Lieberman urges Europe embassies to use 'allies' in PR efforts
New advocacy campaign to begin early next year, will make extensive use of professional advocacy and public relations experts by Israeli embassies in Europe.
By Barak RavidThe Foreign Minister is planning to initiate a new public relations campaign in a number of European capitals early next year. The campaign, which will make extensive use of professional advocacy and public relations experts by Israeli embassies in Europe, aims to also use as many as a thousand people in each country, who will be willing to volunteer to spread Israel's message.
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Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman |
| Photo by: Emil Salman |
A week ago, the embassies of Israel in London, Berlin, Rome, Madrid, Paris, The Hague, Oslo, and Copenhagen were informed about the basic principles of the new public relations plan.
"It was decided to give public relations emphasis in the countries you are serving," Naor Gilon, who heads the Western Europe division at the ministry, wrote the envoys.
"The Foreign Minister is very interested in this campaign and intends to meet with you on the issue at a meeting of ambassadors," the message wrote, referring to a meeting that is scheduled to take place next month.
The Foreign Ministry is putting its money on the gambit too, doubling the public relations budgets of the embassies in the nine capitals in Europe for next year.
Each ambassador was instructed to prepare, by January 16, a list of at least 1,000 "allies" who will be routinely briefed by the embassy for advocacy and public relations. These "allies" will have to be willing to take action on behalf of Israel, through support demonstrations and rallies, in publishing articles in the press, etc.
Among the types of persons that will be sought to assist in the campaign will be members of the local Jewish community, activists in Christian organizations, journalists, politicians, intellectuals, academics and activists in student organizations.
The novelty of this campaign is that it will not rely on the work only of Israeli diplomats and volunteer supporters, but on professional lobbying and public relations companies hired by the embassies.
The instructions from the Foreign Ministry to the embassies is that the firms not be "advertising firms but companies that will assist the embassy in its work vis-a-vis influential elements."
The professional lobbyists and PR agents will be provided with materials from the embassies, and which will be produced by a special team at the Foreign Ministry.
The Foreign Ministry team will produce three types of materials: political messages, in which Israel's positions on the peace process, the settlements, etc. will be encapsulated; "branding" messages which will position Israel in specific areas of activity, such as technology, economy, tourism, etc.; and messages about problematic developments in the Middle East which are not directly related to Israel, such as human rights in Iran or Syria, Hezbollah's take over in Lebanon, etc.
The ministry has also instructed the ambassadors in those nine capitals to focus their activities on organizing groups of influential persons from those countries to visit Israel.
The ambassadors were also instructed to hold, at least once a month, a high profile public event.
The public relations campaign will be evaluated in two surveys that the ambassadors were instructed to carry out during 2011, and reports every three months on the work of the "allies."
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the same guy who told europe to fix its own problems
Nobody believes Israel's spin anymore in Europe. Instead of wasting money in more propaganda, just end the occupation.
Not gonna do much good when those first Israelis start appearing in the dock..... but, hey, worth a go I guess.....
propagandise all you want---spend millions---it is all in vain---your goose is already cooked.
No more excuses, no more lies, no more delays, no more attempts to extort more favourable terms from a people held hostage for 43 years. Israel could start ending the occupation today. That's the only 'good news about israel' that Europeans really want to hear and it would spread without Israel wasting milliions on PR.
that Jews do not travel the world harvesting human organs, eats christian babies etc etc etc. However Planet Earth has unanimously decided that it is in their interests to see the establishment of a Palestine consisting of the West Bank and Gaza, it does not matter how much money, how man allies Israel funds in third countries (and I'll battle against it by comparing such voices in the UK with AIPAC, unelected individuals paid to influence British foreign policy on behalf of Israel) It does not matter how much American taxpayer's money the nightclub bouncer throws at this the fundamentals will not change. Although if Israel wants to pay me to be their representative contact me with a nice big fat cheque
It makes me happy to read about this propaganda offensive. Why? Well, until now nobody believed you when you said that the Israeli's used dirt slinging and propaganda in th press to suppress any opinion that was not theirs. Now it has come straigth from Avigor's big mouth that this is a fact. His aim is to press the European countries into giving up their souvereignity and become puppets up Israel's far right- such us the US.
It is your duty to great good realtionships between your own country and the country where you have been posted. But please...Do not connect to these efforts the name Lieberman -for the best of Israel´s image.
Instead of focusing on innovative propaganda, one can hope that the so-called leadership in Israel will start working on solving the problem rather than on its packaging. Israel's problem is not a PR problem. It is a leadership problem. One should consider changing leaders rather than PR strategies. You can put lipstick on the pig, but it is still a pig... and in our case an exceptionally dirty and ugly one.
