I recently attended the Eilat Journalists’ Conference in the Red Sea resort city of Eilat. Among the programs I went to was one on “hasbara,” Israel’s public information diplomacy. Representing “The Israel Project” was Frank I. Luntz. An American Republican political consultant and pollster, Luntz has frequently been on the Fox News Channel as a commentator and analyst. Luntz’ specialty is “testing language and finding words that will help his clients sell their product or turn public opinion on an issue or a candidate.” He also runs focus groups testing voter reaction to speeches by prominent American and Israeli politicians.

Luntz began his presentation by criticizing the term “separation wall,” the description that is often used for Israel’s security fence placed near the 1949 armistice line (Green Line). He pointed out that “separation” connotes segregation to Americans and recalls images of the Berlin Wall. Words matter – a lot – according to Luntz. He also criticized the appearance of Israel’s spokespeople. Luntz believes that Israel should have many more women representing it; he showed how the viewer would differentiate between an attractive young Palestinian woman (sympathetic) and an Israeli military officer in uniform (militaristic, aggressive).

Stating the obvious, Luntz pointed out that the chaotic and democratic Israeli political system is at a disadvantage when confronting the unchanging Palestinian narrative. Because of Israel’s diversity of opinion, there is no monolithic policy being broadcast. Jewish American college students don’t know much about Israel and are confused by the multiple messages that they may have heard. In addition, they are passive and they haven’t been brought up with much (if any) emphasis on Israel and its struggles in the midst of the Arab world. If young Jews have studied the matter at all, they’ve heard divergent arguments from Jews who are left wing, right wing, secular, or religious – collectively, all over the map. On the other hand, the Palestinians sent to Western colleges have been trained to be activists. Arab students have one message: Israel is a colonial power that stole Palestine and must be cut down to size and eventually eliminated.

Luntz suggests that Israel develop an iconic picture or symbol to help create a lasting image. Visuals matter, he emphasized. (The Palestinians have the keffiah, or “freedom scarf,” which they have popularized around the world.) He also gave the audience his “Ten Commandments of Effective Presentation”:

1. Simplicity – “Use small words.”

2. Brevity –“Never use a sentence when a phrase will do.”

3. Credibility – “People have to believe it to buy it.” Don’t contradict known facts about the Mid-East Conflict or you’ll lose impact.

4. Consistency – “Repetition. Repetition. Repetition.” Expose inconsistencies. Remind people that Israel was being attacked long before 1967 so the violence is not about Gaza or the West Bank.

5. Novelty – “Give listeners a brand new take on an old idea.” If your message generates an “I didn’t know that” response, than you’re on the right track.

6. Sound And Texture Matter – “A string of words that have the same first letter, the same sound, or the same syllabic cadence is more memorable.”

7. Speak Aspirationally – “Touch people at the most primal level by speaking to their deepest hopes, fears, and dreams.” Tell people how Israelis only hope to send their children to school in safety.

8. Visualize – “Paint a vivid picture.” Remind the people you are talking to of the images of bombed out playgrounds and pizza parlors they see on the news.

9. Ask a Question – “I don’t understand why you teach this hatred?” Simple questions and righteous indignation go a long way.

10. Provide Context/Eplain Relevance – “You have to tell people the ‘why’ of a message before you give them the ‘therefore.’ “ Explain that Israel is the only real democracy in the Middle East and as Americans we share the same values – that’s why we have the same enemies.

According to Luntz, simply quoting from the Hamas charter is very effective in changing people’s minds about what Israel faces. (Make sure to use an independent English translation of the Arabic charter, not the toned down English version the Palestinians provide.) After hearing the violent Arabic wording, which is also present in the Fatah charter underpinning the Palestine Authority, most people will recognize Israel’s need to defend itself. As an example, Luntz suggested using the predicament of Ben Gurion Airport’s location. No American would allow a hostile state to border on JFK International Airport. However, that is the situation with Israel’s major airport. If a Palestinian state had its border on the Green Line, terrorists would be in line of sight with planes landing and taking off at Ben Gurion, within easy range of shoulder-mounted rocket launchers.

Luntz also emphasized the need for instant responses when responding to Palestinian media barrages. When obvious accusations are leveled against Israel, there’s no excuse for days and weeks to pass before a credible response is mounted. Since Palestinian accusations are predictable, there must be an IDF hi-tech team ready at all times to immediately put Israel’s story out on the media. This team, or a similar governmental one, should be proactively promoting Israel’s story. (A cyberspace “commando” unit has just been created by the government.)

There were other speakers on the panel who had valuable things to say. Yuli Edelstein, Israel’s Minister of Information and Diaspora, said Israel must stop reflexive apologies and disseminate positive stories and specific viewpoints to targeted audiences. Communication and Journalism Professor Gadi Wolfsfeld, of Hebrew University, added a dose of “reality” when he commented that the role of cyberspace is exaggerated where hasbara is concerned. He said Israel’s image will immediately rally if the political situation improves.

Commenting from the audience, Raanan Gissin, former political adviser to Ariel Sharon, praised the role of cybernet commandos, who can improve Israel’s “brand image” by utilizing Facebook, Twitter, and other new communication venues. He called on the government to mobilize Israel’s public like the U.S. did at the start of WWII. Gissin asked the audience to imagine what the reaction of the Europeans would be if Iran were located in Europe (outrage!) and commented that Israel’s success story is partly the reason for the animosity against us.

To sum up this program, Israelis must know want they want and then use all effective means to

achieve it!

Stephen Kramer resided and worked in the Atlantic City area until 1991, when he moved to Israel with his wife, Michal Langweiler, and two sons. He can be reached at Sjk1@jhu.edu.