Israel’s Foreign Ministry confronts disinformation and secures global support following a direct Iranian strike on Soroka Hospital. ‘This is a war crime, not an accident,’ says Deputy Director-General Tsahi Dikstein.
As Israel confronts a multi-front war and Iranian missiles target civilian infrastructure—including hospitals—a parallel battle is unfolding within the Foreign Ministry: the fight for international public opinion.
Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Ministry, Tsahi Dikstein, spoke with Israel National News – Arutz Sheva about efforts to counter foreign media narratives just hours after Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva sustained a direct hit.
“Immediately after reports of the missile strike came in, I stood at the hospital alongside foreign correspondents from around the world so they could witness the destruction firsthand,” Dikstein recounted. “They were stunned to see the damage to hospital wards that, by a miracle, had been evacuated in advance. It was crucial to convey that this was no accident—this was a deliberate war crime.”
According to Dikstein, the Foreign Ministry regards public diplomacy not merely as public relations but as a strategic battlefield. “The world is watching us. There is broad international support, but we are not complacent. We’ve set up a 24/7 media war room to monitor every mention of Israel—in every language and every country,” he explained. “This enables real-time responses, correction of disinformation, and in some cases, legal threats—such as with a recent BBC report that presented only one side and was subsequently removed following our intervention.”
“We’re no longer on the defensive,” he added. “We’ve taken the offensive in the public diplomacy arena—closing ineffective embassies, appearing in international studios, and firmly voicing Israel’s position. Just as Israeli fighter jets are operating over Tehran, the Foreign Ministry is deploying ‘awareness aircraft’ in the global information sphere.”
Despite criticism from some countries over IDF operations in Gaza, there is near-unanimous condemnation of Iran, Dikstein noted. “When a hospital is attacked, it’s very difficult for the world to remain silent. This kind of incident shocks even nations that have previously been critical of us. We hear it in closed-door talks with diplomats—even if they don’t express it publicly.”
He concluded with a message of solidarity: “We stand with our pilots, our soldiers in Gaza, in Judea and Samaria, and in the skies over Tehran. The Foreign Ministry is a full partner in this war—on the battlefield of international perception.”
