Israel is uh... hot?

… but not Jerusalem?

The Jerusalem Post reports today how the Ministry of Tourism is using racy imagery to promote Israel tourism in the UK.

Far from the days of portraying Israel as a haven for archeological enthusiasts and tugging on religious sentimental strings, the Tourism Ministry is now selling Israel as a place to party … Yoram Rubinger, creative director at advertising and branding agency Open (which was not associated with the project) said the advertisement sends a positive message to young travelers that Israel is a fun destination, comparable to Greece and Turkey.

The associated Web site, thinkisrael.com, illustrates Eilat with a sultry eyed hottie in a pool and the tag line “where rain never falls” – the ad for Tel Aviv, “the 24 hour mediterranean city” has a long limbed cutie sitting at the beach – the Dead Sea ad shows us a scantily clad model frolicking on what looks like a pile of salt in the region described as “the lowest point on earth.” Jerusalem is not ignored, but instead of gracing us with a pic of one of the city’s many hotties, we get basically a pile of anonymous, non-denominational old rocks, somewhere in the Old City. And no clever tag lines.

Clearly some will take umbrage with the imagery used to promote Israel. Others will bemoan Israel’s impending Ibizafication as our local hot spots are inevitably overrun by drunken English yobs and football soccer hooligans. For my part, I welcome all efforts to promote travel to Israel. I am also happy that this Yoram Rubinger dude, like many of his Israeli contemporaries, remains clueless about the secret hottness of Jerusalem. That just means that there’ll be more of that sweet stuff for me – and really, I hate sharing.

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About the author

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Founder and Publisher of Jewlicious, David Abitbol lives in Jerusalem with his wife, newborn daughter and toddler son. Blogging as "ck" he's been blocked on twitter by the right and the left, so he's doing something right.

17 Comments

  • Jewlicious with new design is really racy. A blonde and some mirzachi template background.

  • I feel sorry for whoever buys this. Israel rocks but those adds are hardly Israel.
    And the dead sea is by far the most unsexiest place in the world-ouch!

  • Jameel Rashid: It’s a deal you terrorist bastard! Send an email to jewlicious [at] gmail and we’ll get some kind of beverage. No beer though cuz that’s Haram!

  • When I mentioned about the symbolic erotism oth the Jerusalem photo I forgot to add “So help me Freud”.

  • Jameel: We use sex? Man, that’s just smart marketing. I mean you use sex to advance your demographic advantage over the Jews, right? Its not bombs and rockets that will defeat the infidel zionists, it is the wombs of our women, no Jameel? perhaps next time you are in jerusalem we should sit and have some turkish coffee at my fave badatz café and we can discuss the many merits of our respective women’s wombs. OK I am kidding about the wombs but the coffee invite stands – if you can get past the apartheid road blocks!

    😉

  • You said about Jerusalem “we get basically a pile of anonymous, non-denominational old rocks, somewhere in the Old City. And no clever tag lines.” However IMHO that’s the most sexually explicit of them all albeit symbolic. Don’t you recognise certain vulvar representation in the photograph?

  • a very old story that has been covered months ago. it is not so much about “come to israel” but “come in israel”. google dudley moore and crazy people and all will become apparant.

    Leslie

  • I’m still wondering why Tel Aviv is called the city that never sleeps or the 24 hour city. At two in the morning midweek it’s pretty dead. On the other hand, I’m willing to say that Bnei Brak is THE premier Israeli city that doesn’t sleep. There are always tons and tons of people around, walking from here to there and everywhere, even in the middle of the night. The ultimate hotspot, the Itskovitz shteiplech just off RAbbi Akiva street, operates around the clock.

  • . As Isaiah said: “Eichah Haita L’Zona Kirya Neemana” “How has the faithful city become a prostitute”

    thanks to aryeh at jpost for this

  • I think that the pictures of the Dead Sea are false advertising. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a wonderful place – but the image of the sexy woman on the salty shore doesn’t match up with the reality of middle-age plus, overweight Russian women that I have seen there. Besides, all Israeli women know not to shave their legs before going to the Dead Sea…and one drop of the water in your eye and you loose all cool points running blindly to the nearest shower.

    I think the cost of the flight to Israel is one major consideration for travelers. Maybe a little more competition will help? Delta starts a non-stop flight to TLV from ATL in March. Now, Suzanne Sugarbaker at the Dead Sea is something I would pay to see.