Comments on: New campaign set on putting friendly Iranian faces on TA billboards

By: Piotr Berman

Piotr Berman — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 10:25:23 +0000

There is an anime series “Humanity has declined”. Increasingly isolated human communities struggle with their problem. In one episode, chicken fled from the coop, and the village council was debating what to do. After 8 hours of deliberations they decided to go out and try to catch them. Which was futile, but much less exhausting then the meeting. By the way of contrast, Israeli cabinet debated Iran issue for 8 hours with no conclusions, someone leaked that fact to the press so today there will be no meeting. Netanyahu is upset.

I think that most sincere patriots may be driven to desperation and leak to press to avoid more 8 hours meeting. What is Netanyahu doing? (By the way, the chicken got transformed into featherless and headless chicken and created an existential threat, as they were about to embark on weapon production after mastering the art of making tasteless mass produced synthetic food.)

By: shaun

shaun — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 07:01:49 +0000

Are your serious?
I would be happy to compare quote for quote between Israeli and Iranian officials. Both side readily ratchet up the calls for war with the other.
Let’s start with Ahmadinejad:
What does wiped off the map mean?
http://web.archive.org/web/20070927213903/http://www.iribnews.ir/Full_en.asp?news_id=200247
…this regime is on its way to annihilation
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ix-viVGAnfS1RHJGzZHSGjnzDIXg
We will end the tumor of Zionism…
http://www.arabnews.com/node/421222
Military Chief of staff: I happen to love this one as it is almost identical the treats made by the Israelis
http://www.mardomsalari.com/Template1/Article.aspx?AID=13141#85132
There is also this beauty: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/08/02/253995/nations-must-unite-against-zionism/
What I am most intrigued by is the fact that even the most ardent of anti-Zionists call Zionism a modern movement. Suddenly it is over 400 years old?

By: Haggai Matar

Haggai Matar — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 05:40:25 +0000

The answer is in the story. These are not real pictures taken in Tel Aviv, but rather illustrations meant to help fund raising for the poster to be put up there.

By: Charles

Charles — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 02:10:21 +0000

The fly in the ointment…. The Parents Circle had the idea of raising money to pay for advertising for peace before and after 9/11.
Can anyone tell us if that campaign had a positive impact? Many hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent….

By: Jacob

Jacob — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 20:59:01 +0000

I was completely enchanted by this initiative which is an amazing idea… But living in Tel Aviv I haven’t seen a single such advert… When I walked past the place today, the billboard in the main photo actually currently has an advert for energy bars…. Looking at the website it costs 100 $ USD to simply get a photo created and posted online in the tagline font…. And 1000$ (!) USD to supposedly get one put on a billboard… These billboards are non existent in Tel Aviv… A City where all social events are advertised on ad-hoc posters posted free (!) on various building site walls and just about any open space…. Surely these don’t cost 1000USD, and even if they do… Why havent I seen any!?!?

By: AYLA

AYLA — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:58:25 +0000

Elisabeth–per my comment below, I’m not counting you as a cynic. You’re great and your point is well taken. by me, anyway .

By: Jack

Jack — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:56:00 +0000

Shaun

Read the signs, “…not ready for YOUR war”. “Your” refering to the israeli government that have made alot of credible threats to attack Iran.

By: AYLA

AYLA — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:30:09 +0000

Thanks, Haggai. I’ve been meaning to write a blog post about the importance of positive press (and also the tone of negative press), and I was thinking about this example because I actually think we have Dimi Reider to thank for the success of this campaign. He picked up on this trend, blogged about it at 972, and in what I think was a result, the story was picked up by subsequent journals, bigger and bigger, and finally by the NY Times. And then the site started getting thousands of Likes/hits. I could be wrong about Dimi’s post being the first domino, but in any case his was a part of the wave, and if I’m right about his being the first, it just goes to show the power of one move, one voice, to shine a light on what’s good out there and attract more goodness. We must shed a light on injustice, of course (blog post on tone pending), but the light on goodness brings more light, and smart journalists like those at 972 can easily become cynical, understandably, by all you see and know; thank you for keeping an open heart. Love is stronger than hate. The scales can tilt either way right now. It’s up to us. And to the cynics: Sure, we may drop the bomb anyway. That will not make this campaign naive, or ineffective. All you have to do is read the actual dialogue in the comment threads on Israel Loves Iran to know how many hearts have changed, there.

By: Vadim

Vadim — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:40:55 +0000

How many such posters were hanged in Iran? How many Iranian newspapers called for a peaceful solution which will not include the destruction of the Zionist entity?

This does nothing except weakening Israel’s position and morale and make it seem like a peaceful nation (not at all a great supporter of Syria and global terrorism) is being threatened by a warmongering evil (even Zionist some people may say) country for no reason whatsoever.

I truly hope this is done out of stupidity and ignorance. Because the other possible cause – being against Israel in its struggle against Iran – really frightens me, and should scare the hell out of any true liberal.

By: Elisabeth

Elisabeth — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:37:38 +0000

It would be good, but I doubt that the Iranian government would cooperate. (However, they can be surprising sometimes.) In Israel many more things are (still) possible than in Iran, and we all know it. But a campaign in Israel is more important, because Israel is more likely to start a war (if all the ‘leaks’ are right). The Iranians don’t even have the bomb yet, even if they were intent one getting one and using it.