From: wolda002@umn.edu
Date: Wed Jun 03 2009 - 00:34:58 EDT
THIS IS A LESSON TO ALL ERITREA HOW THIS MACHINE UNLASHED AGAINST ERITREA
IN THE PAST WEEKS AND MONTHS “IF YOU CAN'T convince THEM CONFUSE THEM"
Israeli diplomats told to take offensive in PR war against Iran
By Barak Ravid
Global Research, June 2, 2009
Haaretz
Organizing demonstrations in front of Iranian consulates worldwide, staging
mock stonings and hangings in public, and launching a massive media
campaign against Iran - these are just some of the steps Israeli diplomats
have been told to take in the coming weeks. The goal, according to a senior
Foreign Ministry official, is "to show the world that Iran is not a Western
democracy" in the run-up to the country's presidential election on June 12.
About a week ago, the head of the ministry's Task Force on Isolating Iran
sent a classified telegram to all Israeli embassies and consulates, titled
"Activities in the Run-up to Iran's Presidential Election." It detailed
things Israeli representatives should do before, during and after the
election.
The telegram noted that hundreds of journalists from around the world will
go to Iran to cover the election. Therefore, Israeli representatives must
try to give background briefings to various media outlets before the
journalists depart, and to the host country's foreign ministry officials.
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In addition, diplomats should try to promote press coverage of stories that
reveal the Iranian regime's true face, especially its violations of human
rights and suppression of individual liberty.
The main message Israeli diplomats should try to send is that "despite the
democratic game of a presidential election, this is still a terrible regime
that infringes on human rights and imposes many restrictions on its
citizens," the telegram said. In a nutshell, the goal is to "blacken Iran's
international reputation."
One specific recommendation is that diplomats organize "anti-Iranian
events" opposite Iranian embassies worldwide. These could include mock
hangings and stonings, since Iran still uses both methods to execute
offenders - particularly homosexuals and women who violate its morality
laws.
"We decided to move from defense to offense," a senior Foreign Ministry
official said, explaining the decision to broaden Israel's public diplomacy
campaign against Iran to showcase other issues, such as human rights
violations, instead of focusing solely on Iran's nuclear program. "We need
to show the world who the real Iran is and make sure that the presidential
election does not create the illusion that it is a Jeffersonian democracy."
Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon embarked yesterday on a
tour of North and South America aimed at explaining the importance of
halting Iran's nuclear program. His first stop was New York, where he
participated in the annual Salute to Israel parade yesterday.
In an interview with Fox News, Ayalon said that Iran is trying to increase
its influence worldwide, especially in the Middle East and Latin America.
Iran's ability to fire long-range missiles threatens the entire world, he
warned, and if it keeps extending the range of its missiles, they may soon
be able to reach the eastern United States.
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