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Israeli flight attendants turn diplomats
Ronen Medzini
Published: 16.03.11, 18:22
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1. wise-up
Sheik Rattle & Roll ,   USA   (03.16.11)
The US & Canadian support for Israel is the highest. I would think that they would go where support for Israel is at it's lowest.
2. Incredible
sasha ,   Bilbao, basque   (03.16.11)
Of course, israel has now a commisar as FM who tries to make everybody an emmisarry. This is so pathetic. BTW, if ELAL flight attendants would run this campaign this will be a disaster- they are so rude!!!!
3. Flight attendants
Mickael ,   Paris   (03.16.11)
Ridiculous. Who will pays attention to them ?
4. Eretz Nehederet from El Al?
Baruch Jamili ,   Bat Yam   (03.16.11)
Let's keep plastering over the cracks. Let's do in-flight PR and that way we'll begin to believe our own propaganda, that this is all just a passing phase, that it really isn't us, but some other Jewish state: racists in Safed burning Arab cars after a Jewish-Arab students dialogue, rabbis promoting racism, rabbis calling the trial of an ex-President "gentile" because one of the judges was an Arab, Chardalnikim (Orthodox, Religious, Nationalists) justifying everything we do in the occupation with a suitable quote from the Torah, children of foreign workers facing deportation, a government that is lead once again by a man who reads what he thinks is the public mood each day and uses that as the basis for his policies, a long list of friends we used to have, etc etc. El Al would be better off running sub-titled episodes of the satire show Eretz Nehederet with the regular summary - Remember We Have Beautiful Country.
5. It's a good idea and here's another:
Sue ,   Los Angeles   (03.16.11)
in addition to having the wonderful El Al people as goodwill ambassadors, the Foreign Ministry should create little videos for YouTube (w/ professional quality like those of the Tourism Ministry). You will understand why when you search for "Israel" see the dismal selection of videos.
6. El Al staff as goodwill ambassadors
Geoff ,   Geneva, Switzerland   (03.16.11)
I personally think that this is a daft idea. There are enough good Israeli diplomats to conduct Hasbara!
7. Pathetic
Rich C ,   Canada   (03.16.11)
This is beyond pathetic. Why is PR so important. Stop the brutal occupation and treat non-Jews as equals and there will be no need for "Hasbara" and PR. Only the guilty need this. RC
8. Proper Gander
Shlomo Kamera   (03.16.11)
What a laugh! Propaganda with a capital P from Mark Regev et al, El Al! They should come and listen to my lectures on Israel and Judaism. I talk about the hard issues-I'm not afraid!
9. Bottom of the barrel -- propaganda with humus
Michael ,   California, USA   (03.16.11)
Flight attendants are nice on El Al when they smile and say as little as possible. I can imagine a conversation: I: You have a nice smile. Where do you live? She: In Tel Baruh, more peanuts? I: So what did the Foreign Ministry tell you today? She: Minzicry? How do spell that? Ha ha ha. I: That's where Avigdor Lieberman is the boss. She: Avigdor? Is he the guy in the hor, from Yerushalayim? Ha ha ha. I: Have a nice day. Yom tov.
10. Hasbarah cannot be given
Dan Cohen ,   Ramat Gan   (03.16.11)
It has to be taken. If Israel wishes her image to improve, she must force the image-makers to improve it. The image-makers are the media outlets of the world. Largely under anti-Israel management. No chance of portraying Israel decently of their own free will. Therefore: The State of Israel must force them to do that. It is just. Media outlets have abused Israel's freedom of the press too long. The State of Israel deserves to abuse the media outlets as payback, and Israel will gain from that.
11. I have a better idea
zionist forever   (03.16.11)
The government should get some real experts who understand diplomacy and know spin. There are some things the arabs do alot better than us and one of them is public relations. No other group in the world gets the kind of global solidarity that they do. The best Israel can come up with is boasting about how clever we are because we caught a ship smuggling weapons. Even then when we invited the foreign press they felt their time had been wasted. Hire some experts, give White House style weekly press conferences keep the word up to date on whats going on from Israels perspective on a week by week basis. Long term it may actually turn around people's image of Israel without having to resort to getting ELAL staff to act as ambassadors.
12. how about something like the airline safety cartoon
zionist forever   (03.16.11)
We have a little arab boy watching Liberman, Bib and Eli Yishai sitting round a table reading to each other the letters they have just received from Abbas, Ahmadinejad and Assad all saying how much they love Israel and think its a wonderful place. It finishes with them all having group hugs and singing koombaya. Then the arab boy claps his hands, waves an Israeli flag and sings Hatikvah After the plane has landed before everybody gets off the cabin crew say everybody hold hands and lets sing Hatikvah together.
13. Very good idea
Dovid Slavin ,   Sydney Australia   (03.16.11)
Plain and Simple this is a very good idea, no need to bash anybdoy and everybody ..it a good idea lets get some more ideas like this
14. absolutely pathetic
JL   (03.16.11)
15. To Rich C number 7
Andi ,   Israel   (03.16.11)
Sounds a great idea. After all, the Palestiians have people like Rich C based in Canada who thinks all we need to do is stop the Occupation(very desirable, I agree) and Hamas will disappear in a puff of smoke. Perhaps he'd like to suggest how? As for treating non Jews as equals-we're doing pretty well at that, thanks. That's why most Israeli Arabs vote for Jewish Zionist parties at elections. Ask an El Al rep next time you see on.
