MARCH 2011

Lion Exposes True
Side of Holy Land

By Stephen E. Lipken

“What is a mosaic,” asked Joel Lion, Consul for Media Affairs, Consulate General of Israel in New York, speaking at Beth El Synagogue Center, New Rochelle about “Israel in the Media” on Sunday, February 13. A large crowd filled the Crystal Ballroom; in the audience was Westchester Jewish Council President Ron Burton and Beth El Synagogue Center Hazzan Farid Dardashti.

“A mosaic consists of thousands of stones making one picture, “Lion continued. “Yet up close it is a lot of separate colors.” Lion emphasized that the real Israel is an energetic, innovative and cultural mosaic “and not just guns and tanks. Did you know that Israel won a gold medal for red wine in France, exports beer to Germany, vodka to Poland, chocolate to Switzerland and flowers to Holland?”

Lion pointed out that media influences public perception. He showed a news photograph supposedly depicting a bloodied “Palestinian” on the Temple Mount with a club-wielding Israeli policeman hovering over him. In truth it was taken at a gas station where Tuvia Grossman, pulled from a cab, was beaten and stabbed by Palestinians. The Israeli officer was protecting Grossman from the mob.

“Not all media efforts are successful. Saudi Arabia ran $254 million ads to change their perceived ‘9-11’ image. It didn’t work,” Lion noted.

Mentioning that statistically more people read media on line rather than hard copy, Lion urged the audience to use blogs, twitter and Facebook to defend Israel, stressing that the revolution in Egypt began by blogging and texting before it even got to Tahir Square.

Asked about the Egyptian situation, Lion replied, “Check with me in 6 months.”

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