Israel's Sharon Appoints Committee for Israeli PR

Jerusalem----December 8....The Israeli Cabinet established a committee yesterday to recommend measures which would enhance the Government's international public relations efforts. Prime Minister Sharon gave the assignment to Cabinet Secretary Yisrael Maimon, who will chair the new committee.

Deja Vu? Two years ago, the Prime Minister appointed Tzippi Livni as Minister in charge of Israel's public relations. She was given the task of coordinating the nation's PR - making sure that the Prime Minister's Office, the Foreign Ministry, the IDF and the Ministry of Defense were on the same page. That one, powerful and unified message came out of Jerusalem. Nothing happened.

As a media professional who has worked the Israeli governmental and private public relations / public affairs landscape for many years, I would not blame Livni for the failure of her mission. She was assigned to work with government ministries, ministries which totally lack professional PR people and strategic direction and have an abundance of bureaucrats concerned only with their own egos and territory. She was destined to fail.

Will Maimon share the same fate as Livni? I don't think so. This monumental task is the same - create one unified message coming out of Jerusalem, closer coordination between government ministries, closer contact with journalists and a request for a larger, more effective budget than the present 9 million dollars. But here is the twist. Maimon will be working with private PR / public affairs professionals - both in Israel and abroad. If these professionals are able to create a mechanism which operates as a private, global PR firm - then we have a chance. If these professionals can advise the Prime Minister's Office as to which sound bytes to use and how to implement these messages - we have a chance.

In times of war Israel pulls together as one large, diverse family. This was illustrated during Operation Defensive Shield where all of the various government ministries came together for daily morning briefings. Was their difference of opinion at these meetings - yes, but at least we were operating as one machine. What needed to get done - was accomplished. The territorial bureaucrats were basically told to take a walk.

How do I know these details - because I took part in these briefings. The present Israeli Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations, Ayre Meckel, chaired these briefings. We were working 24 / 7 and got the job done. At times, we were able to be creative, very creative without having to ask authorization from paralyzed bureaucrats above for permission. In war, in real time -there is no luxury for awaiting instructions. Field officers need to take charge. As the war moved swiftly, so did nation's war PR machine.

I remember advising one IDF officer, who had a live interview with one of the world's leading networks, to smuggle an Islamic suicide vest (with fake explosives) into the Jerusalem studio. No one checked us because we were IDF officers in uniform. That was their first mistake. Then just as the interviewer welcomed the IDF spokesperson and was ready to nail her with the so called Jenin Massacre, she took out the suicide belt. "Before we continue, I just want to show you and our audience something," she said. "This is a Palestinian suicide belt whose purpose is to blow up innocent civilians in buses and restaurants," the officer said. Then came the punch line. "You are all now dead - this studio has been blown up."

There was dead air. Dead air for about ten seconds. Can you imagine what "dead air" is on a live, international news network which reaches hundreds of millions of viewers? It sent home the message in the most potent manner that Israel was at war defending herself. The interviewer could only muster up a meek and even nervous response: "that was pretty dramatic." For which the IDF officer replied: "that was pretty real." Again the studio was silent as the cameramen, producers, sound people - everyone in the studio and the global audience came face to face with the terrorism that Israel confronts on a daily basis. The rest of the 15 minute interview was in our hands, talk of Jenin - one of the greatest pieces of Arab propaganda - dissolved. This was professional PR crisis communications management at it's best.

This was creative team work for which we need to strive for as the the Prime Minister's Office again attempts to produce effective PR crisis communications management for Israel.

The second point that Maimom must confront is leaks. All of the government's PR strategy for Operation Defensive Shield and for Israel's possible involvement in Gulf War part 2 were disclosed on an Internet PR Web site. To leak PR strategy is no less evil than to leak the movement of our troops.

If our troops win on the ground but lose in the media - then whatever bullets they have spent and whatever casualties sustained would have been wasted in vain.

Maimon needs a blank check of authority to get this critical job done. This mission not only affects Israel's security but has a direct impact on our economy.

With half of the Foreign Ministry's present budget - Maimon can excel - if he has professional, creative and dedicated private PR people working with him.

The Foreign Ministry states that it is a matter of budget - I say that it is a matter of professionalism. With half of the Foreign Ministry's present budget - Maimon can excel - if he has professional, creative and dedicated PR people working with him.

Names from Israeli government that come to mind - Danny Seaman, director of the Government Press Office, David Baker, PR coordinator for the PM's office, Jill Reinarch of the Foreign Ministry and Gil Kleinman, spokesperson of Israeli police. IDF Spokeswoman Ruth Yaron is one of the most professional public affairs people to serve the state, former UN ambassador Dore Gold and finally UJC Israel director, former IBA general manager and IDF spokesperson Nachman Shai. Now if Bibi could take off his political hat and join this crew - you would then have the Israeli PR dream team!

We all wish Yisrael Maimon the very best of success. For if he is successful - the country will profit with the saving of lives, economic stability and global anti-Semitism will be confronted on a higher level.

In times of war Israel pulls together as one large, diverse family.

This is a true phenomenon in Israel. Everyone becomes polite and helpful when faced with dire emergency. Just hope that you never see Israelis being totally cooperative with each other.

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