Israel’s PR efforts – now that’s a hot potato!

True or not, it’s a great story. And it goes like this. Atatürk, in his efforts to modernise Turkey, sought to reduce the influence of traditional Ottoman customs including the widespread use of the veil by women.

In one popular anecdote, it is said that Atatürk didn’t directly ban the veil, but instead demanded that prostitutes who had been dressing in Western-style clothing wear veils. He allegedly remarked that since these women represented immorality, they should wear veils to signify their profession. The implication was that “decent” women could go without. And probably wouldn’t be seen dead in one.

Atatürk’s plan removed the conflict, and achieved great success.

At the risk of comparing 1923 Turkish women to 18th century European potatoes, there’s another unrelated tale that’s worth considering. It is said that Frederick the Great of Prussia is credited with popularising potatoes in the country – now encompassing modern-day Germany and parts of Poland. And he did it with the use of an ingenious plan.

Potato popularity wasn’t always a thing. And so the premier decreed the potato to be a “royal food”. He ordered that a field be planted near his palace and had the crop guarded by soldiers.

The guarded fields, unsurprisingly, piqued the curiosity of the common people. Seeing the soldiers, they assumed potatoes were a luxury reserved for the king and decided they wanted some for themselves.

Frederick, who was one step ahead, ordered the guards to be lax in their duties, allowing peasants to sneak in and “steal” the vegetable. Which they did, after which they started to plant potatoes in their own fields. The result was that the potato finally gained acceptance across Prussia.

Fictional character Tom Sawyer does the same when trying to elicit support for his fence painting. By pretending he is having the best time ever, his friends are unable to resist joining in. It’s no different to the desire to be part of the cool kids.

It’s oft said that “Israel is terrible at PR [public relations].” That “Israel is losing the PR war”, and that we’re “our own worst enemy”. It might appear to be the case. News publications, captured by anti-Israel actors, social media-farmed bots spewing disinformation without consequence, allegations of genocide, and active filtering of information certainly creates that impression. And whereas it might appear to be the case, I wonder if it is.

The stories that might or might not have happened contain a common thread. A clue that suggests that despite that impression, the opposite is true.

Turkish women discarded their veils because they didn’t want to be associated with prostitutes. Prussian peasants ate potatoes because they wanted to be associated with royalty. Tom’s friends joined him in painting the fence because that was the group they wanted to be connected with. And at school, everyone wanted to be one of the cool kids.

Since 7 October, there has been an unprecedented return to active and proud Jewish identity. People who in the past might have viewed their Judaism and support for Israel as incidental, now prioritise it. Some risk their lives, some their “reputation”, and some their livelihood. But they do so with pride. Because no matter what they are told, they are clear that this is a group they want to be connected with.

Not only is that not a PR failure, it’s the opposite. It’s a PR triumph.

That’s not to say that Israel and its supporters shouldn’t think creatively. It isn’t to say that we should become complacent or relax our efforts. But nor should we forget that we are part of the coolest gang, that we don’t need to hide behind veils, and that we can do things with potatoes that others could never imagine!