Bring back Eylon – Israel’s best PR defense
It’s a sad day when the Prime Minister’s Office, under the guise of inappropriate speaking, suspends Israel’s best, most effective and articulate spokesperson, Eylon Levy.
The rift began weeks ago when it was reported that Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister’s wife, was dissatisfied with Eylon Levy holding the position of official spokesperson for the government, since he had participated in the protests against the government prior to the October 7 massacre.
Attempting to have him “removed from his role,” she was met with a “backlash” and failed to oust him from his post back in January. In fact, the outcry was so great, that it led Dr. Eliad Shraga, chairman of The Movement for the Quality Government in Israel, to publicly address his position, stating: “The law does not define any public status or area of responsibility for the spouse of the prime minister. As of this moment, Mrs. Netanyahu has not submitted herself to the voter test and does not hold any public office and, therefore, cannot interfere in anything that has not been specifically defined for her to interfere in. The State of Israel is not a monarchical state, and the prime minister’s wife is not a queen. We demand clear guidelines and an end to the laissez-faire approach that allows the prime minister’s wife free rein in managing the state.”
Now, Levy is being accused of having done something improper, but what was it? Because all we know is that “he responded to a tweet by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron concerning humanitarian aid to Gaza.” What are we missing? Cameron blames Israel for being derelict in its duty to provide enough food for Gazans, an accusation defended by Levy, the State’s official spokesperson, who accurately and justly corrects that assertion for being erroneous, and for his trouble, he is suspended.
If that doesn’t seem quite right to you, it’s because it isn’t! By stating the truth, explaining that 277 trucks with such aid had entered Gaza just last week, advising that this is a 50% increase from prior weeks, does that constitute a grievous infraction which deserved the harsh punishment and humiliation with which he is now forced to suffer?
One can only surmise that Levy was already on borrowed time, per Sara’s whim, being carefully scrutinized, just waiting for some pretext of an excuse to sack him, but given this flimsy reasoning, which lacks all common sense, it is clear that the act is totally driven by a petty grudge held by the prime minister’s wife, for Levy not having been on board with a coalition that nearly got its way by radically changing the character of Israel through introducing extreme laws which threatened personal freedoms and sought to marginalize most everyone who was not in favor of the coalition’s interpretation of Judaism.
A suspension is supposedly a temporary absence from one’s position, with the hope of imminent reinstatement but, in this case, who thinks that it won’t last indefinitely?
Eylon Levy is a poised, polished and refined young man who has a natural style that exudes candor, principles, authenticity and class! Such a person comes around once in a blue moon, and when he does, to not grab him and immediately utilize his skills and talents is a missed opportunity of sizable proportions. But we didn’t miss him! We recognized his amazing capabilities and seized the moment to take advantage of his unique expertise and skills as a bi-lingual spokesperson with no detectable accent in either language.
That skill set is rare, and it is unfortunate that anyone would do anything to jeopardize his off-the-charts aptitude as well as his commitment to defend our reputation before a highly dishonest and biased world.
But this latest move is only too familiar when it comes to putting the welfare of the country first, rather than self-serving interests. The tone deafness displayed by whoever decided that Levy should be offered up on the altar of political sacrifice in lieu of considering what is best for Israel’s public relations as she is accused of starving others just serves to reinforce that someone is more interested in satisfying their own vengeful feelings as opposed to worrying how we look among the nations.
It's important to remember that Israel is not only fighting for her physical survival but also her existential survival, as it relates to how she is being portrayed in the media, by individuals with an anti-Semitic proclivity and even by those who claim to be her friends and allies but who, in reality, are hurting our image and helping to fan the flames of suspicion and rejection.
This is why we must not shun any verbal assistance that is credible, convincing and clever, because it is no less of a powerful weapon in fighting this war against terror, dishonesty, defaming and the replacement of good with evil. And no one offers that better than Eylon Levy.
If you love Israel, please take a moment to write the prime minister’s office at one of the addresses below and request the immediate return of Eylon Levy as Israel’s official governmental spokesperson without delay. This is no time to allow personal feelings of revenge or small and trivial differences to injure our standing.
A former Jerusalem elementary and middle-school principal who made Aliyah in 1993 and became a member of Kibbutz Reim but now lives in the center of the country with her husband. She is the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, based on the principles from the book of Proverbs - available on Amazon.
