Foreign Minister Eli Cohen is spearheading a new project for high school students, with the aim of improving Israel’s image in the international arena, according to a report published in Israel Hayom.
The project, it is hoped, will equip students in grades 10 to 12 with the skills needed to present their country favorably and to counter disinformation, with a focus on using social media to do so.
“I believe in providing equal opportunities to everyone and am confident that our youth can bring about a change in the level of awareness and in the nature of dialogue globally,” Cohen said. “Our youth can make a significant contribution to improving Israel’s image. The skills they will acquire in this project can help them in the future if they choose to enter the diplomatic arena,” he added.
According to Foreign Ministry officials, the new project will “give our youth a sense of purpose as well as the tools they need to engage in public diplomacy on behalf of the State of Israel. This project will constitute a form of response to radical elements with their extreme anti-Israel and anti-Semitic ideology.”
The project will begin as a pilot plan for two years, starting with students in tenth grade and expanding to grades eleven and twelve in the following year. Lecturers from the Foreign Ministry will present the topics to be covered, including photographic skills, video editing, advertising, and marketing. Students will also be taught how to set up forums for discussion on social media, and how to respond to anti-Semitic and anti-Israel content.