The Tourism Ministry announced Tuesday that, as part of ongoing PR efforts to bolster Israel’s image in the international media, it will launch positive PR videos about Israel on the video-sharing YouTube website.
The ministry has been waging a vigorous PR campaign as of late, in an effort to portray the Jewish state as a country that is both a safe and pleasant tourist haven.
The ministry’s latest YouTube endeavor comes in wake of numerous videos that have appeared on the website recently, which show gristly images of the carnage following terror attacks in Israel, for instance the recent shooting attack at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva.
Tourism Ministry Director-General Shaul Tzemach stated that “the recent ‘terror attack’ videos which have been launched on YouTube do irreparable damage to Israel’s international image as a tourist resort.
"There is no doubt that launching videos that portray Israel in a positive manner, as a safe and welcoming tourist resort, will do far more for the country, both politically and economically, than these terror and fear laden videos.
"When web surfers search for videos about Israel on YouTube, we want them to witness beautiful, positive images in lieu of a horror show.”
As part of this PR initiative, the Tourism Ministry will also ask web surfers from around the globe to upload their own positive videos about Israel on YouTube.