Who said that these students are charedim? Ask any charedi in the street who is Bar Refaeli, and he would shrug the shoulders. The Torah Jews don't take interest in the models and their private lives. Nor are they interested in the Israeli symbols chosen by the secular authorities or in the fact that these models don't serve in the army. Most probable that these protesting students are religious zionists. Please stop bashing the charedim for no reason - they are no longer in the government!

might help promote dental surgeon tourism in Israel.

Enough is enough. these people are free to live as they wish. but they don't have to dictate what is good or not for the israeli people. Yesh Atid !! Yes BAR wil be a decisive image abroad for Israel , it's just a great idea !

And don't play that "if the shoe were on the other foot" game. Jews have always been a minority and have been forever persecuted, so we have earned the right to discriminate. If you have a problem with that you can just go back to where you came from.

We've been over-saturated with Ms. Refaeli's antics, down to her, gross, provocative, sucking kiss for goDaddy's PR bit. There are thousands of bright and beautiful Israelis in universities and Israeli Forces. Israel media: time to stop playing Hollywood, retire Refaeli, and present a fresh, intelligent, accomplished face of Israel to the world.

Hmmmm...let me think, whose face would I want on a PR campaign...Bar the beautiful who commands instant attention, or some bearded dude in 18th century clothing? If you pick the hairy guy, you may just be the reason a PR campaign is needed in the first place.

She shouldn't represent Israel because she's a draft dodger and doesn't spend enough time in Israel. However she's a better representative than the Haraedim who have no connection with gentiles and that's the reason we need a representative to begin with. Being known outside of Israel in a positive way by people other than Jews is a requirement to represent the state of Israel.

NO - So much for "Equality"

With racism and holier than thou attitudes to the world, sort of like modern day religious pharisees. It is the opposite spirit in which Jesus (Yeshua) presented when He told the religious leaders to put their stones down who wanted to kill the woman caught in adultery. He said, the one not guilty before God, should throw the first stone, and no one could. Yeshua came to deliver the Heredim from their spiritual blindness too.

Your day of dreck bafailin is over... Move over and assume the position. You are about to be rolled. It couldn't have have happened to a more deserving crowd of schnorrers. You are yesterdays news....

draft dodgers. Take away their citizenship and throw them into prison. raphaeli should have served a prison sentence of three times the amount of time she should have served in the I.D.F. She does not represent those of us that served in the security forces.

who did not even serve in the army! What's HER merit? Her parents' genes that made her beautiful?

I don not feel she is a suitable role model.....evaded her army service amongs other negative actions

If you want gentiles to love Israel, choosing an Israeli celebrity who loves gentiles seems reasonable to me

unless Israel wants to be seen as a land of whores. And my words now do not mean to be offensive to this woman because they are true words an this woman would not care since recently she made a propaganda offering herself to any man or woman ,and the first to offer 10000 dolars(or something similar)would be the first to enjoy "the pleasures" of being with her at bed. She also made a propaganda kissing an apparently ill man in an obcene manner. PLEASE,do not use this WHORE because Israel is in the verge to sink to an abyss if it keeps implementing such stupid"ideas". It would be better the world didn´t know this disgusted woman is Israeli or Jewish.

Talking of serving in the army, how about encourging their flock of brainwashed zombies to get an education, serve in the IDF, get a job and pay taxes, nice try to divert the attention away. With their track record of riots, attacking women etc they are a dark evil side to Israel and do not represent this country.

Israel cannot use her for PR.

Beautiful, bright, served her country- the PERFECT person to show the world what Israel is all about. Bar is a pretty woman- but shallow. (I apologize to you, Bar, but this is the impression you give to everyone. Is there more there?)

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present two Noble prize winners to do the presenting? arafat and obama. Not nearly as beautiful as the lady.

As a regular poster on Trip Advisor who reads the questions and concerns of perspective Israeli tourists, Israel DOES need to show the carefree, laid back aspect of its' society. Most don't relate to Nobel Prize winners! THAT being said, I 100% agree that Israel MUST use a model who has also served in the army. As Israeli society moves towards greater participation by everyone in the IDF, using Bar Refaeli is a oxymoronic choice and a slap in the face to the majority of Israelis.

"We offer you our pretty women". Absolutely brilliant.

To Replace Bar With One Of Those Guys In 18th Century Eastern European Garb. One of those guys with the little curls dangling from the sides of his head or maybe one with the little box on top of his forehead. And make sure he signs a pledge that he has never had sexual relations with a Gentile woman or better yet has only had sex with a Jewish woman through a hole in the bedsheet!

I agree, Israel should not have a beautiful model representing itself, I suggest a haredi type, long beard, overweight, 10 plus kids and wife, struggling along with a worn out shietel in place. Only true jews.. need I say more.

Bar Rafeli indeed did not serve in the army and made several anti patriotic statements. She cannot represent the state for that reason and that reason alone. Considering how the state used to refrain from using celebrities in state sponsored shows if they didn't serve, this comes out as blatant hypocrisy.

She has not aged well.

Is this what we want? Good Grief, let's come to our senses and not use this 'lady' to symbolize Israel. We gotten on for over 60 years with out big boobs and we can do another 60 with out her!