Israeli PM Embraces Youtube

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The social media like Facebook, Youtube and Twitter played a major role in the middle east revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia. Now the Israeli Prime Minister wants to take more advantage of the platforms as a part of middle eastern agenda. Here's more from our bureau in Jerusalem.

[Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli PM]:

"I think people have to understand what an open, tolerant, liberal society Israel is, and how much it desires peace."


As the role of social media gets stronger and stronger, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is inviting web users from around the world to send him video questions via YouTube on constant basis.

[Mark Halawa, Contacted Israeli PM via Youtube]:
"What's the Israeli government doing to further show the unbiased picture of reality in Israel and present it to the Arab world? Thank you."

[Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli PM]:
"What we have to do is exactly what we are doing right now and that's to use the Internet to have the direct exchange of information so people see the reality of Israel."

The idea started while the Israeli PM office was approached by Youtube program called "Youtube World View."

Benjamin Netanyahu joined that program as well as U.S. President Obama and other world leaders.

That way Mr. Netanyahu got thousands of questions from people around the world.

But now Netanyahu's social media director says that the Israeli PM decided to take this idea one step further.

[Dr. Eitan Eliram, Director of New Media, Israeli PM Office]:
"He is the first and probably the only leader in the world that continues to get questions online from the viewers on continuous basis and answers them."

Netanyahu is particularly interested in broadening the dialogue with people from the Arab world and improve the bad image of Israel over there.

[Dr. Eitan Eliram, Director of New Media, Israeli PM Office]:
"Obviously, we are giving preferability to the questions who are coming from "Arab spring" countries because we really see the potential of the Democratic powers of the social media platforms and on what's happening in those Tahrir squares online and we want to enhance that Democratic power."

[Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli PM]:
"I urge you to communicate your thoughts and bring forward your questions and I will try to help you and answer them rather as best as I can."

Well, not every question will be answered...

[Dr. Eitan Eliram, Director of New Media, Israeli PM Office]:
"We screen them, we sort them, and then obviously we bring it to the PM for him to choose the questions that he wishes to answer."

[Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli PM]:
"Talk to you soon."

NTD News, Jerusalem, Israel

Photographer: Rani Shoket , Reporter: Robert Blonder

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[mrjimhoward]

Good idea. As Churchill said: "JAW JAW (talking) is better than WAR WAR"