With a smile like we don't need diplomacy any more, we just have to send a copy of it with eventually a few words attached. As for me, I am going to copy it and stick it on the wall in my office.
and a PR campaign can easily backfire especially regards to the public opinion. Just stay quiet, end the occupation and make peace with your neighbors. Then you won't need any PR... As I see now the real goal is to create "facts on the ground" grab more and more land and try to divert the public opinion with PR. It will not work...
.... who can be taught to toe the israeli line, no matter how wrong it is. they just dont get it, europe and the world can see through them
Wow, there he goes again. The majority of people outside Israel's contact with the country is through seeing Mark Regev on the evening news denying Israeli culpability. Whether that's attacks on ships, foreign assasinations, settlement buildings, cluster bombs, white phosphorous, east jerusalem, bedouin clearences in the negev. etc etc etc. That's isreal's image abroad, and no amount of cherry tomato will paste over it.
Sounds like israel has so much money, they clearly have no clue how best to burn it..
The best PR for Israel is to sack Lieberman, this might reduce the believe that Israel is ruled by thugs.
.. like anybody is believing propaganda or even truth these days.
Facts are stronger than words. Israel and its "allies" cannot control the media anymore. Lieberman thinks that he can be loved and adored while Palestinians are suffering. The Arabs have mastered the rules of the game and they can't be easily beaten in it anymore. Moreover, Israel have become so addicted to bloodshed, it will soon start killing innocent civilians in another war which will quickly trash this new PR campaign.
The facts (stronger than words) are: 1) Israel has become the member of OECD. 2) The number of tourists to Israel in 2010 hit 3 mln. and growing. 3) The Palestinians have longer lifespan than Turks and many nations in the Arab world. 4) Gaza has wonderful restaurants and markets. 5) The Arabs are the masters as long as the oil prices stand high. The world will gradually move to electric cars, trains, etc.; the oil prices will collapse, and the Arab countries will implode from within.Sad, but true. Is your camel fed well ?
I don't know where this jules comes from ? but Israel needs to get him to work on their PR campaign.The way he finished his reply is worth a million dollars.Kol Hakavod,Jules!
Too bad for Lieberman that most of the world has woken up and will no longer be fooled...
So Lieberman has decided to use Jews around the world as a fifth column in their native countries. Just what Jews around the world need.
the folks you mention do have a "choice" as to whether they march in the "fifth column" or not--right? (And that's what life ultimately boils down to--making choices.)
Although it is readily available in Arabic or Farsi etc with English translations on MEMRI or Palestine Media Watch needs to be counteracted How many Brits need to be killed by British Moslems in Afghanistan before they wake up? How many gang fights and intimidation and terror on the streets of Germany before people speak out
Directing a PR campaign to push Israel's message or to vilify the Arab community would not be necessary if Israel would instead focus on cleaning up its own cesspool. All the PR in the world will not make Israel's actions any more moral nor any less repugnant. When people criticize Israel, it does not mean they support Arabs, only that they have higher expectations for a state that claims to be a democracy.
"When people criticize Israel, it does not mean they support Arabs, only that they have higher expectations for a state that claims to be a democracy." Of course critics of ISrael support Arabs (Palestinians).
One can actually criticize Israel and support Israel. The assumption that Israel's critics are Muslim terrorist supporters is fallacious and demonstrates tunnel vision.
Barka, you're just wrong. Just because I disagree with A doesn't imply disagreeing with B as well. BArka think agaib
How disconnected from reality can one man or one nation be
Rejected statehood?Starting in 1948 moving on to rejection of the Clinton plan and now refusing to show up?
energy of a sensible reply..Did you see what Fatah just said??Lets cut the crap.ok??
The first thing that comes to my mind is Israel (anytime), Likud most obviously (have you read their charter?), and Lieberman has never even done so much as pay lip-service to an Arab state in the foreseeable future
Northing ! They never wanted their own state they wanted Israels state. Nothing has changed,they still do not want to put their cards on the table
especially on this level, PR campaigns on this level means your are doing wrong and want to justify it, otherwise what would you be scared of if your weren't in this situation?.
You have to wonder what his plan will be to influence domestic opinion, when that need arises. Hint: Lots of jobs at Shin Bet
--and it's not limited to (but does certainly include) Israel--and that is that the ultimate success of any sales campaign (and PR is primarily selling "image") deoends on the "buyer finding that the product fulfills the manufacturer's claims." THAT'S short and sweet, folks; pure and simple!--and if you don't believe me--ask any one--ANYBODY!--who's EVER made a living selling stuff (other than swampland and a bridge in Brooklyn, of course).
A pig in lipstick is still a pig.
Israel realizes that relying on its own reputation has a negative impact on its image...lol...so it's to hire PR/lobbying firms.
and make peace