Israel recruits ‘army of bloggers’ to combat anti-Zionist Web sites
Israelis who speak a second language to represent Israel on ‘problematic’ Websites in new Absorption Ministry program.
The program’s first volunteer was Sandrine Pitousi, 31, from Kfar Maimon, situated five kilometers from Gaza. “I heard about the project over the radio and decided to join because I’m living in the middle of the conflict,” she said.
Before hanging up the phone prematurely following a Color Red rocket alert, Pitousi, who immigrated to Israel from France in 1993, said she had some experience with public relations from managing a production company.
“During the war, we looked for a way to contribute to the effort,” the ministry’s director general, Erez Halfon, told Haaretz. “We turned to this enormous reservoir of more than a million people with a second mother tongue.” Other languages in which bloggers are sought include Russian and Portuguese.
Halfon said volunteers who send the Absorption Ministry their contact details by e-mail, at media@moia.gov.il, will be registered according to language, and then passed on to the Foreign Ministry’s media department, whose personnel will direct the volunteers to Web sites deemed “problematic.”
Within 30 minutes of announcing the program, which was approved by the Foreign Ministry on Sunday, five volunteers were already in touch, Halfon said.
Redpossum said,
January 15, 2013 at 16:41
Yeesh, you want to talk scary, my parents were members of the John Birch Society, back in the long-ago days of the 1960’s
Blake said,
January 15, 2013 at 20:07
What more hasbara? Defending the indefensible is a tough gig
amerikagulag said,
January 15, 2013 at 20:45
Disinformation and propaganda were the earmarks of the Stalin Regime of the Bolsheviks. Seems they haven’t forgotten how they did it then.
Blake said,
January 16, 2013 at 05:05
The article is dated from 2009 but the comments underneath it are new. I thought I had read this somewhere before.
desertpeace said,
January 16, 2013 at 07:27
only the image is from 2009
R Davis said,
January 17, 2013 at 13:05
UNEMPLOYMENT IS MASSIVE EVERYWHERE –
A JOB IS A JOB MAN –
FOOD ON THE TABLE –
WE ALL HAVE THE RIGHT OF REPLY = FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
I SUPPOSE THAT THERE IS NO CHANCE THAT “some” OF THE CITIZENS OF ISRAEL ARE FED UP WITH THE WARRING & KILLING – ?
I WONDER IF THERE AREN’T SOME CITIZENS OF ISRAEL WHO ARE AFRAID TO HAVE AN OPINION OTHER THAN THE ONE FORCED UPON THE NATION BY THE RULING CLASS – ?
IT’S CALLED TOWING THE PARTY LINE.
WHO BY THE WAY MAY NOT EVEN LIVE IN ISRAEL BECAUSE THEY FEAR FOR THEIR SAFETY / ARE “SCARED” . YET THEY DICTATE THE AGENDA.
There are many hidden dictatorial tyrants who expect their will be done regardless – who would lead you all to your deaths to get what “they” want – & who hide behind anything they can for the cowards that they are.
If you don’t look for the truth you will not find it.
Fear is a very persuasive tool & a powerful weapon.