Some cagey advertising types in Israel are trying their best to distract potential vacationers from the
realities of life in their country.
Rather than own up and admit that certain regions offer more thrills and chills than white water rafting the Colorado, a new advertising campaign instead leverages sex to sell.
Scantily-clad young Israeli ladies are seen frolicking on the country’s beaches as a narrator lists the many hot and trendy jetset activities available to tourists. What they neglect to mention is that, along with bathing suits, sunscreen and sunglasses tourists would be wise to pack kevlar vests and helmets.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for scantily-clad young ladies cavorting on beaches, but, not as a ruse. There are too many unsuspecting (or downright uninformed) people in the world who, seeing these advertisements, just might book a flight to the Holy Land. If something should happen to them, whose fault would it be? The State-sponsored advertising campaign that lured them or their own ignorance for not having conducted proper due diligence?
Too many advertising campaigns make false or misleading claims. Conveniently overlooking Israel’s many dangers goes beyond misinformation and borders instead on malfeasance.
Thanks to Carl "Union Jack" Foster for the idea.
I totally respect your first-hand perspective on Israel, Kay. Tourism must be an extremely difficult proposition and I certainly wish the country well with their efforts. And yes, there really is no safe haven anywhere anymore. That said, I wouldn’t want to tempt fate by vacationing in a spot that, regretfully, has never-ending terrorism attacks. I guess that’s what struck me as being disingenuous in the TV spots.
Steve, I religiously read your blog. And find myself amazed at the many subjects you tackle so brilliantly. But I was dumb struck by this posting on Israel. As you know, I just returned from Israel and yes, I frolicked in the sun, on the beaches with many hot bodies and not a kelvar vest or helmet was in sight.
Your claim that the world should be cautioned about visiting Israel stopped me cold. Yes, you are searched at every pass and security is always at its highest level. But because of it, Israel is safer than ever. Can you name one tiny nook or cranny on this globe that is really safe after 9/11? Yet all countries try to temp tourist with sex and sensual promotions. So why point out Israel?
Most people who book vacation to any spot on earth, I am sure, do a great deal of research on their destination from all possible sources. And that should be the order of the day no matter to what spot you have chosen to venture.
Israel is as safe as many countries and safer than others. Yet in today’s times, those who go blind any place, even to get their mail in the lobby without caution, cannot be warned enough about checking all details of their destination. Putting helmets and bullet proof vests on those young niblets will not make things any safer for tourist who throw caution to the wind in these volatile times. On a provocative note, putting helmets on those hot temptations would make them really cool.
Hi Steve,
Hope you are not miffed at my comment on your Sept. 12 blog about Israel. Honestly, after reading my report to you could I have let this go? And you did tell me to post my comments.
Steve, I religiously read your blog. And find myself amazed at the many subjects you tackle so brilliantly. But I was dumb struck by this posting on Israel. As you know, I just returned from Israel and yes, I frolicked in the sun, on the beaches with many hot bodies and not a kelvar vest or helmet was in sight.
Your claim that the world should be cautioned about visiting Israel stopped me cold. Yes, you are searched at every pass and security is always at its highest level. But because of it, Israel is safer than ever. Can you name one tiny nook or cranny on this globe that is really safe after 9/11? Yet all countries try to temp tourist with sex and sensual promotions. So why point out Israel?
Most people who book vacation to any spot on earth, I am sure, do a great deal of research on their destination from all possible sources. And that should be the order of the day no matter to what spot you have chosen to venture.
Israel is as safe as many countries and safer than others. Yet in today’s times, those who go blind any place, even to get their mail in the lobby without caution, cannot be warned enough about checking all details of their destination. Putting helmets and bullet proof vests on those young niblets will not make things any safer for tourist who throw caution to the wind in these volatile times. On a provocative note, putting helmets on those hot temptations would make them really cool.
Hi Steve,
Hope you are not miffed at my comment on your Sept. 12 blog about Israel. Honestly, after reading my report to you could I have let this go? And you did tell me to post my comments.
Hi Steve,
I have just returned from a land of miracles. No, not Oz. Israel.
One side there is bombing. The other side building. One side rockets. The other side rock music. While demonstrating against missiles in Sderot up north, there is folk dancing at the new Mamilla Mall in Jerusalem. It is a land of hope and prayers and despite the headlines, a country of tolerance and connection of all three faiths.
The gentleman who straightened up my room was a young, Arab, grandfather. We talked about many things. He told me that, that Sabbath, one of the Jewish guests in the hotel had a sick child with fever and that he ran home and brought back an old, Arab, family remedy. The child was better by nightfall. The parents hugged him in gratitude.
One night I went to an outdoor concert in a park. From what I could make out, the ages were about 14 to everything. The youngest boys and girls knew that come eighteen, they will have to enlist in the Israeli army. Girls, for 2 years. Boys, for three. The older ones, many in uniform, I am sure, saw war. But every single one was in high spirits, singing along with the stage performers, dancing as if they did not have a care in the world. It is this kind of optimism of the future, with a sprinkle of prayer kicked in, that give these people courage to go on to the next day and the next in spite of the wars, the violence factor and daily reminders that things are not as they should be.
The malls, restaurants and bars are filled with Israelis, Arabs and tourists. There is hope mixed with a constant vigilance against terror. At every store, eatery, hotel, movie, and other gathering places you are subjected to searches. But everyone seems to take this in stride, like stopping at a red light. There is laughter and a sense of promise in every corner of every stretch of the land. It is a country dreaming, wishing, for quiet. Quiet from sirens, missiles, ambulances and children screaming in pain.
