Commentary: Israel's poor PR skills

WASHINGTON, April 29 (UPI) -- A talk show host's verbal attack on a shoe company executive illustrates the high pitch of emotions triggered by events in the Middle East.

It started on Friday, when Jeffrey Swartz -- president and chief executive officer of the Timberland Co., manufacturers of popular casual shoes and boots -- was quoted in the Jerusalem Post as saying that unless Israel starts doing a better job of presenting its point of view, it is likely to lose the support of the American public.

"If I did as lousy a job building my brand as Israel does in telling her side of the story, then I'd certainly be fired," Swartz told the paper at the end of a four-day visit he made to show solidarity with Israel.

In this Swartz was stating the obvious and echoing what American friends of Israel -- myself included -- have been saying for weeks. All else aside, Israel has failed miserably in getting the world to see things from its perspective. Foreign reporters could have been embedded into Israel Defense Force units, carefully briefed as to the mission of the incursions, learned what it's like to face snipers and booby traps, and taken their own casualties in house-to-house fighting.

The fact that Israel has done such a bad job in presenting its case has led some who generalize about Jews to the conclusion that Israel has no case. After all, these Hebrews are deucedly clever, right? If they had a case, they would make it skillfully -- right?

Wrong. Native-born Israelis have a lot of good qualities, but subtlety and nuance are not among them. In fact they are a lot more like what foreign policy analyst Walter Russell Mead calls "Jacksonians" in the United States than they are like their Diaspora cousins. This political tradition is named for "Old Hickory," the fierce, unilateralist, populist, Indian-fighting seventh president, Andrew Jackson (1767-1845).

Jacksonians do not excel at public relations.

Swartz's comments provoked an outburst from Andy Martin, host of a talk show on WPBR-AM Radio in West Palm Beach, Fla. Martin called on listeners to boycott the shoe company, suggesting it change its name to "Murder, Inc."

Swartz had proposed to the Jerusalem Post that 100 Israeli reservists who took part in the recent sweeps be sent to speak to thousands of American Jews in the 50 largest U.S. markets.

"The CEO of Timberland wants to bring Israeli murderers to the United States to brag about the rape of Jenin," Martin said. ...

"Swartz says Israel has not built a 'brand.'

"Israel's 'brand' has been built for 54 years. It is increasingly become a pale replica of the swastika."

Martin confirmed the accuracy of the quotes in a telephone interview with United Press International.

On Monday Swartz declined the invitation to respond. He stressed that his visit to Israel last week was as a private citizen, not as a corporate executive, and he expressed his hope for peace in the region.

The fact that an American broadcaster is using language such as Martin's is proof positive that Swartz was right about the need for Israel to do better at presenting its point of view.