Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi is the co-founder of the influential pro-Israel “The Israel Project”(TIP)organization, who on Feb. 14, 2012 said she is leaving after 10 years heading the organization. “But I will always be the founder of the Israel Project,” she added. The Israel Project fights for an honest view of Israel and what is happening in the Middle East.
It’s not that Mizrahi has lost her love for Israel, she says, just that she’s ready to move on. Mizrahi plans to relaunch Laszlo & Associates, the Washington-based strategic communications firm she ran before her detour with The Israel Project.
She will leave the running of the organization to her successor and the management team she is leaving behind, including COO Cathy Bolinger, a former chief financial officer for the American Red Cross and United Service Organizations; U.S. Executive Director Alan Elsner, a 30-year veteran of Reuters; Executive Director for Global Affairs Laura Kam, an ADL veteran; and Israeli Executive Director Marcus Sheff, a former reporter and PR man who as an Israeli army reservist has served as spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces.
Laszlo Mizrahi co-founded the Israel Project ten years ago and turned it into a global organization stretching from Washington to India and China that cultivates relationships with 240,000 thought leaders around the world -- diplomats, elected officials, community leaders and, especially, journalists. It reaches out to new audiences in their languages and has an Arabic media website with 190,000 Facebook fans that received 300,000 “likes”, half of them from Egypt.
It is now considered one of the most influential pro-Israel advocacy groups in America, with 84 employees, a $16 million annual budget, and with offices in Washington DC and Jerusalem. In 2007 its board of advisors included thirty-two Democratic and Republican members of the US House and US Senate, plus former Ambassadors from Israel.
Initially started to change US and European perceptions of Israel, it now works in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and Chinese to reach a global audience. Mizrahi said that her group spends over a million dollars a year on polling and focus groups, pinpointing the messages and words that work most effectively.
She said that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to a Joint Session of Congress last year was formulated in consultations with TIP, as are other statements put out by the Israeli government. She said that TIP deserves much of the credit for the large support that Israel receives in American public opinion.
In a media briefing in New York, the group’s Executive Director for the Americas, Allan Elsner, said that while polls show Israel is more popular than the Palestinians among all major sectors of the U.S. population, it is more popular among older Americans, Republicans, conservatives and Evangelicals and less popular among men, “liberal elites,” African-Americans, Hispanics, and Democrats. Elsner said that the Israel Project was focusing its efforts on “groups where we have a problem.”
In the global arena, according to TIP’s Executive Director of Global Affairs, Laura Kam, the Project has found anti-Israeli public opinion in Europe difficult to budge and is therefore devoting most of its efforts on the continent to working with local Jewish communities.
At the same time, TIP is rapidly expanding operations in Russia, China and India where people “are less interested in the conflict and more in Israeli innovation,” Kam said.
But the same approach of trying to “brand” Israel by highlighting its creativity and innovation is “a complete fiasco” in the United States, according to Mizrahi, because Americans “are not interested.” In America, she says, one has to focus on Israel’s “quest for peace, shared values, and the common front in the fight against terrorism.”
The Israel Project was founded in 2002 by Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi with Margo Volftsun and Sheryl Schwartz. Mizrahi explains that the main motivation behind the establishment of the organization was the fact that many reporters covering Israel were not exposed to the Israeli position. Mizrahi is a firm believer that behind-the-scenes work like hers can make a difference. The Israel Project meets with government officials and diplomats to advocate for Israel-related issues.
Implicit in the founding of the organization, however, was the feeling by the three women who came up with the idea that the Israeli government was failing to get its message across to elites and the wider public. They felt that a more professional approach would bring about greater success. They took upon themselves the daunting task of improving Israel's image in the foreign media. “Our job is to engage in relationships,” Mizrahi says. “The Israeli government should be doing almost everything we’re doing. But they’re not, and I think that that is a tragedy.”
North-Carolina-born Laszlo-Mizrahi was initially groomed for an entirely different path - management of the family-owned cosmetics company in France - but she chose politics and served as a foreign affairs legislative assistant to the U.S. Congress and then working for years with the Democratic Party as a media and political consultant.
She studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and has degrees in International Relations and Judaic Studies from Emory University. Prior to starting The Israel Project, Mizrahi was the founder and president of Laszlo & Associates, Inc., a strategic communications and public policy company. For six years Mizrahi published a weekly column on public policy in The Daily Record in North Carolina.
Margo Volftsun, another one of the three founders, is now Secretary of TIP, and frequently travels on behalf of the organization. She is a full-time philanthropist and a volunteer in the Jewish communal world. Ms. Volftsun immigrated to the United States from Kiev, Ukraine in 1977.
Sheryl J. Schwartz, another of the three founders is now Vice President of TIP and has represented the organization at The Hague. She is an attorney, entrepreneur and influential community leader. From 1981-1996 she was Vice President and General Counsel of her family's home building business, Schwartz Enterprises, Inc.
Press Information
The Israel Project focuses on information and relationships rather than straightforward advocacy. It conducts polling and public opinion research with US focus groups and advises Israeli experts and political leaders on the most effective factual ways to present their views to US audiences. TIP also buys commercial time to air pro-Israeli advertising on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and other cable networks.
They compile dossiers on each reporter, updating their database if someone gets a new job, is assigned a new beat or develops a new interest. They do this by offering background material, press conferences, and facilitating one-on-one interviews with experts, Israeli officials, and political figures, such as Shimon Peres.
It has an active peace program that reaches out to Arabs in Arabic. TIP's website states “The Israel Project’s (TIP) Arabic Media Program works to open hearts and minds in the Arab world toward peace with Israel -- and a better future for both sides. The program provides journalists in the Arab world with the facts and sources they need to enable hundreds of millions of their readers and viewers to hear and see the real Israel – a democracy defending itself from terror, but working for peace. “
The Israel Project organizes press conferences and conference calls for the media and general public. For instance, on Feb. 20, 2012 they had Deputy PM and Intelligence Agencies Minister Dan Meridor (see picture above) who was headlined as saying that the Palestinians are unwilling to end conflict. On Feb. 13, 2012 they had a conference call with Paul Hirschson, an Israeli Foreign Ministry Deputy spokesman, who in responding to a number of questions made the point that “we have every intention of defending ourselves.”
On Feb. 12, 2012, they had Ambassador Roger F. Noriega who was quoted as saying “Iran a major presence in South America.” On February 8, 2012, a conference Call Subject was "The Arab Spring and Iran" with Uzi Rabi, Director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies and Chair of the Department of Middle Eastern and African History at Tel Aviv University. And on Jan. 18, 2012, there was a press conference with former Labor party Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (see picture above) who said that there is a “Hizbullah Chemical War Threat to Israel if Assad Falls.”
The Israel Project's Intellicopter
Part of TIP’s efforts in Jerusalem include providing helicopter flights for foreign journalists and leaders visiting the country, called 'Intellicopter' tours. Members of the media and leaders are given an opportunity to witness firsthand the uniqueness of the country’s strategic difficulties as a result of its small size. The two-and–a-half hour tour is led by TIP’s guides who offer an analysis of Israel’s history and current security challenges. Journalists from over 300 media outlets have taken TIP’s intellicopter tour, and a large portion of news footage about the country is taken from this aerial view.
2009 Global Language Dictionary
The Israel Project commissioned a study by Frank Luntz who ran polls and focus groups to determine the best language to use to promote Israeli settlements to the American public. The study that came out in 2009 was marked, “Not for distribution or publication” but was leaked to Newsweek online. The study can be read by pressing here.
The study recommends being positive, framing the issue as being about peace not settlements and to claim that the rejection of Jewish settlements is anti-Semitic and "ethnic cleansing".
The document also lists arguments that don't work, in particular noting that religious, ownership and "scapegoat" arguments failed to sway listeners, and the public does not accept the explanation that Arab housing is being demolished in East Jerusalem because it fails to meet the building code.
This study states that "public opinion is hostile to the settlements - even among supporters of Israel" so instead of dwelling on settlements one should always talk positively and focus on past peace achievement.
