For the last 45 years, the Israel Museum has been both the crown jewel of this country’s cultural heritage and a bit of a mess. It has the most extensive holdings of land-of-Israel archaeology anywhere (including a heel bone pierced by an iron nail with wood fragments, the world’s only physical evidence of crucifixion), an encyclopedic collection of Judaica and an exceptional group of Modernist artworks.

Rebranding Israel at Shanghai Expo

These videos are part of the series CPD Video Conversations: National Branding at Expo 2010 Shanghai.

Israel is often mentioned in the context of war and conflict.  Deputy Commissioner General discusses how the country presents itself as a place of innovation and creativity at Shanghai Expo.

Despite promises made in February by Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein, the government’s latest hasbara campaign focused on involving average Israelis in the effort to defend the Jewish state abroad has remained an exclusively Hebrew affair.

The Obama administration's treatment of Netanyahu at the first meeting created the impression of a deep crisis in American-Israel relations. The meeting last Tuesday, however, repaired the damage and lifted the mood music after recent tensions.

Some 1.6 million people visited Israel between January and July, according to figures released by the Tourism Ministry on Monday – an increase of 39 percent over the same period in 2009, and 10% more than in 2008, the country’s previous record year.

Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov said, “The increase in incoming tourism... is the result of massive investment in marketing activities around the world with significant budgets, especially against the background of the public diplomacy challenges that Israel is facing."