Opinion  Others
Tzipi, you failed
Zvi Mazel
Published: 24.08.06, 11:09
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31. Where is Alon Pinkas ?
come back ,   and save us   (08.24.06)
32. Tsipi gets an F
Rivkah ,   Jerusalem   (08.24.06)
Mazel is basically correct. But Tsipi Livni's English is so pathetic that maybe it is better if she doesn't speak. Our work was partially done by bloggers, Anglos living in Israel, Diaspora Jews, old hands from the Foreign Ministry, Netanyahu and Christians. Organizations like The Israel Project also did their share. But it's not enough. The government still doesn't get it and has no idea about the importance of the media, public diplomacy and the like. She is not suited for the job. That is understatement.
33. SHE IS OK IN OFFICE SECRETARY NOT A STATE SECRETARY!!!!
libi brown   (08.24.06)
You failed desperately the state of Israel.You are the worse foreign secretary israel has ever had. IT IS HIGH TIME YOU LET SOMEBODY WITH THE RIGHT CV TO DO THE JOB YOU COULD NOT perform. !!!!!
34. Israel's spokespersons are far too placatory
(08.24.06)
The issue of Israel's catastrophic media failure over the terror war waged on it by Lebanon/Hizbullah/Syria/Iran is not just about Tzipi Livni. Every time I see an Israeli representative on TV (it's most often Mark Regev on UK television) I wish they would be less defensive, less placatory and less apologetic. I want to see the spokesperson really taking the attack to the media antisemites. I want her/him to refuse to play to the antisemites' agenda, to expose their false assumptions, to raise the real issues and to rip their lies mercilessly to shreds. And in a tone devoid of any apologetic element. Let's be frank, those who attack Israel in the media are endorsing terrorism. Their dishonesty, hypocrisy and hatred must be exposed aggressively and ruthlessly. When will we have people who will do this?
35. Tzipi, you failed
A.Harrison ,   Listowel, CANADA   (08.24.06)
Why has no Israeli official refuted the report of the Gaza Beach, what really happened at Qana , or the supposed deliberate bombing of Red Cross ambulances? When has Israel demand Kofi retract his statement that Israel deliberately fired upon UNIFIL forces or call for his resignation ? Why has no Israelite official demanded the Lebanese not “recruit” Hizbullah as part of the Lebanese forces? To get some “other” information regarding the slick marketing and recuitment of our own media in this propaganda media war for the moral gound visit: “Little Green Footballs” and “Zombietime.” This will be an interesting read, I guarantee it. http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/ http://www.zombietime.com/fraud/ambulance/ Clearly Hizbullah knows how to distort, exploit and manipulate the media with lies and fabrications. Why hasn't Israel shown the world she can dispense TRUTH? Israel clearly lost this last war mostly because she has not understood how to present the media with TRUTH.
36. Extending the model of defending Israel
Jack G ,   Palo Alto, CA, USA   (08.24.06)
Defending Israel has meant defending her physical assets: people and territory. That model of defense should be extended to include defending her image in the world. The order of battle, the battleground and the tools of conflict are different: one must deal with lies and prejudices and ignorance, but the assets are vital.
37. ISRAELI LEADERS MUST IMPROVE ON THEIR WESTERN PR SKILLS
dp ,   central coast, usa   (08.24.06)
it is abundantly clear that Israel is lacking in its ability to sell its story abroad. in less then a decade I've seem Israel's name tarnished by blatant anti-semitism, masked as anti-zionism. the world has forgotten the plight of the Jewish people and exchanged their feelings of sympathy for disdain. why? because we've allowed the arabs to manipulate what we interpret as the differences between knowing whats right and knowing whats wrong. Political Correctness in the USA stems from a shame we feel from our discriminatory practices which permiate throughout our society. While in many cases these behaviors are unfounded, in Israel its just the opposite. Arabs do carry out terror attacks, so much so that you can almost guarentee that if a terror attack occurs an arab has perpatrated it. hence the security and scrutiny at checkpoints. however, westerners see it differently, innocent until proven guilty, each individual must be judged by his or her own actions, collective punishment unjust for societies that glorify individual rights. they see the ethnic arabs in Israel as indivuals and not as a collective body and therefore cannot differntiate. arabs have succeeded in this arena as well, by playing the role of the victom and using the right language, freedom fighter, sounds better then, militant terrorist. Sometimes they choose words which try and deduce the crimes they've commited, martyr instead, schoolbus murderer.
