February 25, 2012

Israel coordinates "freelance" hasbara

It appears that Israel is to coordinate this year's hasbara efforts to counter Israel Apartheid Week.  Here"s Ha'aretz:

New York City native Avi Abelow is leaving his job, his wife and four children in Efrat to visit the state of California for 10 days. His plan - and that of nearly 100 other Israelis who are boarding flights this week to 20 cities in Europe, Africa and North America - is to talk. And to talk a lot.
"This is definitely a very unique situation," says Abelow, a 37-year-old movie producer and independent advocate for Israel, whose "Israel Straight Talk" Facebook page boasts nearly 14,000 "likes." "I don't know how many other countries can have this phenomenon of people basically leaving their lives, not getting reimbursed for the time lost, and taking the time to talk about their country."
Abelow and his colleagues have been designated the "Faces of Israel" in a Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry initiative, which is deliberately timed to coincide with the eighth annual Israeli Apartheid Week in support of the Palestinian Civil Society's call for "Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions." A press release issued Wednesday by the ministry called it "anti-Israel Hate Week."
"Anti-Israel Hate Week"? I quite like anti-Israel week.

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