Further advice include: Don’t talk about religion Americans who see the bible as their sourcebook on foreign affairs are already supporters of Israel. Religious fundamentalists are Israel’s “Amen Choir” and they make up approximately one-fourth of the American public and Israel’s strongest friends in the world. However, some of those who are most likely to believe that Israel is a religious state are most hostile towards Israel
Or this:
Concede a point. Look for opportunities in every TV debate or interview to concede a point to the interviewer or debate partner. It doesn’t have to be a major point. The point isn’t to undermine some essential plank of Israel’s foreign policy platform. But the simple words “you make a good point” do wonders among an audience.
And this one:
Never, never, NEVER speak in declarative statements. Never
The study provides a five-step approach to talking about civilian casualties in Gaza:
STEP 1 – Empathy: “All human life is precious. We understand that the loss of one innocent Palestinian life is every bit as tragic as the loss of an Israeli life.”
STEP 2 – Admission: “We admit that Israel isn’t always successful at preventing civilian casualties...”
STEP 3 -- Effort: “We remain committed to doing everything in our power to preventing civilian casualties.”
STEP 4 – Examples: “Let me tell you how our armed forces are trained, tasked, and operate to ensure that Palestinian civilians remain safe.”
STEP 5 – Turn Tables: “It is a great tragedy that Iran backed Hamas shoots rockets at our civilians while hiding in their own. This causes tragic deaths on BOTH sides. What would you do if you were in this situation?”"
The study shows how an advertisement can be effective - see picture above.
Chapter 2 in the study provides a glossary of words that the authors claim would be effective in any pro-Israel discussion. The words are:
- “Accountability.” Stop using “confidence-building measures” and start using “accountability” to describe what’s needed most within the Palestinian government(s).
- “Building.” Never talk about “giving” the Palestinians something. It sounds too paternalistic. Instead, talk about “building” because it suggests a step-by-step, layer-by- layer improvement in conditions.
- Children. Future for both Palestinian and Israeli children without the constant fear of attack.
- “Come to Jerusalem to work for peace.” It’s an active challenge to turn words into deeds.
- “Cooperation, collaboration, and compromise.” This is how Americans believe the conflict must be solved. When you give a little, you get a lot.
- “Deliberately firing rockets into civilian communities.” Combine terrorist motive with civilian visuals far more powerful than describing the attacks as “random.”
- “Economic Diplomacy.” more embracing and popular term than the current lexicon of “sanctions.”
- “Economic Prosperity.” “economic prosperity” of the Palestinians, puts Israel in the most positive light possible.
- Examples of Peace Efforts. Constantly cite Israel’s past efforts and sacrifices for peace
- “Equal rights.” Emphasize that Jewish Israelis and Arab Israelis enjoy equal rights and equal protections under the law in Israel.
- Human to Human. Appealing directly to the Palestinian people on behalf of the Israeli people takes the issue out of the political realm and humanizes it
- Humanize Rockets. Paint a vivid picture of what life is like in Israeli communities that are vulnerable to attack.
- “If… If… If…Then.” Put the burden on Hamas to make the first move for peace by using If’s
- “Living together, side by side. best way to describe the ultimate vision of a two-state solution without using the phrase.
- “Militant Islam.” best term to describe the terrorist movement.
- “Mutual respect.” demonstrates an open-minded approach. We respect their right to live in peace and prosperity. All we ask is for them to respect the same for us.”
- “Nobody has to leave their homes.” most winning phrase in the lexicon of settlements. Use the principle of mutuality
- “One step at a time, one day at a time.” It is essential to lower expectations.
- “Peace before political boundaries.” why a two-state solution isn’t realistic right now.
- “Persistence” and “perseverance.” It is not just the effort that matters. It’s the intensity of that effort.
- “Prevention.” Not “preemption.”
- “The RIGHT to.” This is a stronger phrase than “deserves.”
- “Societal Progress.” Americans and Europeans see “societal progress” as a moral imperative.
- “Specific Plan of Action.” Americans want to know that there is a specific plan of action.
- “We have all made mistakes.” It gains you much needed credibility.
- “We’re all in this together.” Acknowledging a common condition builds a sense of empathy.
- “Working toward a solution.” This suggests positive intent. This suggests progress. This suggests hope.