Every language on earth is heard on the streets and almost every Israeli knows English rather well. The economy, judging from the filled shops, restaurants and other enterprises, is thriving. Israel’s cutting edge technology far surpasses some industrial countries and is right up there with others. Many have not one but two cells phone, with some other devise plugged into a free ear and laptop bags dangling from shoulders is a common sight.
They love Bush for his support of Israel and hate Ehud Omert, their own Prime Minister, for many things including last year’s war in Lebanon. Omert’s approval rate was 5% when I arrived and from what I was given to understand, even lower when I left three weeks later.
Israelis, as the rest of the earth’s population, have grown fatter. There is fabulous food at every turn, in markets, dinning places, even near the Wailing Wall, where fats, sweet and delectable breads are bountiful. As globally, constant eating is the order of the day.
Israel, too, has gone green. For example, to curtail the use of plastic shopping bags they call “nylon”, it is recommended that merchants charge the American equivalent of twenty five cents to a dollar per bag. As a result, fabric bags are flying off store shelves.
Reality TV shows emulate the US on every channel. The Holy Land has its own version of “American Idol.” But the word “Idol”, since it is the Holy Land, does not sit well there. So they call the show, “A Star Is Born”, with more or less the same format as in America.
Israel has come into its own in advertising by utilizing, what else, the Bible. My favorite:
You see Moses wandering and lost in the desert for years. A tired old man comes up to him complaining of this endless trek and can’t take it anymore. Moses says he is praying for a miracle. Then, from the sky you see a rocket like fiery ball whiz to earth, land in the sand and explode. The man walks over to investigate and sees a small object. He reaches into the rubble and takes out the device, walks over to Moses and says: “G.P.S.”
Israel. Better than ever. Ever changing. Yet the same. Still and always, steeped in the conviction that peace is just one conference away. In this beginning of the Jewish New Year of 5768, let us humbly petition the Almighty that He remember His own love of peace and send a slice of it to Israel and the world at large.
GoogleNews 9/18/09 Headline from Skynews: Israel says it has foiled plan to attack Israeli tourists in Jordan
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli authorities have foiled a plot by a Hamas militant to attack Israeli tourists at a hotel in neighbouring Jordan, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s office announced Tuesday.
A statement said Khader Shkeir, from the West Bank village of Ein Arik, was arrested on July 31. It gave no reason for the delay in announcing the arrest.
The statement said Shkeir admitted to planning the attack during a visit to Jordan in 2005 with an accomplice. It said the suspects chose the Radisson SAS hotel in Amman and a second hotel as their targets.
According to the statement, the pair planned to board a bus carrying tourists to the hotels and carry out a mass shooting attack. It said they bought two AK-47 automatic weapons for the attack, but the plan went awry when Jordanian authorities arrested Shkeir on suspicion of militant activity and deported him to the West Bank.
oh rep- there you go again. trying to spin, spin, spin. but unfortunately, you just dug yourself deeper into the little trap i set. see, as i knew you would, you googled eilat and tried to do what pr people do- become an instant expert on anything and everything. well, here’s the problem- you showed how little you know and how little you can do research.
i wrote: i cant quite recall the last time there were tourists attacked in eilat- maybe you can do some research and tell us when that was? NOTE the word TOURISTS.
now, had you done any real research into the 2007 bombing, you would know that it was 1) the first such bombing in the history of eilat and 2) that it was 3 residents who were killed. sure, it was a major tragedy, but no TOURISTS were killed. and that was my point- TOURISTS. NYC, Aruba and many other “tourist destinations” cant claim the same. should aruba stop advertising b/c of natalle holloway?
why dont you stop trying to knock the ad industry and spend the same energy on other projects. maybe even take some time and visit eilat while you are at it…
This is travel warning from US Dept of State website. It was issued to “reiterate threats to American citizens and U.S. interests in Israel, Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip”
Highlights include:
“Areas of violent conflict shift rapidly and unpredictably.” Hamas violently assumed control over Gaza in June 2007, making the already dangerous security situation there even more precarious. The American International School in northern Gaza was the target of an attack on April 21, 2007.
“Militant groups persist in attacks against nearby Israeli towns which have led to deaths and injuries to bystanders.”
and best of all: Israeli authorities are concerned about the continuing threat of suicide bombings. The January 2007 bombing in Eilat, the April 2006 and January 2006 suicide bombings in Tel Aviv, the December 2005 suicide bombing in Netanya and a similar incident in Hadera in October 2005 are reminders of the precarious security environment.”
NOTE: The January 2007 bombing in Eilat
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_922.html
rep-
here you go again with your stupidity. you have such jealousy for the ad world that you try and find every way to bash them. well guess what- this time you really show how “pathetic” (to quote the poster above) you really are. As someone who has spent time in Israel, I can tell you that you clearly have no clue about the country. Eilat is a top tourist destination in the south featuring beautiful beaches and world class spas. (and yes, there are many beautiful woman lying on the beach as well)
i cant quite recall the last time there were tourists attacked in eilat- maybe you can do some research and tell us when that was? you will likely find that it was prior to your hair turning gray more than a decade ago.
should NYC stop advertising everytime a tourist gets mugged or killed here? should people stop coming b/c our buildings are hit by airplanes? maybe the “i love ny” shirts should become “i’m afraid of ny.” maybe ny state should advertise to “stay off our subways above 125th street” and “hold your wallet close” after dark.
come on rep- quit it. you might want to consider hiring a firm to work on your image and rep after some of your latest posts.
If you have shown in the past how clueless you are with your pathetic grammar, you now show how pathetic your worldly knowledge is as well. Have you ever looked at stats comparing injuries and deaths to tourists in NY vs Israel? Apparently not. Oh well, keep up your pathetic posts- we will keep laughing at you.