1. Israel quadruples hasbara budget to $730 million in 2026 as foreign minister calls public diplomacy an 'existential issue'
Israel is set to allocate $730 million for public diplomacy—known in Hebrew as hasbara—in its 2026 budget, representing a fourfold increase from prior levels. The dramatic escalation was framed by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar as an "existential issue" for the state, as mounting international unpopularity increasingly s...