In early March, the American Zionist Movement kicked off its Café Israel – Broadening the Conversation, a series of round-table discussions about Israel, with Shahar Azani, Consul for Media Affairs, Consulate General of Israel in New York. After a light lunch, Azani gave brief remarks and then opened the floor to a Q&A session.
Israel activists and supporters from all backgrounds shared their concerns about how Israel is treated in the media, how to fight against critics and how to engage people who are not knowledgeable about Israel’s full history and society.
Azani stressed the importance of being positive in interactions about Israel and urged participants to discuss Israel in contexts unrelated to politics and the Middle East. It’s vital, he said, to share less-publicized information, such as high tech developments, with the uninformed and to help paint a more comprehensive perspective about Israel. Doing so, he emphasized, will lead them to make more associations about politics as well.
Café Israel is a monthly series about topics related to Israel. The next event will be Tuesday, April 29, with Gil Hoffman, Chief Political Correspondent and Analyst at the Jerusalem Post.
