Entangled in a cauldron of hate, Israel
resorts to its ordinary citizens to help mend the regime’s image
shattered by charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity during
its last year Gaza onslaught.
Tel Aviv will launch a campaign initiated by Information and
Diaspora Minister Yuli Edelstein, training ordinary people to represent
Israel outside the occupied West Bank and present a positive message to
the world.
“In the light of Israel’s negative image in the world …we decided to
give Israelis who go abroad tools and tips to help them deal with the
attacks on Israel in their conversations with people, media appearances
and lectures before wide audiences,” The Jerusalem Post quoted
Edelstein as saying.
The initiative Tsva Hasbara LeYisrael, the Israeli Public Diplomacy
Forces, includes distribution of pocket pamphlets at Ben-Gurion Airport
and launch of the new Web site, masbirim.gov.il.
Varied groups, ranging from politicians through businessmen and tour
guides to youth group delegations and ordinary Israelis, will also be
invited to training workshops to be held across Israel.
The decision comes after an opinion poll sponsored by the ministry
revealed 91 percent of some 495 Jewish Israelis questioned believed that
Israel had a bad or very bad image abroad.
The survey also s… >>>
