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By Dr. Emmanuel Navon

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On Monday Netanyahu led a special workshop for bloggers in the Russian language who have taken an active role in internet hasbara on behalf of Israel and Operation ‘Cast Lead’.

Among the participants were several of the founders of two large projects Gaza2009 , a forum of 1200 permanent members, and the group known as “We are for the War in Gaza” which is run in Russian on a social network an equivalent to Facebook

Gaza2009 publishes materials on a daily basis and worked with official agencies in Israel such as the IDF spokesman, the Ministry of Defense and the Foreign Ministry. The second group has over 70,000 surfers from all over the world and specializes in short texts and pictures.

Both groups have made the  decision to sideline politics for now and to concentrate on speaking on behalf of Israel and the national interest, and the main effort is directed at changing public opinion in Russia. Russia was one of the countries which expressed opposition to Israel’s war against the terrorists in Gaza.
The groups felt that the Foreign Ministry’s internet  hasbara to Russia was unsuccessful and decided to fill the gap.

Netanyahu accepted the invitation and gave a fascinating lecture on how to convey sharp and clear-cut messages on the major issues: who is guilty in the conflict, the historical rights to the Land of Israel, the efforts Israel makes not to harm civilians, etc. as well as how to turn the tables on  the interviewer by asking pointed questions.
Netanyahu explained to the group that in the modern era, any military operation is limited in time and must be followed-up immediately by diplomacy and a hasbara campaign.

Asked about the results of Operation Cast Lead, Netanyahu expressed admiration for the IDF’s operations, calling it ‘brilliant’. At the same time he was very critical of whether Israel had achieved its goals, stating that the campaign had yet to be completed.

Zeev Elkin who manages a blog in Russian was also present as was Yuli Edlestein head of the  Olim sector in the Likud .
The bloggers left the workshop very satisfied with Netanyahu’s presentation and with his attitude towards the importance of their work. Positive articles have already appeared about the meeting with Netanyahu whom they term ‘Israel’s next Prime Minister.’
This was their second meeting of this kind with Netanyahu.

In light of the grave importance of the advocacy campaign of the operation in Gaza and of Israel’s right to defend itself on the world stage, Benjamin Netanyahu has left on an advocacy campaign and has thus far provided thirteen interviews to television networks around the world. These networks have included the major news networks in the United States, such as Fox News, the leading British television networks like Sky News, the BBC and Bloomberg, the business news network.

Netanyahu, who also worked consistently in Israeli advocacy during the second Lebanon war, will continue to take part in the current publicity campaign with the continuation of fighting and the ensuing intensive media coverage by foreign news networks.
The sharp turn the Likud has taken from internal to international advocacy derives from the significance of the Gaza operation for the security of the South’s residents.
According to Netanyahu, when the state of Israel embarks on an operation whose purpose guarantees its basic right to defend its citizens, it is essential to make clear to the world that we are united in our approach in securing this basic right. This is a time in which the political leadership and the Israeli public must stand shoulder to shoulder; our belief in the rightness of our operation alongside its publicity campaign will ensure that the world will respect and appreciate Israel’s right to defend itself.

Watch Benjamin Netanyahu Gaza Statement