Bloggers Take A Bow!

It is commonly acknowledged now that most people receive their news from the internet, and many receive their news from Blogs. This was especially true during the last campaign and more recently during Operation Cast Lead.

Israel's newest weapon on the public relations front is "an army of bloggers," according to a statement issued by the Absorption Ministry Sunday afternoon.

In cooperation with the Foreign Ministry's Public Relations Department, the Absorption Ministry has initiated a statewide effort to locate volunteers who speak other languages, to take part in the country's PR efforts over the Internet.

The volunteers will post comments in their native languages - including English, French, Spanish, German and others - on anti-Israel Web sites and blogs, presenting an Israeli perspective on the Middle East.

During the past few years, a significant change has occurred in the realm of public relations communications, the ministry statement said, noting that the Internet has created a new arena of "PR warfare."



The main weakness in Israel's hasbara (public diplomacy) efforts is the current lack of people willing to sit in front of their computers and comment in languages other than Hebrew. The comments would concentrate on positive aspects of Israeli life and accounts of the hardship Israelis suffer while living under a constant threat of terror.

The Absorption Ministry is seeking new immigrants willing to volunteer for the effort, and will forward their contact information to the Foreign Ministry. The volunteers will be briefed, given up-to-date material and referred to problematic Web sites where an Israeli perspective is badly needed.

"In recent years, the Absorption Ministry has invested many resources in developing work in cyberspace out of an understanding that the Internet is a key to the future," Absorption Minister Eli Aflalo said. Aflalo added that the ministry had decided to "answer the challenge and attempt to form a pool of Israeli commentators in languages that can bolster Israel's public relations in the virtual world and answer all the Israel-bashers who spread the seeds of hate."

Read the full story here.

What Israel fails to remember is the intrepid bands of bloggers all over the world that also tried to combat the lies. Bloggers like Atlas Shrugs, Lionheart, Radarsite, Maggie's Notebook, Wake Up America, Crusader Rabbit screamed out the truth as loudly as Israeli sites such as Israel Matzav, Simply Jews (love their flag), and Elder of Ziyon. While blogs such as IDF Spokesperson actually gave us true information, one of the most touching sites is A Soldier's Mother bringing home the fears every Israeli parent has during war when one of their boys is in the IDF.

Large or small, we bloggers did what we could to bring the truth to the world.

So take a bow and give yourselves a pat on the back. You deserve it.