Can we politicize Israeli model Bar Refaeli appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated's recent swimsuit edition? Of course. Today in Ha'aretz Aluf Benn asks whether Refaeli will make people forget about Gaza and sees her as part of Israel's well established "Brand Israel project." This a program of the Israeli foreign ministry to alter Israel's image internationally. Benn explains this is necessary because:
Israelis tend to see their country as part of the
West, and compare it to the United States and Britain. The problem is
that the West is not too thrilled by the comparison and regards Israel
as an oddity, a country using excessive force in permanent conflict
with its neighbors.
In theory, Refaeli will change this by showing people in the US that Israel is "just like you" (if by "like you" they mean Israel also enjoys objectifying women). John H. Brown, a senior fellow of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy, calls this practice "pubic diplomacy". While Brown points out that many countries now use this strategy, he believes that Israel began the practice at May 19, 2007 at 9:00 pm when the Israeli consulate in New York hosted a party celebrating an issue of Maxim magazine that featured Israeli models as IDF soldiers. At that party David Saranga, Israel's Consul For Media And Public Affairs at its New
York Consulate, was quoted as saying"the beautiful models in Israel were a 'Trojan horse' to present Israel
as a modern country with nice beaches and pretty women." What this does to build international support for Israeli war crimes is still unclear.
If Refaeli appearing in SI really is part of a Israeli hasbara campaign, then they might want to pay attention to what she actually says and not just what she looks like. In 2007 Refaeli made international headlines when she celebrated the fact she avoided Israeli military service. She said:
“Israel or Uganda, what difference does it
make? It makes no difference to me. Why is it good to die for our
country? What, isn’t it better to live in New York? Why should
18-year-old kids have to die? It’s dumb that people have to die so that
I can live in Israel…”
I'm sure most people who see Sports Illustrated will have no idea the model on the cover is Israeli. But if they do, do you think they would interested to know that she's more interested in living in Los Angeles than Tel Aviv? (Adam Horowitz)