16. RC #7
Golani ,   Vineland, USA   (03.16.11)
Israel does need PR because we are up against the lies that are being told. Seems like you yourself believe those lies if you are actually believe what you said. There is no brutal occupation, and non-Jews are treated better in Israel than most other countries in the Middle East. How are Jews treated in Saudi Arabia? They are not, because they are not allowed. Are Jews allowed to own property in most of the Islamic countries? No Do Arab citizens of Israel own property in Israel? Of course, so RC get an education and then you may comment.
17. this has got to be a foreign office idea
oferdesade ,   israel   (03.16.11)
do these people actually understand ANTYTHING about pr? oh, i know! let's get people who go abroad for medical treatment to wear israeli flag pajamas. how about we drop blue&white balloons all over the place from planes tied to candy. or.. i know, i know!!! let's paint a really tiny israeli flag on every pillcam, drip irrigation thingo and ... and ... elite instant coffee tin (you know, the horendous powdered stuff) that goes overseas. or maybe we could get fiplomats kids to march through the streets singing haleluja every sunday morning at 6am. or lets get the elal pilots to eat every woman passenger over 60. that'll do the trick
18. 8. Kol Hakavod +
Baruch Jamili ,   Bat Yam   (03.16.11)
Remember Baruch Jamili? What would he think of where we are now? Is this what he fought for? Hazak Ve'Amatz Shlomo Kamera. I'm not afraid of speaking up either, but where's the rest of this nation that once filled Kikar Rabin, when it was Malchei Israel, and spoke out in defiance of a government which had overseen Sabra and Shatila? Did we get to rich, too complacent? Did being a light unto others get subsumed by becoming just another nation ?
19. dumb and dumber
(03.16.11)
unbelieveably out of touch with reality. People pay an airline to fly them somewhere, not to bore them with lectures about their own problems. PLEASE Israel get some non-Jews to do your PR - this idea is idiotic beyond belief.
20. EL AL Flight attendants / diplomats
Neil ,   Beverly Hills   (03.16.11)
Excellent idea!
21. Israel's PR
Fluffi ,   Germany   (03.16.11)
What Israel needs is an Israeli version of 'Al Jazeera'. Relinquish one or two of these useless F-35 planes and you have the money needed. Furthermore it would be important to spread more positive news. News from Israel, including those from Ynet and alike, are almost solely negative, what doesn't really improve Israel's image in the world. More culture and less politics, otherwise people will only associate Israel with Palestinians throwing stones and soldiers shooting rubber bullets.
22. El Al neglects a small fact
Jew ,   Israel   (03.16.11)
Their flights are among the most expensive to and from Israel. Only die-hard supporters pony up the money for something like that. So preaching to the choir seems ridiculous and like another failed, half baked PR attempt waiting to back fire. People who don't give a damn about Israel compare pricing and go with a cheaper airlines.
23. can't imagine anything more embarrassing
(03.17.11)
than being trapped on a plane and being subjected to a lecture about Israel's virtues. Only a die-hard Israel supporter could POSSIBLY not find this idea insanely cringe-worthy. Why not get flight attendents to tell the passengers about their marital problems while you're at it.
24. proof israel is losing the pr war haha
yusef   (03.17.11)
25. One step at a time.
Philip ,   Afula, Israel   (03.17.11)
First learn to charge normal prices and extend civil service to your remaining customers. Never bash your customers ears with crap propaganda, its NOT what they paid for, most will be repulsed by it and NEVER fly with you again.
26. Dissatified customer
Yobo ,   Australia   (03.17.11)
As someone who travels on the long haul from Tel Aviv to Bangkok or Hong Kong to Australia on that atrocious flight of El Al even where one is elevated to first class continually the service, food and hospitality is negligible and of poor quality. It compares to the Israeli hasbara. Instead of wasting time the company should instigate a course of public relations not of one month duration to educate its staff on how to satisfy the needs of its clients and compare the results with my connecting excellent Asian or Australian carriers.
27. #3 Mickael FYI
Avi ,   Israel   (03.17.11)
Who will pay attention to them ? hopefully you in the event of an emergency !
28. Flight Attendants
Loraine ,   Monterey, CA   (03.17.11)
Can you put lipstick on a pig?
29. El Al flight attendants disgrace Israel
yonatan ha katan ,   tel aviv israel   (03.17.11)
As an Israeli I am humiliated personally and as a Jew by this initiative. It emanates from a paradoxical and totally superfluous Israeli inferiority complex. I argue also that the entire Hasbara enterprise in the foreign ministry also emanates from Israel’s ridiculous inferiority complex. A need to ingratiate the country with others through explanations. No other country does such a thing. No country should efface itself in this way. I do not like to cite this Machiavellian expression from the late Nelson Rockefeller but it was his motto: Never explain Never complain. There is merit in this expression for the state of Israel over turning flight attendants into Jewish barber shop quartets.
30. #22 You neglect a small fact
Cynthia ,   USA   (03.17.11)
El Al has one of the best airline security records and most people will gladly pay extra for this service. It's natural and an excellent idea for flight attendants to promote Israel.
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