Israel's propagandist-in-chief set to become UK ambassador

For years, the name Mark Regev has been one of the most well-known in world politics, certainly in media circles.

Now Binyamin Netanyahu's spokesman looks set to be named as Israel's ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Regev, first appointed by Ehud Olmert in 2007, will replace Daniel Taub in London. It is worth taking a brief look at the personality of the man who will represent Israel in the UK.

Regev became a recognisable figure internationally with daily television appearances during Israel's three major assaults on the Gaza Strip - in 2008/9, 2012 and 2014 - as well as during the outcry over Israel's 2010 attack on the Mavi Marmara flotilla.

Prior to this, Regev was a spokesman for the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs, defending the invasion of Lebanon in 2006. His opinion and skill is highly valued by the Israeli government and he reportedly sits in on all of Netanyahu's cabinet meetings.

Regev has proved to be a consistent and highly reliable representative of Netanyahu, and his appointment in London is most likely a reflection of Israel's unease at the growth of the pro-Palestine activism in the UK.

Regev maintains the notion that Israel is the victim of Palestinian aggression, despite the facts pointing to the contrary

The Reut Institute, a Tel Aviv-based think tank, has warned that London in particular is a "Mecca of delegitimisation" of the Jewish state.

During the 2014 Gaza war, Regev appeared on UK television frequently, employing his skills to defend the Israeli attack. Regev's choice of words was often pure propaganda, referring to "the Hamas military machine" and describing the de facto government of Gaza as "not that dissimilar to ISIS in Iraq… or even Boko Haram in Nigeria".

When pressed on the fact that Israel had killed four boys playing on the beach in Gaza in July 2014, with a straight face Regev told UK television: "Israel does not target children" - but not before expressing his personal sadness at the "tragedy" of the incident.

"You can't look at those pictures and not be moved," he said.

But it seems to take a lot to move Regev, who uses clinical language in the face of a humanitarian crisis - and that is his value to Israel.

On the bombing of a hospital in Gaza, Regev stated that Israel was "acting to try to neutralise hostile fire". On the 2014 attack which killed 15 Palestinians as they sheltered in the United Nations-run Beit Hanoun School, Regev speculated that the deaths could have been caused by the Palestinians themselves.

In challenging circumstances, Regev has shown an ability to maintain the notion that Israel is the victim of Palestinian aggression, despite the facts pointing to the contrary.

He described the escalating civilian death toll in Gaza last year as if it was an unexpected side-effect of a fight between equal sides: "Unfortunately, sometimes civilians are caught up in the crossfire."

In Israel, this form of propaganda is known as Hasbara, an attempt to portray Israeli actions and motives as honourable - while seeking to denigrate Palestinians and other Arabs.

In doing the Israeli government's bidding, Regev is adept at stifling serious debate and keeping Netanyahu's name out of the conversation, instead referring to "my country".

Regev has perhaps gained as many admirers as detractors. His style is generally slick and polite, calling interviewers "Sir" and "Madam", with plenty of well-honed mediaspeak such as the ubiquitous "If you'll let me finish".


Many are not at all convinced by Regev’s style. Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, Professor Manuel Hassassian told me: “Mark Regev is the mouthpiece for extreme Right Wing ideology in Israel.  His statements in defending Israel are not welcomed, nor are they convincing to World public opinion.  No Israeli Ambassador to the U.K has ever participated in debates with me during my tenure, which has lasted over a decade.”

But Regev can get flustered and the mask can slip.

Viewers then see an aggressive man, and at times a hint of self-pity is betrayed - and Regev can look like a spurned child, genuinely upset that Israel's actions are being challenged.

It is the belief that there must be a human side to this political apparatchik that makes him so compelling to watch

It is the belief that there must be a human side to this political apparatchik that makes him so compelling to watch.

Many Israeli officials and spokespeople have a major advantage over their Palestinian counterparts: they weren't born or raised in the Middle East.

Regev is an exemplar of this. Born Mark Freiberg, 14,000 kilometres from Jerusalem in Melbourne, Australia, Regev's accent is unmistakably Antipodean and he only emigrated to Israel aged 22.

In the UK, we see Israelis like Regev as culturally very similar to us. They sound like us, have experienced a similar education to us and dress like us. They respond to death and war in the same, constrained way we do.

Contrast this with the highly educated, but culturally unfamiliar Palestinian spokespeople and politicians whose reactions to events come from a deep-rooted personal connection to the land, people and tragedy of Palestine, and Israel's besuited PR advantage is clear.

A galling fact about the Middle East is that a man with no link to Palestine can rise through the ranks of Israeli state power to contribute to the ongoing war against the indigenous population, while those in exile continue to suffer untold miseries in refugee camps.

In this way, Mark Regev represents something far more sinister than government spin. This highly visible figure in Middle East politics looks set to land a plum job in London, and one which may see his influence increase yet further.


Tom Charles is a London-based writer, editor and literary agent. He previously worked in the UK parliament, including as a lobbyist for Palestinian rights. He has contributed to Jadaliyya and the Journal of Palestinian Refugee Studies.

Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of al-Araby al-Jadeed, its editorial board or staff.