This ain't question of PR. They do what they can do in these crazy circumstances. This is rather a question of ill decisions by the administration, the ministers and especially the of the modyin and the navy chief. The soldiers from sayert did their job, but nobody told them what to expect.

Israel's government: Are you listening?

Why isn't there a "share" option on the English version of Y net?

Yashar Koach..you've got my vote

Ok the PR was horrible, but what about the decision made to commit this stupid blunder. Now dump on Barak.

Wake up you dolts in government!! Winning the PR battle is AS important as winning any military battle.

how can anyone defend such a piracy...

Some of the comedic crap on youtube is embarrassing. There is a song that parodies We are the World, but it is about the flotilla. It won't win sympathy from anyone.

Only in Israel can we read so-called "journalists" planning and encouraging a crass and dishonest state propaganda made of deception and lies, against any kind of journalism ethics. It is appalling mister Yair Lapid, thus congratulation for being a fraud.

The UN does not acknowledge the Israeli/Egyptian blockade of Gaza, and, in spite of what that disgusting thug Lieberman says, conditions in Gaza are a humanitarian disaster. Israeli aid into Gaza, with their severe restrictions on medicines, food, and construction material needed to rebuild after the wanton destruction of Cast Lead, has been a pathetic farce, and the regime of Israel, that vile coalition of suited savages where the bestial Lieberman finds his home, has steadfastly refused all efforts by the international community to provide aid through non-provocative, non-confrontational means. The international citizens aboard the aid flotilla were trying to do what their own governments should be doing: breaking this illegal, inhumane siege of Gaza to bring humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. The Israeli regime, determined that no one interferes with their brutal punishment of the people of Gaza, sent their forces to intercept the aid flotilla in international waters with the deliberate intention of killing unarmed civilians as an example to others who would dare thwart them and to show the world they are capable of committing any crime with impunity. Otherwise they would have simply disabled the rudders and towed the ships to port. Under cover of darkness in the early morning, Israeli naval vessels surrounded the flotilla's flagship and fired on it before masked, black-clad commandos rappelled down from a helicopter. This was an act of piracy, pure and simple, and international maritime law gives the crew of ships attacked in international waters the right to defend themselves. When their attack was met by a legitimate defence from the civilians aboard the ship, these pirate commandos did more than simply defend themselves. Amongst those who they murdered was an elderly man who bled to death, an Indonesian doctor shot in the stomach, a photographer shot in the forehead, and a high school student shot five times at close range, four times in his head and once in his chest, and the wounded in hospital all have shot wounds to the head and body. There are reports of commandos with stun guns assaulting passengers who had formed a ring around the ship’s bridge, of savage beatings of elderly activists as they lay on the deck, and other acts of excessive violence. The defence of the ship by the civilian activists was called off only after the Israeli pirates took hostage the son of the ship’s captain and threatened to harm him. A search by the pirates after they took control of the ship discovered no arms or other weapons. Following the attack on their flagship the international citizens aboard the humanitarian flotilla were then forcibly removed to Israel and for several days were incarcerated and kept incommunicado. Lawyers and human rights groups who tried to track down those who had been injured and where they being treated were intentionally obstructed by the Tel Aviv regime. During this officially enforced communication black-out the regime force-fed the world its foul narrative accusing the peace activists of being armed terrorists in league with Hamas and al Qaeda. Before the aid activists were even released this false narrative was enthusiastically adopted by the political elites of Washington and its European poodles and Canadian lapdog, and this blatant attack on their own citizens in international waters has been treasonously supported and condoned. What would happen if Iran did all this? Would the US support their version before hearing from activists? Emboldened, this dark regime in Tel Aviv, those psychotic monsters who orchestrated this atrocity, have refused to allow an independent international investigation and have vowed to repeat it when the situation next arises

While by Yair Lapid's standards the 'PR' was not up to Israeli standards I think that his suggestion that the gov't should try to mislead the world about what had happened by putting out faked evidence of weapons for viewing on the beach is what the world expects. The national obsession in Israel with creating the best hasbara as all you need to justify illegal acts is self delusional. The world does not believe the PR because of such a long history of deceptions and lies put forth by Israel.

Why don't you lend a hand in time of crisis instead of ripping on others for standing up for Israel, no matter how amateur their efforts are? It certainly seems like you are taking advantage of a bad situation to score some political points and settle scores. That's just tasteless.