38. Sorry I omitted name on #34 above
Larry ,   Eastbourne, UK   (08.24.06)
39. Getting worse?
Haifa, Israel   (08.24.06)
Did I just read correctly in the headlines that she has accepted that Hizbollah will be absorbed into "Lebanese politics"? In other words, that the destruction of Israel will become a principal component of the leadership?
40. OLMERT AND THE WHOLE GANG NEED TO GO --NOW--
(08.24.06)
41. one week beforem the war
naaela ,   jerusalem   (08.24.06)
on one of the check points .two israili soldiers laughed at me and my sister saying sherin abou akleh and jefara albuderi ..now i laughed about yor top woman livni
42. Abba Eden Where are you?
Sandman ,   Ann Arbor USA   (08.24.06)
..... With elogent english sentances Abba Eden presented the Isreali peoples point of view with great pride to the whole world..Livni eluqution is a poor imatation presented for a governance to a pretenious world in which political correctness defends corrupt politicans tring to save thier own skins for their ineptiude but does not sereve the people of state of Isreal.
43. Forget Tzipi - Modern Media, Warfare & Long Term Solutions
Ozraeli ,   Australia   (08.24.06)
Forget Tzipi, although she could have done her job better. Emergency solutions rarely work. When there is intense coverage, it is impossible to "shape" coverage, unless you have prepared ahead, & created the infrastructure. Everyone is clamouring for attention. Do you want to solve the problem, or deal with the symptoms? Israel has 5 main problems with international presentation: 1. Israel is too far, too small, too polarising, too inconsequential for most large, affluent, insular, Western populations. They would rather be shallow, noncommittal & dismissive-it is easier to get upset about their local football teams; 2. Israelis, with the committed, focussed, "eyeball to eyeball" nature of life in Israel, think that Westerners simply understand the situation. We are a modern Western democracy also, no??! THIS NOT TRUE... Israel is different, from the very reason of its creation and existence. 3. Modern Western, soft, politically correct, matriarchial (mootzeleh-pootezelh!) "human rights" oriented, media manipulated societies don't know historical context, facts, geopolitics, culture, or know how cheap and cruel life is in the ME... 4. Israel does not present substantiation forcefully-air photos of rockets firing from population centers, satellite images of the tiny areas destroyed (not the ground level, tightly framed, CNN/BBC heartrending rubble; 5. Thickly accented, inarticulate, non media savvy, politician gloryhounds... There are too few Alon Pinkas’, Danny Gillermans, Bibis, etc. How can a nation formed by “Kibbutz Galiot’” not have articulate spokespeople in every conceivable language? UNDERSTANDING MODERN MEDIA Israelis do not understand "the enemy" - foreign media, the size & diversity of foreign populations, cultures targeted, & ESPECIALLY, savage economic competition for advertising, viewers, & ratings. The NY & LA Times (& many others) are slowly going broke, print readership is sinking; bloggers, cable TV, & the Internet is replacing newspapers & free TV. The media caters to their audience, & they need the dramatic, visual, simple, sensational, emotional, quick fix material. THEY HAVE TO "SELL". Israel needs to treat international media differently. THIS MEANS BEING MUCH BETTER PREPARED, MUCH TOUGHER, & NOT LETTING THEM BE DISHONEST. In 2002,when Jenin "massacres" were being screamed about, & CNN was trying to push it's new Arabic network, there was a storm of protest by US Jewry, & much US advertising was being pulled. CNN's VP, Eason Jordan promptly flew over, & coverage changed. When Danny Seaman of the Govt. Press Office notified the BBC that Israel was ceasing cooperation, suddenly the BBC got much fairer. YOU CANNOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO LIBEL YOU FROM WITHIN, WITH YOUR COOPERATION. Email & letter writing campaigns, cancelling advertising, & political pressure works. When politicians & media networks "Feel the heat... they see the light!" The long term solution? All solutions work in parallel, but I believe that ISRAEL NEEDS AN INTERNATIONAL TV STATION. Worldwide exposure & cultural education is the key.
