Israel's Latest Bombshells

Some Israeli legislators are getting all wound up over the portray of one mighty fine looking Israeli woman who is helping raise awareness for an event at the Israeli consulate in New York City today, that is cosponsored by Maxim (that should have been a giveaway that you were going to get some mighty attractive folks to adorn the ad campaign).

But prominent Israeli women say using sex to market the Land of Milk and Honey is "an outrage."

Former Consul-General Colette Avital, a member of the Israeli parliament, yesterday demanded an urgent meeting with the Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik to get an explanation of what she called the "pornographic campaign," the newspaper Yediot Achronoth reported.

The consulate in New York says the campaign is just seeking good demographics.

"We found that Israel's image among men 18-38 is lacking," David Saranga, consul for media and public affairs said.

"So we thought we'd approach them with an image they'd find appealing."

That's the wrong image, said Zahava Gal-On, a Knesset member and chairwoman of the Meretz Party.

These critics complain that the photo is pornographic. Sorry, I see it as art.

It most certainly isn't obscene. It's also quite representative of what you'll see at Israeli beaches throughout the year.

Your mileage might vary, but this is yet another reason to go visit Israel.

UPDATE:
Those who are trying to make a mountain out of a molehill here had ample warning. This was known to the Israeli legislators back in March, when Israel decided to approach Maxim over doing an ad campaign.

The beer 'n' babes magazine Maxim will send photographers to Israel next week for an Israeli women photo shoot that Foreign Ministry officials hope redefines what the magazine's hormone-charged readers think when they hear television reporters say "the situation in Israel is hot."

"All the surveys we have done shows that the biggest hasbara problem that Israel has is with males from the age of 18-35," said David Saranga, the consul for media and public affairs at Israel's consulate in New York.

"Israel does not seem relevant for them, and that is bad for branding," he said. "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." Which is where good-looking women in skimpy bikinis come in.

The nine-person Maxim team, including photographers, a reporter, hairstylists and make-up people, will arrive for a five-day photo-shoot on Tuesday, using Tel Aviv-Jaffa - and the old and new motif - as a backdrop for the photographs.

UPDATE:
Jammie has more thoughts on the matter, as well as a link to the Maxim spread on the IDF gals.