diplomatic endgame for either Gaza or the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Instead, its trajectory points toward recurring wars, permanent military control and an increasingly entrenched one-state reality.

That is not a messaging problem.
No communications strategy can indefinitely persuade Americans that a conflict has a political horizon when the government pursuing it offers none.

Israel risks misdiagnosing the problem. If policymakers convince themselves that international criticism is primarily the product of Qatari money, hostile algorithms or insufficient Israeli advocacy, the logical response will always be another influence campaign.

But, Israel's international position will not fundamentally improve until its strategy changes: until it can articulate a credible diplomatic objective, an alternative to perpetual war and a political future that does not simply lead toward permanent Israeli rule over millions of Palestinians. Public diplomacy can explain a strategy. It cannot substitute for one.

The question facing Israel is not how to persuade the world to accept its current trajectory. It is whether that trajectory serves Israel's own long-term security, democratic character and relationship with the United States.

Until Israeli leaders confront that question, blaming Qatar may be politically convenient. It will not solve Israel's problem.

[David Halbfinger @halbfinger]

To Israeli settler violence and military raids, add one more looming nightmare for the Palestinians — this one economic. w/@adamrasgon
https://t.co/uEQrqut7Tq

[Daniel Seidemann @DanielSeidemann]

It's not that complicated.

Decent people are finding it increasingly difficult - at times impossible - to support a country which is doing what we are doing.

They are not imagining, or merely succumbing to a so-called hostile press, or taking at face value fantasies and falsehoods generated by AI. To a very large extent, they are seeing what we are in reality doing. Us.

Much of Israeli society is gripped by clinical denial, unable to look at ourselves without filters and without blinders, and to recognize what has become of us.

These elections (almost certainly in October) will do much to decide the fate of the Third Jewish Commonwealth. Tikkun is imperative. Our enemies are hoping we fail, and too many of our friends are walking away in disgust.

[NYTimes Communications @NYTimesPR]

@IsraelMFA @nytimes

[David Halbfinger @halbfinger]

@sixontheghgs This film stunk

[Shalom Lipner @ShalomLipner]

"@usembassyjlm has told its workers they may leave Israel & warned them that if they want to, it is vital they do so immediately... Those wishing to leave “should do so TODAY,” @USAmbIsrael wrote in an email, sent Fri at 10:24 AM." @natan_oden, @halbfinger https://t.co/ZCcBCIg4RL

[David Halbfinger @halbfinger]

https://t.co/hHxo5yK7wh

[Foreign Press Assoc. @FPAIsPal]

Let us in.

For more than two years, we’ve been barred from entering Gaza to report freely. It’s long past time for Israel to lift this ban and #LetUsIn.

Join us. Share this post. And sign the FPA’s petition: https://t.co/Z7JMO4wu2K

[David Halbfinger @halbfinger]

https://t.co/cv2NFVP90l

[Farnaz Fassihi @farnazfassihi]

Scoop: US is pressing the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution that would enshrine President Trump’s Gaza peace plan in international law with little room for negotiation. w/ @adamrasgon @halbfinger

https://t.co/T8h4awKYjl

[David Halbfinger @halbfinger]

@aarondmiller2 Thx much! That would certainly be interesting to see…

[David Halbfinger @halbfinger]

Birtherism, meet burgerism.

https://t.co/WvPQWeZp0A

[Ron Fournier @ron_fournier]

BLOCKBUSTER. Trump:

1. Calls Harris a “bitch”

2. Directs attack on top donor

3. “Disorientated” by Harris surge.

4. Says Dem “weird” meme aimed at Vance, not him.

5. Donors “rattled” by flat-footed response to Harris.

Via @maggieNYT @jonathanvswan

https://t.co/sMvoTt2WbH

[David Halbfinger @halbfinger]

Biden Tells Governors He Needs More Sleep and Less Work at Night

Scoop by @reidepstein & @maggieNYT

https://t.co/swQA5i3dpI

[David Halbfinger @halbfinger]

Today’s absolute must-read, by ⁦@rebeccadobrien⁩ https://t.co/RGjBksQoQ1

[David Halbfinger @halbfinger]

Nice way to close out an awesome yearlong fellowship on @nytpolitics, @anjalihuynh!

Thanks for all your terrific work — and good luck!

[David Halbfinger @halbfinger]

Boom, as they used to say.

Welcome back, @teddyschleifer, to The Times.

Let the scoops roll in.

[NYTimes Communications @NYTimesPR]

We’re thrilled to announce that @teddyschleifer is returning to The Times as a correspondent on the Politics desk. https://t.co/1In230TfLV

[David Halbfinger @halbfinger]

Way to go, @alyce_mcf!!! So well earned.

https://t.co/L5qhwlSYpj

[David Halbfinger @halbfinger]

Big, big get right here.

[NYTimes Communications @NYTimesPR]

We're excited to welcome back @ShawnMcCreesh to The Times, who is joining @nytpolitics as a feature writer. https://t.co/hPQiyTM2XY