Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., December 08, 2009 Kislev 21, 5770 | | Israel Time: 19:50 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Jewish World Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Focus U.S.A. Strenger than Fiction Business Travel Magazine Week's End Anglo File Books
Brig. Gen. Avi Benayahu.
 (Archive)
Share |
Last update - 15:39 01/12/2009
New IDF unit to fight enemies on Facebook, Twitter
By Anshel Pfeffer and Gili Izikovich, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: IDF, Twitter, Israel news 

The Israel Defense Forces Spokesman's Office is to begin drafting computer experts with an eye toward establishing an Internet and new media department unit, Army Spokesman Brig. Gen. Avi Benayahu said Monday.

Speaking at the Eilat Journalists Conference, Benayahu said the new department would focus on the Internet's social media networks mainly to reach an international audience directly rather than through the regular media.

The new unit, as well as an initiative by the Information and Diaspora Ministry to train people to represent Israel independently on the Internet and in other arenas, were presented Monday at the conference during a panel discussion on Israeli public relations abroad.
Advertisement
Responding to criticism of Israel's ability to face hostile entities on the Web, Benayahu said the new program would be able to deal with the problem. He said that from each group drafted to the Army Spokesman's Office, between eight to 10 young people who are experts in Web 2.0 - YouTube, Facebook and Twitter - to be identified before induction, would be assigned to the new department. The new recruits would be put to work in the new media unit after undergoing a general Army Spokesman's Unit training course.

Benayahu told Haaretz the new program would be up and running in a few months.

The Army Spokesman's Office began working in this area more than a year ago. During Operation Cast Lead it put up YouTube videos of attacks on targets in the Gaza Strip, to illustrate the care the IDF takes to avoid hitting civilians. One such clip showed how the pilot of an IDF helicopter diverted a missile that had been fired at a target when it was realized civilians had entered the target area.

The head of communications at the Army Spokesman's office, Col. Ofer Kol, said they wanted to reach "mainly an international audience that is less exposed to operational processes. Foreign media do more 'zooming-in' and so it's important to us to show the totality of IDF actions without a filter."

The IDF YouTube account got millions of hits during Operation Cast Lead, which led to the decision to expand activity at the site and other social network Web sites. The IDF hopes to show other sides of the army less familiar to the world, such as women's service.

The Spokesman's Office has also contacted bloggers who are known as opinion-makers and sent them information and pictures directly.
PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Palestinian sues Bruno
Man playing 'terrorist' in Sasha Baron Cohen's film says the movie 'ruined his life'.
Why Hitler hated Jews
Book claims Hitler's hatred stemmed from belief his mother was poisoned by one.
  1.   Never enough Hasbara 04:50  |  Javier Lobo 01/12/09
  2.   IF YOU NEED HELP, LET ME KNOW 06:20  |  EZ 01/12/09
  3.   IDF Cast Lead Youtube. Comments not allowed 07:35  |  Socialist 01/12/09
  4.   IDF TO SET UP NEW UNIT TO COMBAT TRUTH-TELLING ON TWITTER 10:37  |  Lee 01/12/09
  5.   to #3 10:55  |  Oren 01/12/09
  6.   The major problem the IDF 11:11  |  Chris Linthwaite 01/12/09
  7.   Esber 11:38  |  zznhl 01/12/09
  8.   Chris Linthwaite you too have blood of innocent people on your 13:07  |  Meo 01/12/09
  9.   #6 Meo 13:45  |  Chris Linthwaite 01/12/09
  10.   #6 Meo: There are so many biased people in this world 13:57  |  syrian opinion 01/12/09
  11.   organised response to organised campaign 14:26  |  ky 01/12/09
  12.   #6 15:10  |  zznhl 01/12/09
  13.   What? You don`t like Israel fighting back! To Bad 15:57  |  Mark from Georgia 01/12/09
  14.   ISRAEL FIGHTS BACK, SOME DON`T LIKE THAT, TOO BAD 16:00  |  Mark from Georgia 01/12/09
  15.   Wrong Chris #10 16:50  |  Mark 01/12/09
  16.   Sorry, Mark, you`re the one who`s wrong 17:48  |  Murray 01/12/09
  17.   That`s what I`ve been doing for yrs 20:24  |  EG 01/12/09
  18.   There is no doubt hamas is using civilians 21:41  |  syrian opinion 01/12/09
  19.   Compulsion 22:12  |  RfaelMoshe 01/12/09
  20.   Focus on English Social Networking Sites is Limited 22:13  |  John Q. Public 01/12/09
  21.   Checkout Jewish Internet Defense Force (JIDF) 22:45  |  Yoni 01/12/09
  22.   Israeli Richmen need a place for their children in IDF 22:49  |  Tayfun_Turkey 01/12/09
  23.   Israel will go to any lengths to continue...... 22:52  |  Deborah 01/12/09
  24.   Chris Lint, where did Goldy get that Hamas didnt use humanshields 23:19  |  Dan 01/12/09
  25.   Is this unit going to be sadir or keva? 23:28  |  sh 01/12/09
  26.   Thinking about it it`s not such a bad idea 23:43  |  sh 01/12/09
  27.   Propaganda 00:34  |  Froy 02/12/09
  28.   Well if the IDFG really wants to help? 01:45  |  Sam Weinstein 02/12/09
  29.   To Murray # 16 ..Goldstone report 02:44  |  Mark 02/12/09
  30.   hipocrite 20:13  |  Paulo 05/12/09
  31.   Hahaha 03:42  |  Bożysław 06/12/09
  32.   Iran & Israel Are Identical 17:03  |  Arvin 07/12/09
Special Offers
Advertisement
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
Award-Winning 'Obsession'
Watch 'Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West' Online FOR FREE!
Protea Hills
A Retirement Village in Nature Nestled in the Foothills of Jerusalem
Date Local Jewish Singles
Ready to meet your match? Join Jdate today!
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
More Headlines
17:05 EU foreign ministers: Jerusalem must be joint capital of Israel, Palestinian state
19:33 Israeli officials to Sweden: Middle East peace is not IKEA furniture
18:30 Justice Minister: Rabbinical courts should support, not replace civil courts
18:25 Peres dives into social media with new YouTube channel
19:03 Russia: Human remains in our possession are really Hitler's
18:14 Queen awards 2 Israelis Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
16:32 Meet Chelsea Clinton's colorful Jewish future in-laws
15:08 TV ROUND-UP: Assad cancels preconditions for talks; Shalit deal delayed
13:42 Police: 3 Haredi youths arrested on suspicion of stabbing Arab
16:45 Ancestry site puts Hitler's war service online
10:31 Netanyahu: Syria dropping Golan condition for talks
11:30 Comment / On peace with Syria, Israeli leaders only talk the talk
14:18 Israel arrests wanted Islamic Jihad terrorist
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Site rules |
| Advert: Recommended Restaurants | Makom: Engaging on Israel
| Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved