The photo above, and the reports which accompanied the attack speak louder than any campaign to show that Israel is not only about war and aggression. But the desire to develop this massive $2million+ initiative by the Foreign Ministry reveals that the country is aware that its image has been badly tarnished.This campaign has a sinister resemblance to President Obama's televised "Happy New Year" wish to the Iranian people. Though very eloquent in its delivery, it lacks the substance that Iran has repeatedly said the U.S. was missing in its intention for change.
The world is abundantly aware of Israel's contribution to the arts, science, medicine, and other fields of specialty. It is foolish to believe that by diffusing kudos about those achievements will blunt the impact the country has had by its latest attack on the Gaza Strip, and the ensuing threat of an inquiry by the International Criminal Court at the Hague for war crimes. I can't imagine that showing a lovely beach on Israel's coast is going to dissuade its critics.
Several countries have severed diplomatic ties with Israel to include Venezuela, Bolivia and Mauritania. From March 1 through 8, 2009, 54 cities participated in an Israel Apartheid Week event. On the event's website, which was initially launched in Toronto, I found a horrifying description on the home page: This year, IAW occurred in the wake of Israel's barbaric assault against the people of Gaza. Lectures, films, and actions made the point that these latest massacres further confirm the true nature of Israeli Apartheid. IAW 2009 continued to build and strengthen the growing Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement at a global level.
Turkey, one of Israel's closest ally, distanced itself somewhat following the Gaza War, and the disagreement that took place between PM Erdogan and President Peres in Davos. How can any image campaign whitewash the election of Avigdor Lieberman? Deny that Netanyahu is not favorable to a two-state solution? Reverse the damage done by those IDF soldierswho came forward to describe atrocities they were committing in Gaza during the war? Here's one testimony by those soldiers as reported by Wsws.org:
"We were supposed to go in with an armored personnel carrier called an Achzarit [literally, "cruel"] to burst through the lower door, to start shooting inside and then ... I call this murder ... in effect, we were supposed to go up floor by floor, and any person we identified—we were supposed to shoot. The general attitude among the troops was that [inside Gaza] you are allowed to do anything you want, to break down doors of houses for no reason other than it's cool ... to write ‘death to Arabs' on the walls, to take family pictures and spit on them, just because you can."
No amount of propaganda can erase the report by Richard Falk upon his return from Gaza; the European Union's Solana has declared that it would reconsider its relationship with Israel if it did not commit to a two-state solution. And now, there are the voices of J Street, who feel that in order to ensure Israel's continuity as a state, that we must help them change course, as the current climate will not be conducive to a long lasting peace.
Prior to the attack on Gaza, Israel had prepared a massive PR campaign that included videos on Youtube and email messages, all geared to demonize the Palestinian people and justify its attack. That did not work very well. Neither will this post war campaign.
