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Beware the organised online Pro-Israeli PR campaign

Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:06 pm
by roid
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 32,00.html
Israel backed by army of cyber-soldiers

From Yonit Farago in Jerusalem

WHILE Israel fights Hezbollah with tanks and aircraft, its supporters are campaigning on the internet.

Israel’s Government has thrown its weight behind efforts by supporters to counter what it believes to be negative bias and a tide of pro-Arab propaganda. The Foreign Ministry has ordered trainee diplomats to track websites and chatrooms so that networks of US and European groups with hundreds of thousands of Jewish activists can place supportive messages.

In the past week nearly 5,000 members of the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) have downloaded special “megaphone” software that alerts them to anti-Israeli chatrooms or internet polls to enable them to post contrary viewpoints. A student team in Jerusalem combs the web in a host of different languages to flag the sites so that those who have signed up can influence an opinion survey or the course of a debate.

Jonny Cline, of the international student group, said that Jewish students and youth groups with their understanding of the web environment were ideally placed to present another side to the debate.

“We’re saying to these people that if Israel is being bashed, don’t ignore it, change it,” Mr Cline said. “A poll like CNN’s takes just a few seconds to vote in, but if thousands take part the outcome will be changed. What’s vital is that the international face of the conflict is balanced.”

Doron Barkat, 29, in Jerusalem, spends long nights trawling the web to try to swing the debate Israel’s way. “When I see internet polls for or against Israel I send out a mailing list to vote for Israel,” he said. “It can be that after 15 minutes there will be 400 votes for Israel.

“It’s very satisfying. There are also forums where Lebanese and Israelis talk.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry must avoid direct involvement with the campaign but is in contact with international Jewish and evangelical Christian groups, distributing internet information packs.

Amir Gissin, the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s public relations director, said: “The internet’s become a leading tool for news, shaping the world view of millions. Our problem is the foreign media shows Lebanese suffering, but not Israeli. We’re bypassing that filter by distributing pictures showing how northern Israelis suffer from Katyusha rocket attacks.”
(i can of course produce other sources)

here's the wikipedia article about the software used called Megaphone Desktop Tool.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaphone_desktop_tool

we don't need to worry about Public Relations 'plants' in this forum, since it's pretty obvious to the regulars when someone 'just signed up yesterday'. But by jove these largescale PR techniques are sure to be sweating the bigger scale targets - like the Wikipedia. Feel sorry for them :(

Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:48 pm
by dissent
Beware??

I'm more bemused. I say, beware of any propaganda, from whatever source.

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:06 am
by Testiculese
An internet poll shapes the minds of the masses?!

haha

Oh wait, it probably does...

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:25 am
by Flabby Chick
lol

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 1:26 pm
by Nightshade
Heaven forbid Israel should advocate it's own continued existance.

When will the leftists get it that once the islamic fascists are done with Israel, they'll be next on the hitlist?

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:21 pm
by Zuruck
What is a \"leftist\"?

Why not let Israel fight it's own battle? By that, I mean let's quit giving them tanks, helicopters, planes, nukes, boats, and everything else. What to know why they hate us? There ya go.

TB, I don't care about Palestine, but I don't care about Israel either. I don't defend Israel because there is no reason to, I have no affilitation with that country, they came to a land where they aren't wanted, and a fight ensues. They want to fight and they fight to protect themselves.

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:35 pm
by Will Robinson
Zuruck wrote:they came to a land where they aren't wanted, and a fight ensues.
Is that what happened?!? I must have missed that week in history class.

And this foriegn policy you advocate, 'not aiding a country that you have no affiliation with.' Will this apply to all countries you have no affiliation with? Or do you mean all countries you and your fellow citizens have no affiliation with?

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:59 pm
by CUDA
Will Robinson wrote:
Zuruck wrote:they came to a land where they aren't wanted, and a fight ensues.
Is that what happened?!? I must have missed that week in history class.
Will, that was the chapter called History of the World according to Zurich, I think that the next thing he learns about how the mid-east was formed will be the first.
I'm at work so I cant link the site, but if anyone thinks that Palestine isn't playin this as a HUGE propganda war is mistaken. Google Pallywood and watch the Vid. of course it would probably carry more clout with the left side of the fence if it was made by Michael Moore or some other lefty.
OHH WAIT IT WAS
QUOTE "Pallywood is the name of a short 2005 documentary/video, produced by American historian and self-described "pro-Israel leftist"[1] Richard Landes, that asserts that Palestinian video journalists stage events in order to put Israel's policies in an unfavorable light. Landes believes that this type of propaganda dates back to at least the war in Lebanon in 1982." but I guess you need to be something other than an Anti-semite to appreciate it :roll:

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:35 pm
by roid
indeed, if winning is the only objective then it's in all side's interests to fight the PR war. But when keeping your values intact is also a goal, you have to go about it differently.

I myself have on occasion trawled online expousing my \"drugs are good\" agenda. I don't just post and run though (ie: spam), that's bad form.
(hi there Thunderbunny :lol:)
It's better to be there to actually listen and understand people - at least that way you'll better learn howto fight your fight - your arguments always refining themselves to have the most effective impact on the audience. Basically you have to work out ways to best cut through group-think http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink.

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:35 pm
by Lothar
OMG NOES! Teh jooooooooos sometimes spam online polls regarding Israel and other Middle East issues! It's not like that's ever been done by any other group, like, say, Descent players every time there's a \"best game evar\" poll. :roll:

Nothing insidious here. People have decided they're sick of seeing a one-sided debate, so they've gone out and posted the other side. They just happen to be organized -- just like other online advocacy groups (DailyKOS, etc.)

-----

Z, why not let Israel fight its own battle? Because they're our ally -- not just on paper, but ideologically. Not just against Islamic Fascism, but for many forms of freedom we hold dear. We fight with them because, like England and Australia and even France, we share common goals and values, and our common enemies do not.
It's better to be there to actually listen and understand people - at least that way you'll better learn howto fight your fight - your arguments always refining themselves to have the most effective impact on the audience.
I agree. Notice the change in attitudes toward Christians on this board over the past 8 years. And notice how we didn't take Cpt.DeFay seriously. All things to think about...

Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:07 am
by Flabby Chick
The Nukes that we \"don't\" have (:P) didnt come from the US Sunshine.

Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:23 am
by woodchip
Last time I checked the Israeli made Uzi is exported to the U.S. So are they supplying arms to America?

Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:55 am
by Will Robinson
woodchip wrote:Last time I checked the Israeli made Uzi is exported to the U.S. So are they supplying arms to America?
It's part of a two prong assault on the ghetto. The CIA gets them high on drugs and people like the jews give them guns so they'll start shooting themselves.

By the way, lest someone think I'm spewing FOX hatred, this isn't my idea this was the platform that Maxine Waters ran on for re-election to U.S. Congress from the Watts district of Los Angeles California.