If you’ve seen IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin, please let us know. There’s a meme going around offering a draft notice to anyone who finds him. But behind the humor is something more serious: a dangerous vacuum at the heart of Israel’s public messaging.
I didn’t think I would miss Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.
After all, Hagari was everywhere. Every night on TV. Every briefing. Every update. For a while, it almost felt like he was the State of Israel. In the chaos that followed October 7, it was Hagari who stepped into the vacuum. He didn’t just speak for the army – he soothed a shattered public. He became the most trusted face in a nation that no longer trusted much of anything.
At the time, I thought it was temporary. I assumed someone else would come along and carry the mantle. But now that Effie Defrin has taken his place, I find myself genuinely missing Hagari.
Not because Defrin is bad. He isn’t. He’s experienced. Competent. A serious man with an impressive record in the field and in international liaison. On paper, he’s the right guy.
No time for the IDF spokesperson to hide behind statements
Defrin served as commander of the IDF’s liaison unit to international organizations, coordinating sensitive humanitarian operations and cross-border diplomacy. Before that, he headed elite medical and rescue battalions and earned the respect of those who worked with him. He is not a novice. He was even well-regarded for his time in Kishrei Chutz – the IDF’s unit for foreign relations – where he was seen as thoughtful, measured, and engaged.Communication is presence, a lot more than a résumé.
Over a month into his role, Defrin has barely made a dent – especially on the international front. He hasn’t sat down with many news outlets and important journalists, including us at The Jerusalem Post.
He hasn’t made himself accessible. He hasn’t briefed or built relationships with the media outlets that shape global perception. I’ve said it to his face: I support him. But he needs to show up. And after he promised a meeting? Nothing. Again. And again.
This is not just a case of missed appointments. It reflects a deeper disinterest – or misunderstanding – of what this job demands. The spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces is not merely a narrator of battlefield updates. He – or she – is Israel’s face to the world during war. When we don’t hear from him, others fill the void. And those voices are not always friendly.
Defense correspondents have also begun to raise a more structural concern. In recent briefings, they’ve noted that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s replacement, Minister Israel Katz – rather than a senior IDF officer – is now often the one fielding questions from reporters. That shift, they say, is unusual and unhelpful. It wasn’t like this during Hagari’s time. Back then, military briefings were led by professionals in uniform.
Now, the political presence is front and center. Many journalists attribute this change to the new IDF spokesperson and the tone he has set. The result is a frustrating lack of access to the people who actually know the operational details and who can speak on behalf of the army – not just the cabinet.
Rear Admiral Hagari understood this intuitively. A decorated Navy commander and former head of operations in the Israeli Navy, Hagari brought credibility from the field into the press room. But it was his demeanor that mattered most. He looked the nation in the eye when others wouldn’t. His voice was steady even when rockets were falling. Israelis trusted him. Diaspora Jews trusted him. Even foreign press, often skeptical of Israeli military messaging, admitted he was a professional.
He made being the IDF Spokesperson look easy. Even though it’s not.
Now that Hagari is gone, the silence is deafening. It’s not just that Defrin hasn’t reached out. It’s that in a media environment that thrives on immediacy, impressions, and transparency, he’s invisible. People have noticed.Food columnist Ruthie Rousso posted bluntly, “Remember when the IDF had a spokesperson?”
Yishai Elmakies, diplomatic correspondent for Makor Rishon, added: “As someone who relies on this relationship with the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit – and is currently experiencing the silence – I think Defrin should go public at least once and explain this new approach.”
Cartoonist Uzi Shapira published a parody of Where’s Waldo? Rebranded in Hebrew as “Where’s Effie?”, offering a “draft notice” to anyone who could find him. The satire stings, but so does the growing online sentiment that the IDF’s top communicator has effectively disappeared.
One harsh post described watching Defrin speak as feeling like “listening to the spokesperson of the Government of Blood,” accusing him of packaging war in PR language, and giving nods to reservists while ignoring widespread draft-dodging.
Even journalists who normally defend the Spokesperson’s Unit have begun to raise eyebrows. Others note the confusion when Defrin contradicted the prime minister on the military’s top objective – saying the main goal was returning the hostages, not defeating Hamas. He looked tense, furrowing his brow, perhaps trying to project strength. But it came off more anxious than authoritative.
Israel is still fighting for the release of hostages. Still responding to attacks in Gaza. Still facing down Iran. Still struggling to control the narrative abroad. This is the moment for a strong spokesperson – not a ghost.
Let’s be clear: We will continue to report the hard news. But when it comes to amplifying “color” stories from the Spokesperson’s Unit – the feel-good profiles, the internal morale videos, the soft public diplomacy content – that’s a two-way street. You engage, we amplify. You ignore, we reevaluate.
And here’s the truth that stings the most: I didn’t realize how much I’d miss Hagari’s tone. His ability to look straight into the camera and tell the public – without melodrama or spin – what was happening and why. His credibility came not from PR coaching but from being exactly who he was: a soldier, a commander, a citizen. One of us.That kind of trust isn’t inherited. It’s earned.
Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin still has time. But not much.
Israel is at war. Its enemies are loud. Its allies are skeptical. Its people are exhausted. This is no time for the spokesperson of the IDF to hide behind statements and talking points. If you want to be the face of the army, you have to show your face.
Hagari understood that. I hope Effie Defrin learns it – soon.