Haredim: Don't let Bar Refaeli head PR campaign
Following Foreign Ministry's announcement to use Israeli supermodel as official State presenter, Orthodox students say she 'can't represent us because of relationship with gentile actor'
The students decided to make their voices heard in light of the Foreign Ministry's announcement to use the supermodel as the star of a campaign aimed at showing the world that Israel is not just a war-ridden country.
Video courtesy of jn1.tv
They drafted a letter in cooperation with the "The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel," which has thus far been sent to Foreign Ministry Director-General Rafi Barak, until a minister is officially appointed.
Cohen's friend, Gilad Israeli, a student at Bar Ilan University, said "Refaeli did not serve in the army and even takes pride in that. Before we offer ourselves up to the world, we need to decide who we are. We have much more to offer than girls playing matkot (Israeli paddleball) on the beach.
"We have a glorious Israeli heritage – in which we must take pride. Trying to be Hollywood 2 won't work."
Another student, Roni Stempler, said: "We need to demand much more from whoever represents us. There are models who did serve in the army. Noa Tishby is just as pretty, and who said that models are needed? Why not make Nobel Prize winners presenters? We don't need to sell ourselves for a cheap price with the assistance of models."
