A panel debate at the second annual JNS Policy Summit in Jerusalem on Sunday focused on Israel’s conduct in wartime, with speakers praising the Israel Defense Forces while criticizing what they described as international double standards and shortcomings in Israel’s public diplomacy.
Moderated by Maj. (res.) Doron Spielman, former IDF international spokesman and host of JNS TV’s “True East” podcast, the discussion featured Col. (ret.) Richard Kemp, a former British Army commander, and Lt. Col. (res.) Jonathan Conricus, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former IDF spokesman.
Kemp drew applause as he paid tribute to IDF soldiers, calling the military “the most extraordinary army in the world today,” based on his observations of its operations. He argued that Israel is judged by harsher standards than other countries in its military conduct.
Conricus said modern geopolitical constraints make decisive victories such as Israel’s 1967 war unlikely, adding that Israel has not done enough to build international support for its case. He urged greater efforts in the “media battles,” saying many global supporters lack the information needed to effectively advocate for Israel.
