On the weekend, the IDF announced its forces had targeted a zone in the Khan Younis area of Gaza where the senior Hamas mastermind behind the Oct. 7 attack had been hiding. Initial reports said the attack aimed to take out Mohammed Deif, Hamas’ military chief. International condemnation was quick to blame Israel for dozens of civilians killed in the bomb blast.

And while official Israeli channels endeavoured put their spin on the important military operation, a group of civilian Jewish public-relations whizzes were in a Tel Aviv studio going live with their own English-language briefings and social media posts.

It’s a job Eylon Levy used to do after Oct. 7 as official international media spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. Levy’s earnest and calm handling of Israel’s p.r. war made him a celebrity, especially his expressive dark eyebrows that became famous in their own right on social media. But after six months into the war, the British-born former journalist was unceremoniously fired. The reasons are complicated. Levy pivoted, and assembled a team of p.r. pros to continue fighting the crucial information war for Israel. He’s come to Canada to drum up support for this new venture.

On today’s episode of The CJN Daily, Eylon Levy joins to explain why the Israeli government’s in house public relations efforts to date have failed to counter the lies and propaganda from the Iran-backed Hamas organization, creating a situation which he believes has driven a wedge between Canada and the Jewish State, and also between Canadians and their non-Jewish neighbours.

What we talked about:

• Learn more about the Israeli Citizen Spokespersons’ Office, Elon Levy’s new private public relations work for Israel and the Jewish people.
• Learn how to donate via JGive to the New Israeli Discourse and Citizen Spokespersons’ Office.
• Follow their daily briefing Sunday to Thursday at 8 a.m. ET.

**Credits: **

The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine.  We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here. Hear why The CJN is important to me.