Calls Israeli PR ‘abysmal’

The Feb. 9 article by Jonathan Mirvis focuses on the the importance of public relations in the war between Israel and Hamas. He proposes a global TV network and Internet portal as a solution. While I agree completely with Dr. Mirvis, the truth is that Israeli public relations is abysmal and in many cases just plain stupid.

There should have been no surprise that the international media would heavily scrutinize and criticize the Israeli operation in Gaza. Knowing that the media would be continuously referencing the operation, the geniuses in Israeli public relations came up with the name Operation Cast Lead. What did this mean to the international media? Throwing lead (as in the metal), casting a lead (rhymes with deed) in a Broadway show, or fishing with lead (as in the metal again) at the end of your hook? Not only was the name confusing, it made absolutely no sense.

Why not call the operation “Operation Protect our Children”? Would that not have emphasized and re-emphasized the goal of the operation? While the name in and of itself would not have greatly diminished the biased coverage by much of the media, the subliminal message would have been clear to readers and listeners throughout the world every time the war was referred to.

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What happened to our common sense?