IDF "New Media" -- the interface for bloggers

Featured at the Herziliya conference this week, was the "New Media" unit of the IDF.

Here's a video of the Muqata's favorite New Media Officer in the IDF Spokesman's office:



Lt. Aliza Landes mentioned that working with blogs and bloggers is one of her most important tasks.

“[Bloggers] have an enormous amount of influence and ignoring that we do at our own peril,” she said and added that the purpose of using new media, as she sees it, is making information available to as many people as possible.

One of the ways to achieve this task is to use social networks which allow for ‘dry’ information to become more interesting and visually appealing.

“There’s so much information that comes through the IDF Spokesperson’s office that isn’t necessarily suitable for mainstream media because it’s not really a story,” said Landes. “We try to use that information, that would otherwise get tossed aside, and try to put it online because other bloggers or the curious public might find it interesting.”

We at the Muqata Blog, salute Lt. Aliza Landes for her outstanding job at interfacing between bloggers and the IDF. Keep up the great work!


ht: Joe, A7.

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Livni's Kosher "Style" Values

Today, Kadima Party Leader Tzipi Livni gave her keynote address at the 11th annual Herzliya Conference, and she presented her vision for Israel's future.

She expounded on her vast knowledge of Judaism, when she declared:

"The two-state solution is not a favor to Americans or something we're giving to the Palestinians as a favor or out of weakness," Livni said. "The two-state solution is part of our values as a Jewish State." (JPost)

I think she meant, "Jewish Style" values. Sort of like "Kosher Style".

For food to be considered "Kosher" it needs to meet the many standards of complex Jewish laws, which are based on laws and traditions thousands of years old.

For those who don't want to bother with preparing and eating food that's actually Kosher, there's also "Kosher Style" -- which is usually food that isn't Kosher at all, but satisfies one's cultural conscience, that the food they are eating is somehow connected to something Jewish.

WikiPedia adds:

Jews who adhere strictly to the laws of Kashrut will not eat at Kosher style establishments. Furthermore, the fact that such establishments appear to be Kosher can be deceptive to Jews who are visiting an unfamiliar city and are looking for Kosher food. Furthermore, many of these establishments are also open on the Jewish sabbath for business when this is forbidden by Jewish Law.

A two-state solution isn't any more of a Jewish value, than a cheese hamburger is Glatt Kosher.

You can argue in favor of a two-state solution from many angles, but calling it a "Jewish value" is simply factually incorrect, and devoid of any historical, religious, or Biblical background. Calling a non-kosher deli sandwich "Kosher" doesn't magically make it Kosher.

As with "Kosher style", Livni's statements can be deceptive to Jews who are looking for Judaism.

And for the record, the JPOST didn't release this story in a vacuum. It was provided as a Kadima PR service, "Brought to you by the United States Embassy, Tel Aviv, Public Affairs Office" (see bottom of the JPost article)


Note: I have no idea if the above pictured "Shapiro's Kosher Style" eatery is Kosher or not. I would guess it's not.

Hat-tip: Robert K.

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