44. Forget Tzipi - Modern Media, Warfare & Long Term Solutions 2
Ozraeli ,   Australia   (08.24.06)
All solutions work in parallel, but I believe that ISRAEL NEEDS AN INTERNATIONAL TV STATION. Worldwide exposure & cultural education is the key. In an era where you can subscribe on any cable TV suppler to Al Jazeera, Japanese, Greek, & a multitude of ethnic and/or slanted, shallow, sensationalist national "news" programmes (sourced from English JPost & HaAretz!), the fact that Israel does not have an internationally available TV channel is horrifying. With the amazing creativity, intelligence, insight, humour, contacts with Hollywood, PR firms, international culture, & politics available to Israel, there should be a 24 hour worldwide Israel channel. News, IDF press conferences, MULTILINGUAL NEWS, documentaries, historical context, in depth analysis, interviews, classic movies, & even comedians, highlighting Israel's humanity, warmth, reason for existence, & struggle to exist in a sea of Islamofascist barbarians & corrupt, oil funded, clan driven ganglords. Internet sites are passive, & controlled by the reader searching. TV is an active medium, content is controlled, & can be a constant background & reference feed. Most material can be existent material & historical archives, saving money. Only current material needs to be live, & translated or subtitiled in real time or in short delay. Education & cultural exposure is done over years, as societies become exposed to foreign ideas, & more understanding of them. Not to equate the extremes, but look at what the Palestinians have done over time, and the "mainstreaming" of Gay & Lesbian TV programmes. Once acceptable (or unacceptable) behaviour has changed. Divorce, women’s rights, abortion, persecuting gays, racial discrimination... scapegoating Jews, Israel, anti Semitism… Israel has world class... everything. It needs to present & "sell" itself accordingly - NO MORE EXCUSES. NO MORE MEDIOCRITY. BEING RIGHT IS NOT ENOUGH. As a classmate of mine used to say: "Ata tzodek, aval ata lo mishachnaiah!" (You’re right, but you’re not persuasive!”). Be right, AND persuasive!
45. Liars, how do u expect anybody to trust u?
Rose ,   Bahrain   (08.24.06)
nobody trusts Israeli media because they tell false news ..AlManar says that 5 IDF soldiers died and Israel denies it ..5 hours later Israel admits it!!! how do you expect anyone to believe your media ???..besides news from battelfield is banned and media crew were not allowed to report any thing so in parctice Israel was releasing news by drops while other TV channes were flooding the world with their reports ... is this your democracy????
47. We liked her...
Rita ,   California, USA   (08.25.06)
When we DID see her on American TV, most of the people I know liked her, liked what she said, and thought she should be heard from more. We didn't mind her accent at all, she speaks slowly, but that makes her come across as more thoughtful. We also like Mark Regev. One thing I do know is that the media failure can't be pinned on her alone. The biggest boon to your enemies are articles like THIS ONE, where you attack, insult, and second guess yourselves. They thrive on your self-doubt and self-examination and salivate on the thought that you are becoming unhinged. Stop airing your dirty laundry in public during this time of war! If you can't show a sign of unity and strenghth of resolve, GOING SILENT would be better.
