Here’s a short video that hopefully can give you a better idea of what twitter is all about:

Anyways, included in the 125 people that I follow on twitter is Guy Kawasaki, who writes the excellent How to Change the World blog, and founded and manages Alltop.com, a very useful site that collects content from around the web on various topics. (He also does tons of other stuff including venture capital, authoring books, etc.)

ANYWAY, I logged in to twitter and saw that Guy had just created a new Alltop page for Israel. I wrote to him on twitter and asked him if he could add israelplug…and he did! So now we are featured on the Israel Alltop page. Assuming that a lot of people visit the Alltop site, that means good traffic and links for israelplug. Hurray!

On another topic, but an important one for hockey fans, Guy also mentioned that he played hockey with an Israeli, and even has an Israeli hockey jersey! Well, who ever heard of an Israeli hockey jersey, so I asked him to see a picture of it.  Here it is:

And now, since every thing must have a lesson or a purpose, here are some action items for you readers:

1. Check out http://israel.alltop.com.
2. Come meet me on twitter: http://twitter.com/miriamschwab.

I know we have neglected you a bit on our site in the past few months, but this birthday has put our priorities back in focus. As I get alerts and updates on all of the celebrations in your honor, I get that warm fuzzy feeling about how special it is to live here (despite the wacked out taxi drivers and funny hours at the post office).

As a mini-present (and it’s the thought that counts, right? we’re done with the buying each other things stage I hope), I’ve compiled a list of as many websites, videos, blogs, conferences, snacks (?!), etc. that I could possibly find that are dedicated in entirety to you, your innovations, your accomplishments, and your commitment to being an open home to the Jewish people. (cheesy enough? stole it from another Hallmark card I saw in the Israel birthday card store)

Thanks for making us proud and Happy b-day from israelplug!

Blogs

60bloggers - 60 Bloggers in 60 days - a really great mix of bloggers posting about why they love Israel. [Hat tip: Dan from ejewishphilanthropy. ]

The Persistence of Vision: Israel at 60 - WZO initiative that brings together five authors with different perspectives on the meaning of Jewish statehood. Sounds like Real World - Zionism season, stay tuned.. but make sure to put on your glasses or enlarge the font.

Websites

IsraelBirthday- post a personal birthday card to Israel

CelebratingIsrael - dedicate a pixel to Israel, but it’ll cost ya

60israel - the Jewish Agency’s contribution with cute icons and lots of resources

Projects, Print Media, Social Media, Music, Snacks

60israelis.com - Faces of Israel Project, a joint effort of the Consulate General of Israel in New York & Salute to Israel Parade to hang up enormous photo banners in NYC starting May 4th.

Ride with Israel@60 - I guess Israel’s bones are still in pretty good shape.

Facebook Groups - Israel Celebrates 60 (over 2,000 members), Innovation Israel, israelplug

Facebook Friend - Celebrating Israel (over 1,500 friends)

Israel 60 Free Downloads - featured on jewlicious and Shemspeed. Diwon and Y-Love remix Idan Raichel and Shotei Hanevua and it is well worth listening to. As the lyrics say, “get connected like Bezeq”.

Twitter - Israel60 - although I don’t know who it is and they haven’t updated at all.. so much for thinking israel60 could be a real person…

Chocolate-filled Bamba, rich with vitamins and iron (so says the label). Awesome. Osem. (Pity laughs acceptable). [hat tip: Israelity]

Conferences

Presidents Conference Shimon Peres’ baby that will feature too many big names to list here. I’ll give you a hint - every big name you can think of will be at this conference. Check out the program.

Videos

birthright’s Celebrate Israel’s 60th with a tour around Israel

Join Israel’s 60th Birthday Celebration

Events

Musical Gala at Radio City Celebrates Israel@60 - features all the big names - Matisyahu, Yael Naim, Idan Raichel, Rami Kleinstein, David Broza, and more.

60 hours celebrating Israel - Events in Greater Los Angeles

Israel @ 60 in Washington DC - events, resources and information about Israel @ 60 in Washington, D.C.

Israel at 60 Silicon Valley’s Israel Independence Day Celebration

Yom Ha’atzmaut Activities in Jerusalem - that seems appropriate enough. Check out Jerusalemite and Jerusalem Blueprint for all the info.

Recent headlines that should make you proud

2 Israeli startups featured at TechCrunch (the most popular tech website)

• AllRise - The service calls itself “The all new community courthouse.” Users can use the service to “sue” others (boss, wife, mayor, insurance company, the weather).
• MarketGuru - is an investor community that helps you create your ideal portfolio based on your investment philosophy and the risk level you’re willing to assume.

“BusinessWeek” names Israel among innovation hotspots - BusinessWeek put Israel among the top 10, as an innovation leader in technology and pharmaceuticals in its special report Europe’s innovation hotspots.

“Forbes” says Israel among most up-and-coming real estate markets Forbes says that Tel Aviv is where the next real estate investment boom will be.

