ISRAEL PUBLIC

RELATION
STRATEGIES
 Introduction
 Israel defines itself as a Jewish and democratic state.

 Israel is a representative democracy with a parliamentary system,

proportional representation and universal suffrage.

 The prime minister serves as head of government and the Knesset

serves as the legislature.

Cont…
 Israel is a developed country and an OECD member with the 35th-largest

economy in the world by nominal gross domestic product as of 2015.

 The country benefits from a highly skilled workforce and is among the most

educated countries in the world with the one of the highest percentage of its

citizens holding a tertiary education degree.

 The country has the highest standard of living in the Middle East and the

fourth highest in Asia, and has one of the highest life expectancies in the

world.
 Government Press Office (Israel):
 Government Press Office – GPO is responsible – on behalf of the Prime

Minister's Office – for coordination between the Government of Israel and the

community of journalists and media personnel working in the country.

 The GPO serves as the central address for foreign press contact with the

government and the Israel Defence Forces.

 The director of the GPO, since August 2012, is Nitzan Chen.

 The Activity of the GPO (Israel):
 The GPO works to facilitate media coverage of key elements in Israel, state visits

and the visits of other foreign VIPs.

 The GPO issues press cards for permanently stationed and visiting journalists, as

well as a range of cards for other media personnel (broadcast technicians,

documentary film producers, media assistants, etc.).

 The GPO offers media representatives a sophisticated briefing room, television

studio and professional support materials.

 In addition, the GPO is responsible for opening communication centres for

important events such as papal and US presidential visits.

 Goals of the GPO (Israel):
 Strengthening the deep bond between the foreign press and the

Government of Israel.

 Expanding the photographed documentation service of government

symbols.

 Providing accessibility for its activities

 Israel Defence Forces- IDF:
History:

 The IDF was formed out of a number of armed groups which operated before

1948. The Haganah (Defense), the semi-legal defense organization of the

Jewish Yishuv in Palestine, was established in 1920 to defend Jewish

settlements from Arab attacks.

 During the Arab Revolt which began in 1936, differences of opinion emerged

within the Haganah regarding defense policy.

 IDF..
 The army (officially known as the Israel Defense Forces or IDF) is a

central institution in Israeli society.

 The majority of Israelis serve in the military, and most men continue to

serve in the reserves until middle age.

 In addition to defending the country against prolonged hostility and

violence, the army carries out important social and economic functions,

and it serves as a symbol of Israeli strength, efficiency and effectiveness.

Social Functions of the Army:
 The Israeli army is generally perceived as a "nation builder" - a school for

national identity and unity. Thus, in addition to its primary role of defense,

the army has taken on many other social tasks.

 Through the "Nahal" the army established in outlying and border areas,

military settlements that combined farming with regional defense. These

settlements were usually founded and maintained by Zionist youth groups

that spent time in a more established kibbutz before moving to the new

outpost.
 Civilian Influences on the Army:
 The Israeli army is very much a "people's army" and there are many contacts

between the IDF and wider society.

 Regular soldiers are given opportunities to call and write home and soldiers in

training or on active duty are encouraged to do so. Reservists repeatedly make

the transition between army and civilian life. Permanent soldiers in advanced

stages of their military service generally cultivate contacts with the civilian

world outside in preparation for their second career. Outside experts are brought

in for educational seminars and some forms of professional training.

 Due to these contacts, there has been considerable civilian influence on army

life. No real "barracks sub-culture" has developed in the country.

 Public Diplomacy (Israel)
Public diplomacy in Israel (also called hasbara in Israel which means

"explaining").

It refers to public relations efforts to disseminate abroad positive information

or propaganda about the State of Israel and its actions.

The term is used by the Israeli government and its supporters to describe

efforts to explain government policies and promote Israel in the face of

negative press, and to counter what they see as delegitimisation of Israel

around the world.

 Top PR Agencies in Israel
 November PR:

November PR is a leading Public Relations agency that provides great media services to

business that wish to integrate in the Israeli media. As a boutique firm they assure

excellent service with results that match your business goals.

 Finn Partners Israel:

Finn Partners Israel was founded in 1997. Staffed with experienced international PR

veterans, former journalists and, above all, hungry, service-oriented professionals, they are

the leading full-service strategic marketing consultancy and public relations agency in

Israel today.
 RCS – PR:

RCS PR, founded in 2000, specializes in strategic communication consulting and

public relations for hi-tech companies in the Israeli and International markets. RCS
PR helps hi-tech companies to get their message out to customers, partners and
market influencers.

 Meirovitch Public Relations:

Meirovitch Public Relations one of the leading PR agencies in Israel, helps

international and Israeli companies manage their reputation by generating
ongoing positive media exposure in Israel and overseas.
 Koteret Public Relations:
Koteret is one of Israel's most established and reputable PR agencies. Our
proven work methodologies, strong media relationships with the media and
analyst community, and most importantly, our motivation and dedication to our
client base make Koteret the Israeli PR agency of choice for leading
companies.

 Doran Communications:
Doran Communications Ltd specializes in providing a wide range of marketing
communication services for companies in all areas of business. Doran has
acquired considerable experience and expertise, in the service of international
and Israeli companies in areas of business and consumer, education, crisis
management and hi-tech.
 Why Are Israel’s Public Relations So
Poor?
 The State Comptroller revealed that "since its establishment in 1948, Israel's

intelligence organs have not succeeded to respond to the broad-based

propaganda and incitement by the Arab world.

 The report also emphasized that "the lack of a central authority to direct and

coordinate all government information bodies to execute a public relations

policy is the main factor accounting for Israel's longstanding failures in this

field."
 Other key findings of the State Comptroller
revealed:
 A lack of an overall strategic public relations conception and objective.

 Redundancies, wasted resources, and lack of coordination between government

PR offices.

 No comprehensive budgetary analysis to serve government public relations

requirements.

 Ill-defined areas of responsibility and authority between the Prime Minister's

Office, Foreign Ministry, Defence Ministry, and IDF Spokesman.