Can the prospect of oral sex deflate hardening anti-Israel sentiment?
As the Israeli government rolls out a PR offensive to combat what it believes are misperceptions, a new campaign on campuses across Canada is encouraging students to think of the Jewish state as a technologically and culturally advanced Mediterranean playground that can provide a lot of fun and excitement in a small package.
Visitors to the website sizedoesntmatter.ca are greeted with thumping dance music and a series of travel-brochure images of Israel: azure waters, hot bodies, packed clubs, and colourful open-air markets.
There's also a 50-second commercial featuring a young man and woman talking in bed. "Don't be mad, but it's small … I just don't know if I can go there," she says, looking at his lap just off-camera.
"I consider this a spot of worship," he replies, then adds: "It may be small, but it's brought the driest places to life. Baby, this is paradise."
What are they looking at? A map of Israel.
The video concludes with the tagline: "Israel. Small country, big paradise," though the website has a different slogan: "Small country, big appetite for peace." The site supplies facts about the country's medical and communication-technology industries, its population, and its environmental efforts.
"Our students year-to-year on campus are so burdened by the politicization of the debate," says Susan Davis, executive director of the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy, an arm of the United Jewish Appeal, which backed the effort. "It's the idea of hearing about Israel in the bigger picture, Israel outside the conflict, Israel as a complete country. And the students are the most excited."
Pun intended? "Did I say that?" Ms. Davis replied.