48. Tzipi
Shmuel ,   California, USA   (08.25.06)
WE saw her and heard her in the USA on TV almost nightly. She painted as good a picture on the action as she could. We also liked her candid approach
49. Not the accent 47
Burt ,   Sweden   (08.25.06)
Tzipi can not speak English worth a darn and every American I know that heard her was so embarrassed they asked me turn off the news. She comes across like an idiot. It is not an accent. To have an accent, you must first be able to speak the language.
50. Tzipi
Hilda ,   USA   (08.25.06)
Just another pretty face. No Zip in her Tzipi makes her a ti when Israeli needs a zip
51. Tzpi LIVNI DECEIVES for Palestinian Authority
Linda Rivera ,   New York   (08.25.06)
YNETNEWS Livni: Hizbullah will be political body once disarmed Ronny Sofer Published: 08.24.06, 18:26 Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Wednesday afternoon that following the changes jumpstarted by the UN resolution and the disarming of Hizbullah , the organization will become an integral part of Lebanese politics. This was reported by the internet news site of Italian newspaper, La Republica... Livni also referred to the Palestinian issue saying that efforts must be concentrated on preventing the Palestinian Authority from turning into a terrorist entity... http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3295406,00.html Livni deliberately deceives! The Palestinian Authority is a TERRORIST entity ! Livni is fully aware that every single one of the Palestinian Authority security services are involved in terrorist attacks against Israel. Israel's security is in the hands of Israeli leaders who deliberately deceive for enemies sworn to Israel's destruction. Livni also implies that once Hizbullah - Iran's guerrilla army - is disarmed it will become a harmless political body! Hizbullah will NEVER disarm! Why the deceptions? Iran has stated repeatedly their goal is to wipe Israel off the map and destroy America.
52. Tzipi: A flirt in a skirt
Mordecai ,   Tel Aviv   (08.25.06)
Swish, swish, swish. Look at me. I'm cute. Useless, but cute....Tzipi
53. Livni
Lilly   (08.25.06)
When I saw Tzipi Livni on TV I was embarrassed. She cannot say one correct sentence in English and SHE IS THE FOREIGN MINISTER. AND AMIR PEREZT IS MINISTER OF DEFENSE. That's the problem with the Israeli electoral system. You vote for a party, you don't elect a representative who would have campaigned for the job and showed what he could do.
54. A piece of humble advice...from Germany :-)
Patrick ,   Siegen, Germany   (08.26.06)
The Forum is a bit harsh to her (and the administration). Consider this: MSM around the world just had more interesting people to talk to and to report about ...thugs and people with GREEN helmets got considerable airtime. Explosion here, crying people there... Calm people talking about the real issues... nah, nobody wants to watch that. It's up to the media of any given country to act responsible. See for yourself--> The interview with Tzipi Livni was publicised as headline on Spiegel.de and the weekly print Der Spiegel. AFAIK the root-site of Spiegel.de gets 130 Mill. views per month. Plus they have set up an international section... Take a look (in english) http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,428447,00.html Plus: The debunking of Israel's "Chemical" warfare against Lebanon by German TV magazine Report (w/english subtitles) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDwqFMIPhbs Plus: The Green-Helmet-Guy LIVE as Hisbollywood director in action (w/english subtitles) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vPAkc5CLgc How Germans see Ahmedinnerjacket --> http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,grossbild-587307-411790,00.html Dear Isrealis... I know it is the strength of our societies to analyse our shortfalls...OK. Got it. But at the moment it you remind me very much of my own people who get carried away too easily... There is a piece in the "Germany Survival Bible" on just how pessimistic Germans tend to be... http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,416230,00.html Reminds me a bit of the current mood in this discussion Please don't take that path... Well, have a good one!
55. false and exaggerated images coming out of Lebanon"?????????
Palistinian   (08.26.06)
56. Livni: Just another dumb blond promoted over her head
Avram ,   Israel   (08.28.06)
Israel can't afford Livni's bungling ineptness. We live in a tough neighborhood and can only survive if we have the best leadership. Livni's mediocrity does not serve Israel's best interests.
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