The project was initiated by El Al CEO Eliezer Shkedi, a former head of the Israel Air Force, who said the national carrier would encourage its flight staff to engage in public diplomacy efforts in three North American cities served by the airline - New York, Los Angeles and Toronto.

Despite leveling criticism at Israel for “excessive force,” the report could and should have been a major prize for Israel’s public diplomacy. How often, and particularly at a time of precious few PR gifts, does a UN-sponsored investigation uphold the legitimacy of Israel’s naval blockade and highlight the danger of Hamas from Gaza?

There is no doubt that American public opinion remains overwhelmingly pro-Israel. But ..among thoughtful leaders in the media, military and foreign affairs, there has been a consensus that our policy toward Israel is severely damaging America's interests and image around the world.

In addition to using its hard power to slow down Tehran’s pursuit of an indigenous nuclear program, the Israelis will find it worthwhile to exploit soft power as well. Putting a good face on the African continent is one aspect of that soft power approach.

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon on Tuesday released a YouTube video entitled "The Truth About the Peace Process," in which he seeks to demonstrate "that the reason there is no successful peace process is because of decades of Palestinian and Arab recalcitrance."

APDS Blogger: Naweed Lemar

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon is the host in a new public diplomacy video on YouTube that explains the main reason for the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority is not Israel's presence in Judea and Samaria, but successive Arab leaders' resistance to Jewish sovereignty.

It is true that the new ruling party initially had problems with credibility, due to a lack of proper public diplomacy at the international level, the core of the Israeli state, in alliance with a powerful lobby in the US, chose to undermine it, using every opportunity to describe the AK Party as a dangerous one, with a hidden political agenda.