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==Critical reception == |
==Critical reception == |
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===Stephen Games=== |
===Stephen Games=== |
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In December 2023, British political columnist [[Stephen Games]] criticised in detail, in his article ''Eylon Levy—or how not to do PR for Israel, in 30 easy steps'', Levy's techniques during an interview with radio host [[Mishal Husain]], a Briton of Pakistani background, on [[BBC Radio 4]]'s ''[[Today (BBC Radio 4)|Today]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Games |first1=Stephen |title=Eylon Levy—or how not to do PR for Israel, in 30 easy steps |url=https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/eylon-levy-or-how-not-to-do-pr-for-israel-in-30-easy-steps/ |access-date=22 January 2024 |date=4 December 2023}}</ref> |
In December 2023, British political columnist [[Stephen Games]] criticised in detail, in his article ''Eylon Levy—or how not to do PR for Israel, in 30 easy steps'', Levy's techniques during an interview with radio host [[Mishal Husain]], a Briton of Pakistani background, on [[BBC Radio 4]]'s ''[[Today (BBC Radio 4)|Today]]''.<ref name=games>{{cite news |last1=Games |first1=Stephen |title=Eylon Levy—or how not to do PR for Israel, in 30 easy steps |url=https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/eylon-levy-or-how-not-to-do-pr-for-israel-in-30-easy-steps/ |access-date=22 January 2024 |date=4 December 2023}}</ref> |
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In the article, Games provided an extensive set of thirty directives to refine Levy's approach to public relations and media interactions. Games emphasized the paramount importance of responding directly to questions, discouraging the use of evasive tactics or falling back on camouflage. The guidance extended to avoiding the utilization of circumstantial evidence in arguments, with Games stressing that the principles of admissibility in court should align with persuasive techniques in public relations.<ref name=games/> |
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A crucial aspect of the counsel was centered on maintaining composure throughout the interview, steering clear of exaggeration, and concentrating on delivering tangible, achievable information instead of making promises about the future. Levy was advised not to attack adversaries' figures without more reliable data to counteract them and to resist the temptation to interrogate the interviewer, instead focusing on providing substantive answers to questions.<ref name=games/> |
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Additionally, Games underscored the importance of steering clear of assertive or confrontational approaches, avoiding rude behavior such as talking across the interviewer, and refraining from establishing a case by repeating earlier answers. The guidance encouraged Levy to seize follow-up questions as valuable opportunities, ensuring they were not wasted and that he appeared fully engaged and attentive during the interview.<ref name=games/> |
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Professionalism was a recurring theme in the advice, discouraging complaints about the interview format, suggestions of interviewer impropriety, and the gratuitous use of the interviewer's name. A reminder to maintain self-respect underscored the directive to anticipate potential questions before an interview, ensuring all responses were effective and well-prepared. Games concluded by emphasizing the necessity of maintaining a professional demeanor throughout interactions with the media to cultivate a positive public image.<ref name=games/> |
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===Sara Netanyahu=== |
===Sara Netanyahu=== |
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On January 22, 2024, the ''[[Times of Israel]]'' and the ''[[Jerusalem Post]]'' reported that [[Sara Netanyahu]], wife of the current Israeli prime minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]], tried to oust Israel's Eylon Levy from his spokesperson role from his role for participating in the [[2023 Israeli judicial reform protests]] before the [[Israeli war on Gaza]]. Levy's posts on [[X (formerly Twitter)]] had reportedly circulated among persons in the prime minister's inner circle and upset some of them. Sara Netanyahu's endeavor to dismiss Levy aroused significant public outcry over what was seen as her overreach. The Movement for Quality Government in Israel promptly petitioned the government's legal advisor, urging the issuance of guidelines delineating the specific domain within which she is authorized to intervene in and unjustly or illegally influence governmental affairs.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sara Netanyahu tried to oust Israel's Eylon Levy from spokesperson role |url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-783112 |access-date=22 January 2024 |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=21 January 2024}}</ref> |
On January 22, 2024, the ''[[Times of Israel]]'' and the ''[[Jerusalem Post]]'' reported that [[Sara Netanyahu]], wife of the current Israeli prime minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]], tried to oust Israel's Eylon Levy from his spokesperson role from his role for participating in the [[2023 Israeli judicial reform protests]] before the [[Israeli war on Gaza]]. Levy's posts on [[X (formerly Twitter)]] had reportedly circulated among persons in the prime minister's inner circle and upset some of them. Sara Netanyahu's endeavor to dismiss Levy aroused significant public outcry over what was seen as her overreach. The Movement for Quality Government in Israel promptly petitioned the government's legal advisor, urging the issuance of guidelines delineating the specific domain within which she is authorized to intervene in and unjustly or illegally influence governmental affairs.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sara Netanyahu tried to oust Israel's Eylon Levy from spokesperson role |url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-783112 |access-date=22 January 2024 |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=21 January 2024}}</ref> |
Revision as of 14:21, 22 January 2024
