Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
"All the surveys we have done shows that the biggest hasbara," or public diplomacy, "problem that Israel has is with males from the age of 18 - 35," said David Saranga, Israel's media and public affairs point person at its New York consulate. "In order to change their perception of Israel as only a land of conflict, we want to present to them an Israel that interests them," he added. So the "beer 'n' babes magazine Maxim" is sending photographers to Israel, for a photo shoot of attractive Israeli women. Saranga called the Israeli women models a "Trojan horse," to show Israel as "a modern country with nice beaches." The magazine will also include information on each of the seven models, "to show the diversity of Israeli society." Israel's consul-general in New York said his country "is a vibrant and vivid place, and capturing this on the pages of America's biggest male magazine helps us reaffirm our brand in an important way."