When Israelis finally realize that there are no effective, long-run PR strategies when the underlying position being defended is morally reprehensible, only then will they commit to the only obvious choice remaining: Ending the Occupation.

As far as much of the world is concerned Israel's very existence is a crime and everything Israel does to defend itself and its existence is a crime. You do not seem to understand this basic reality. Whether it is from Rome in antiquity or Berlin or London or Washington, the decision is that Jews or Israel is so hated that its existence and defense is a nuisance to be rid of.

Mr. Lapid, I think you would be a good candidate for the job. We need you.

In the 21st Century with the Internet and cheap instant communication, information is a weapon as powerful as a nuclear bomb, and Israel has been caught defenseless. It's astounding--with all the Yiddishe kopfs in Israel and the diaspora, especially with all the native English speakers here in America, Israel is being pounded and overpowered intellectually. There's no excuse for a massive Israeli PR effort that not only includes activity in Israel, but also efforts to organize American Jews to flood blogs, radio talk shows, letters to the editor, etc. with pro-Israeli opinions. There should be organized protests and headline-grabbing events that demonstrate support for Israel. Israel's complete inactivity, ineptitude and sheer avoidance of this matter is simply alarming. The anti-Israel forces have all the momentum and are gaining steam fast. Israel needs to act fast to reverse this runaway train.

PR stinks. They are tuck in the 1950's. Get some professionals to train them. Ayalon, et al are great guys, and actually have the cajones, strength of convictions, and care for Judaism, that Yair lapid lacks. However when it comes to PR Lapid could run a circle around them

I dont think anyone knew what to expect.

If someone spit in your face, you would brush it off that it must be raining. You people are so far removed living your total secular, empty life, that anything religious or even Jewish is repulsive to you, and you spend all your time spewing hatred. You won't take a moment to try to understand your Rich heritage, you want to be an AM CHOFSHEE, so be it. The World doesn't work that way. Whether you like it or not, there is a GOD in this World. Like your friend Defner said "I BLAME MY COUNTRY". Everything that happens to us is Self Inflicted, by a society that wants to live as a FREE PEOPLE in the Land of Israel which is bound to RULES. Not once have I seem you talk about "What really would happened if, we would live like JEWS a little. What would our live be like then! To all Life, there is Death. What has your way brought us...........Amateur

This is excellent constructive criticism regarding our media failures over the flotilla interception. Now, how can we ensure that these valuable pointers, make it to the right desks? It's time to hire some professionals ... FAST!

More hasbara, more explanations, more PR is not the issue. The world doesn't care what you say, it cares what you do. Israel did the wrong thing. No PR can change that.

yair, agreeing with you on many issues of israels PR "kindergarden", i beg to differ with your proposal to deliberately use "staged" pictures (like presenting arms from ships captured earlier) to preempt media assault. Do we need really these kind of "tricks" to get our side of the story out?If yes, too bad.

Yair nu, with your expertise is it not time you join politics.You are needed. Enough with Fridays news. get moving.The house is burning.

I have even better idea. Israel movie makers should have distributed computerized images providing a proof for whatever reality fits they current modus operandi. Why bother with reality on the ground anyway. Virtual reality is way better.

This is no different, PR is one of those things Israel does not and never has known a thing about. The palestinians are the underdogs and the liberal westerners love to see the underdog beat the odds and defeat their stronger enemy ... its romantic. With the rocket attacks in the western media the palestinians only have homemade rockets whilst Israel has hi-tec missiles fired from F16s. The fact that both can kill doesn't matter the underdog isn't fighting on a level playing field which isn't fair. On the ship the passengers only had metal bars but the soldiers had guns Not a level playing field so Israel is in the wrong. Israel doesn't know how to counter that romantic image and so its never been any good at PR and probably never will be.

Israel’s image has been utterly shredded to bits and it will be a long, long time before it ever recovers. Israel has shown the world that when attacked with such ‘weapons of terror’ as knifes and spoons (not to mention those terrifying ‘plates’) that it freaks out and guns civilians down. Of course this is not news, Israel has been killing Palestinian civilians for years with such feeble excuses as “well he was throwing stones at soldiers and stones can kill you know?” The difference this time is that the world’s media was focused on Israel (thanks to this flotilla) and witnessed the utter brutality of the IDF first hand. Israel was held up to a window test and it failed miserable to show any restraint or moral judgment. This event could well be the tipping point where global public opinion forces Israel to change it barbaric way.