Eylon Aslan Levy is an official Israeli government spokesman, serving since the start of 2023 Israel–Hamas war.[1][2] He served previously as international media advisor to President Isaac Herzog, after a career as a television news anchor at i24News and IBA News.[3] Levy's work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Guardian, and The Daily Telegraph.[4][5][6][7][8]
Biography
Levy was born in London, United Kingdom to Israeli emigrant parents who worked in real estate, and is of Iraqi-Jewish ancestry. He began participating in debate clubs at age 14.[9] Levy attended University College School in London,[10] before going onto to Brasenose College at the University of Oxford, where he received his bachelor's degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in 2013 .[11][12] While studying at Oxford, he participated in debate championships around the world.[9] He received his master's degree in International Relations from the University of Cambridge, where he wrote his thesis on the issue of Jewish refugees from the Arab world in Israeli foreign policy.[13] Whilst at Oxford, Levy participated in a debate with George Galloway in which Galloway walked out after learning that Levy was an Israeli citizen.[14][15][16] He moved to Israel in August 2014 at the age of 23. During his service in the Israel Defense Forces, he served in the COGAT unit.[17][9]
In 2016, Levy worked as the chief news anchor at IBA News, the English-language broadcast on Israeli public television. He later worked at the international news network i24NEWS, as a news anchor, commentator, and investigative journalist. In 2021, Israeli president Isaac Herzog appointed him as his international media advisor at the Office of the President of Israel, in which capacity he served for the first two years of the Herzog presidency.
As a Hebrew-to-English literature translator, Levy has translated several influential works of Hebrew non-fiction. In 2022, he was named the inaugural translation finalist of the Sami Rohr Prize in recognition of his translation of Danny Adeno Abebe's memoir From Africa to Zion.[18] Among his previously published works:
- Catch-67 by Micah Goodman (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2018)[19]
- #IsraeliJudaism by Shmuel Rosner and Camil Fuchs (Jerusalem: JPPI, 2019)[20]
- The War of Return by Einat Wilf and Adi Schwartz (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2020)[21]
- Shimon Peres: An Insider's Account by Avi Gil (London: I.B. Tauris, 2020)[22]
- The Story of Secular Jews by Amnon Rubinstein (Tel Aviv: Kotarim, 2021)[23]
- The Wondering Jew by Micah Goodman (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2021)[24]
- From Africa to Zion by Danny Adeno Abebe (Tel Aviv: Yediot Books, 2021)[25]
- The Israeli Century by Yossi Shain (New York: Wicked Son, 2021)[26]
- The Fifth Fiasco by David Passig (Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Press, 2021)[27]
- Frayed by Yair Ettinger (New York: Koren Publishers, 2023)[28]
Levy was the co-creator of the musical comedy A Theory of Justice: The Musical, which premiered in Oxford in 2013 and was revived for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where it was nominated for four awards.[29]
Critical reception
Stephen Games
In December 2023, British political columnist Stephen Games criticised in detail, in his article Eylon Levy—or how not to do PR for Israel, in 30 easy steps, Levy's techniques during an interview with radio host Mishal Husain, a Briton of Pakistani background, on BBC Radio 4's Today.[30]
In the article, Games provided an extensive set of thirty directives to refine Levy's approach to public relations and media interactions. Games emphasized the paramount importance of responding directly to questions, discouraging the use of evasive tactics or falling back on camouflage. The guidance extended to avoiding the utilization of circumstantial evidence in arguments, with Games stressing that the principles of admissibility in court should align with persuasive techniques in public relations.[30]
A crucial aspect of the counsel was centered on maintaining composure throughout the interview, steering clear of exaggeration, and concentrating on delivering tangible, achievable information instead of making promises about the future. Levy was advised not to attack adversaries' figures without more reliable data to counteract them and to resist the temptation to interrogate the interviewer, instead focusing on providing substantive answers to questions.[30]
Additionally, Games underscored the importance of steering clear of assertive or confrontational approaches, avoiding rude behavior such as talking across the interviewer, and refraining from establishing a case by repeating earlier answers. The guidance encouraged Levy to seize follow-up questions as valuable opportunities, ensuring they were not wasted and that he appeared fully engaged and attentive during the interview.[30]
Professionalism was a recurring theme in the advice, discouraging complaints about the interview format, suggestions of interviewer impropriety, and the gratuitous use of the interviewer's name. A reminder to maintain self-respect underscored the directive to anticipate potential questions before an interview, ensuring all responses were effective and well-prepared. Games concluded by emphasizing the necessity of maintaining a professional demeanor throughout interactions with the media to cultivate a positive public image.[30]
Sara Netanyahu
On January 22, 2024, the Times of Israel and the Jerusalem Post reported that Sara Netanyahu, wife of the current Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, tried to oust Israel's Eylon Levy from his spokesperson role from his role for participating in the 2023 Israeli judicial reform protests before the Israeli war on Gaza. Levy's posts on X (formerly Twitter) had reportedly circulated among persons in the prime minister's inner circle and upset some of them. Sara Netanyahu's endeavor to dismiss Levy aroused significant public outcry over what was seen as her overreach. The Movement for Quality Government in Israel promptly petitioned the government's legal advisor, urging the issuance of guidelines delineating the specific domain within which she is authorized to intervene in and unjustly or illegally influence governmental affairs.[31]
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Israel's prince of public diplomacy". Globes. 12 March 2023.
