A Flesh New Look At Israel
By Dominic Waghorn
Middle East Correspondent
Updated: 10:32, Monday September 17, 2007
A friend has sent me an internet video clip, featuring some extremely
attractive Israeli women on the beach.
Two young men are struggling with their emotions watching them. "Holy
Jesus," they say, as one bikini-clad woman parades in front of them.
"Holy Mother of God" as another bends over to pick up a ball at their
feet. The payoff at the end of the clip? "Israel: No wonder they call
it the Holy Land."
What do you think of when you think of Israel? Bombs and bullets or
babes and bikinis? You may not have noticed but recently there's been
a concerted effort to sway you towards the latter.
The video is a viral ad. Not for television, but for people to pass
round the internet - like my friend did to me.
Keta Keta, a viral ad agency based in Tel Aviv made it for free. They
say they wanted to beautify their country's image.
But the Israeli Tourism Ministry did pay for another, using the same
mixture of humour and scantily-clad Israeli women.
At the beginning of the year, it seems the Israeli government decided
its country's image abroad needed a makeover.
The Lebanon War last summer had not done it any good and, anyway,
Israel had certain assets which were not being flaunted overseas to
the full.
Hence the 'Girls of the Israeli Defence Forces' photoshoot published
by lads mag, Maxim, last month.
"They're drop-dead gorgeous and can take apart an Uzi in seconds",
reads the intro above pictures of five Israeli women who've served in
the Israeli military and are more than easy on the eye, stripped of
their combat fatigues.
The Israeli consulate in New York had the idea and paid for the
photoshoot. Female legislators in Israel and the religious were
outraged by the pictures.
But they are undeniably effective in making the country seem more
glamorous and attractive. Or its women at least.
The Israeli government says it may tone down future initiatives but
they are sticking with the image makeover in principle.
"We have an image problem because most of what people know about us
come from news channels," said Avir Shir-On from the Israeli Foreign
Ministry.
"Information that concentrates on current events are usually
concentrating on the tension on the conflict and we are trying to show
that there is much more than to Israel than just that."
If we had Cool Britannia, might not Hot Israel work for them here?
Others are leaping on the bandwagon. On the internet conservative
bloggers are doing their bit too, running long photo features of
Israeli women in uniform, doing their national service.
There seems to be no shortage of Israeli cyber patriots either.
www.iamilx.blogspot.com/ , for instance, was set up by young
Israelis to help beautify their country's image, promising to provide
"images of the best 'scenery' from Israel".
Israel is not just about "politics, war and terror", the website says,
offering pages and pages of Israeli women - and men for that matter -
on the beach.
To the religious in Israel the country's makeover is unacceptable
because of the images it employs.
To feminists it's sexist manipulation.
To critics outside Israel the country is covering up what really goes
on. But whatever the controversy, the idea does seem to be catching
on.
www.iamilx.blogspot.com/