Re-Branding Israel: Priority or Pointless?

by Diane Farsetta — December 5, 2006 - 7:31pm
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"When the word 'Israel' is said outside its borders, we want it to invoke not fighting or soldiers, but a place that is desirable to visit and invest in, a place that preserves democratic ideals while struggling to exist," said Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, during a September meeting with "public relations executives, branding specialists and diplomats" in Tel Aviv. Livni "recently put the image initiative on the government's agenda and will soon develop a budget for the program," according to the Israeli Consulate in New York's media and public affairs consul. "A staffer with the London-based global ad firm Saatchi and Saatchi is already working with the Israelis free of charge on the re-branding effort." British researcher and branding expert Simon Anholt "said his surveys show that Israel's image abroad is so bad that any re-branding campaign would be 'pointless,'" unless Israel is "'prepared to change its behavior' in the areas of international peace and security." He added, "The most useful thing Israel can do ... is stop wasting taxpayer money in a re-branding campaign."

Main Source: 
The Washington Times, December 5, 2006

Comments

The timing is telling.

Submitted by hazmaq on December 6, 2006 - 5:17pm.

After a decade of rebuilding in Lebanon, this budding young Democracy was on its way to becoming a true haven of peace and commerce.

Israel, in its' misguided clumsy efforts to destroy Hezbollah, managed to miss most of them and instead destroyed all of Lebanons commercial sectors from tip to tip, not to mention the horrendous environmental disaster in the Mediterranean.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/284404_focussecond10.html

For Israel to now try to offer itself as some sort of an alternative 'new recreation area' is so cold blooded and horrendous a thought, a shiver ran down my spine.

God help the sheep when the wolf is judge.

The timing is telling

Submitted by rtpricetag on December 6, 2006 - 9:07pm.

Attacking Lebanon whether requested by the US or on there own, may well have been the biggest or worst mistake they could ever have done. America at this time is becoming a nation that Israel will not be able to rely upon much longer, and despite all the weapons they now have on hand, these guarantee only war if used.

This past year and more I have been doing research regarding conditions in Israel todate. This nation is in straights very similar to America, like much of the world for that matter. What Israel has counted on most from America, that appears to be the fundamental within the evangelical Christian church, I believe is soon to lose much of the power previously had.

I am a Christian myself, finding that the forementioned church-leadership within America have led their followers far afield of Bible teaching. Not only do they totally ignore prophetic allotment of the Promised Land, they also totally ignore OT scripture that clearly tells that the scattered tribes will (first) be taken out of the nations (into the desert of the nation), where the rebel against God will be purged from the their midst, (after) which the elect or remnant will then be gathered into Israel. Meaning that the gathering into Israel today is by the will of MAN, fulfilling prophecy of impending desolation.

I believe the remnant of Israel are the orthodox in Israel and the world today, I pray for the secular majority within Israel whom I see badly used.