- ^ "On Jewish anti-Zionism". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
- ^ "Grapevine: Taking the Jew(s) out of Britain". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 13 February 2019. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
- ^ "Building a state in the shadow of the Holocaust". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 13 April 2018. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
- ^ "Eylon Aslan-Levy". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
- ^ "Obsessive Gaza coverage is fanning antisemitism | Eylon Aslan-Levy". the Guardian. 2014-08-07. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ "Perspective | Israel won the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Any plan has to reflect that". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ a b c "Israel's newest, British-born international spokesperson is raising some eyebrows". Times of Israel.
- ^ Rosenberg, Michelle. "Top London boys' school says no to talk by former pupil, Israeli spokesman Eylon Levy". www.jewishnews.co.uk.
- ^ "Eylon Aslan-Levy". OxPol. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
- ^ "Notable Alumni - Brasenose College, Oxford". www.bnc.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ "Eylon Aslan-Levy". aishcom. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
- ^ "Galloway walks out of debate with Oxford Israeli student". Varsity Online. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
- ^ "Oxford in uproar over union motion to boycott Israel". the Guardian. 2013-02-23. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
- ^ "George Galloway refuses to debate with Israeli student at Oxford". the Guardian. 2013-02-21. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
- ^ "Farewell, IDF; it's been an honor". blogs.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ "The Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature and the National Library of Israel Announce New Collaboration". www.nli.org.il. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
- ^ Goodman, Micah (2019-10-08). Catch-67: The Left, the Right, and the Legacy of the Six-Day War. Translated by Levy, Eylon. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300248418.
- ^ Rosner, Shmuel; Fuchs, Camil (2019-08-29). #IsraeliJudaism: Portrait of a Cultural Revolution. JPPI, The Jewish People Policy Institute. ISBN 978-9657549261.
- ^ Schwartz, Adi; Wilf, Einat (2020-04-28). The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace. St. Martin's Publishing. ISBN 978-1250252760.
- ^ Gil, Avi (2020-11-12). Shimon Peres: An Insider's Account of the Man and the Struggle for a New Middle East. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-0755617029.
- ^ Rubinstein, Amnon (3 January 2021). THE STORY OF THE SECULAR JEWS. January 3, 2021).
- ^ Goodman, Micah (2020-11-10). The Wondering Jew: Israel and the Search for Jewish Identity. Translated by Levy, Eylon. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300252248.
- ^ Abebe, Danny Adeno (2021-04-20). From Africa To Zion. Yedioth Ahronoth and Chemed Books. ISBN 978-9652012869.
- ^ Shain, Yossi (2021-11-02). The Israeli Century: How the Zionist Revolution Changed History and Reinvented Judaism. Post Hill Press. ISBN 978-1642938456.
- ^ "The Fifth Fiasco, or How to Escape the Traps of Jewish History in the Twenty-First Century - Cambridge Scholars Publishing". www.cambridgescholars.com. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
- ^ "Frayed". Koren Publishers. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
- ^ "Nominees for WhatsOnStage supported MTN Awards announced in Edinburgh | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. 16 August 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Games, Stephen (4 December 2023). "Eylon Levy—or how not to do PR for Israel, in 30 easy steps". Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ "Sara Netanyahu tried to oust Israel's Eylon Levy from spokesperson role". The Jerusalem Post. 21 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.