The state of Israel is recruiting college students to use social media to bolster the country’s image through positive comments, without disclosing themselves as government-affiliated, officials told the Associated Press on Wednesday.
The office of the prime minister said Israeli university students who battle anti-Semitism and online boycotts of Israel, with messages consistent to Israeli public statements, would receive scholarships, reported AP.
According to the statement, participants are free to choose whether or not to mention their affiliation with the Israeli initiative, AP reported. The program is slated to begin in the next few months.
The statement said that, “This is a groundbreaking project aimed at strengthening Israeli national diplomacy and adapting it to changes in information consumption. "
"Everyone who believes in the cause, and wants to join, can join," an anonymous official told The Associated Press, adding that the program has a potential budget of $778,000.
According to Haaretz, a daily Israeli newspaper, the official in charge of the initiative in Danny Seaman, who is known for posting Islamiphobic comments on his Facebook page, such as, "Does the commencement of the fast of the Ramadan mean that Muslims will stop eating each other during the daytime?" In a post regarding Palestine’s chief peace negotiator, Seaman used profanity, reported Haaretz.
The anonymous official who spoke to AP said Seaman's comments were "unacceptable and do not reflect the position of the Israeli government," although he declined to comment on whether Seaman was in fact the head of the program.
Last November, as Israel bombed Gaza in “Operation Pillar of Defense,” which killed around 168 Palestinians, hundreds of Israeli youth volunteers created a “media bunker,” posting constant social media comments reflecting the Israeli perspective.
In a speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the effort: "We are (operating) on four fronts: The military front, the home front, the diplomatic front and the public diplomacy front," Netanyahu said. "We must fight for the truth, for the facts, and your help is worth more than gold ... refuting the industry of lies."