Israel Economic Stats for the 60th Independence Day

And finally, buddy, thanks for making us laugh and keepin’ it real by refusing to get spell check… [pic from Danny]

If you have anything to add to this list, please leave a comment below.

…and here’s the logo for anyone who possibly missed it (which we covered a while back)

After much Googling and thinking I had imagined the trips, I finally came across some coverage of the Solomon Project’s organized tour of Israel for left-wing and progressive bloggers and journalists (April 10 -16 2008). The all-star blogger list includes the likes of Daily Kos, MyDD and the Huffington Post(ranked #1 most powerful blog according to The Guardian). The idea is for writers to judge the situation in Israel first-hand and not rely on other journalists’ reports. I think it is an amazing, overdue, and much-needed initiative.

Ynet says some highlights of their trip include going to Sderot “by helicopter in an effort to convey the true meaning of a return to the borders of June 4th 1967. The guests are also scheduled to visit with the top negotiator for the Palestinian Authority, Saeb Erekat and may also meet Prime Minister Ehud Olmert or Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni.” JTA adds that they will meet with Israeli bloggers, journalists and Knesset officials.

And now, after reading every single post - or at least skimming - on TravelingGeeks.com, I can tell you about the other major blogger event happening in Israel April 10-17 2008. Stalker? Me? no… Dubbed Innovation Israel, this blogging expedition is the baby of the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest and is led by Bedouin-Israeli Ishmael Khaldi.

This tour features some of the biggest names in the tech and social media blogging world including Robert Scoble of scobleizer.com, JD Lasica of Socialmedia.biz, and even the Craig of Craig’sList.

Here is the full list of bloggers on the trip:

• Brad Reddersen
• Cathy Brooks
• Craig Newmark
• Deborah Schultz
• JD Lasica
• Jeff Saperstein
• Renee Blodgett
• Robert Scoble
• Susan Mernit

Their itinerary was packed with the hottest (geekiest to some) events and conferences that the techie community in Israel has to offer. The tour kicked off with Kinnernet on April 10-12, an informal weekend gathering of “250 net and technology - addicts , nerds ,geeks , thought leaders, and other creative people” to discuss “Software development, internet culture, site building, blogs, forums, social networks, chat rooms, instant messages, P2P, search engines, web services, Wi-Fi, open source, Email, Infrastructure services, Cellular services, Computer games, Interactive T.V, VOIP, technological trends, Gadgets, Security and more”.

As if that weren’t enough to chew on, the group then went to The Marker Comvention April 13-14.

They finally got to step away from their computers(gasp) and talk to each other at social events sponsored by GarageGeeks, iDrink, and Ayelet Noff.

They also visited startup companies and met with many entrepreneurs. Here are some insights from the bloggers themselves:

JD Lasica April 15th, 2008 [upon visiting Zoran, a silicon digital multimedia chip manufacturer]

Most mouthwatering demo: a USB key you can carry around and plug your into the back of a digital TV to watch a high-quality hi-def movie. It should be available to consumers by next year. Or, in a few years, you may be watching downloaded hi-def movies from Neflix or iTunes using Zoran-like technology.

Continue Reading at Day 2 of blogger posse in Israel

Renee Blodgett April 14th, 2008 [upon visiting Rambam Trauma Care in Haifa]

Rambam is also doing a lot of work cardiac tissue engineering. Rambam and Technicon are both working on combining cardiac stem cells and polymer to generate artificial cardiac contracting sheet.

This center deserves more recognition than it has received worldwide - perhaps not enough people know. The Rambam Healthcare Center an amazing example of co-existence in Israel and how life ‘could be.’

Continue Reading at Rambam’s Trauma Care in Peace Time & WAR Time

Craig Newmark April 15, 2008 [upon visiting Ashkelon]
I didn’t quite get how close it is to Gaza. While waiting for security to clear we hear a siren, and the guards rush us to a wall. The siren alerted them to a rocket attack which probably landed far south of us. They ushered us up against a wall, which presumably protects against shrapnel from one side.

(first time I’ve ever needed to write “shrapnel.”)

For your own rocket attacks, I recommend the Qassam.

Continue reading at My first rocket attack, and I eat algae

To follow the bloggers’ adventure, go to TravelingGeeks.com, or view their flickr photos.

Conclusion: Being that Israel sponsored these events, you would think they would want all the publicity that they could get. These tours are mind-blowing because they symbolize that Israel finally gets it. Finally understands how important it is to invite the most powerful, influential writers to Israel to see Israel in all its glory and yet many, if not most,Israel-based English bloggers didn’t even know about it until now, when it is pretty much over.

Chaval (a shame). I’m sure tons of bloggers would’ve loved to meet these superstars or even just gaze at them through a glass window. I mean, Craig from Craig’s List is here. How often does that happen?

One last geeky note: I may have learned more about startups and cool ideas that Israeli companies are working on from following their journey than I may have from my 3+ years living in Israel.

[photo credit: JD Salica's photos at flickr]

Now, the battle takes place on the web. Thousands of blogs are pro Israel, tens of thousands think Israel is the cause of the all of the world’s ills, and the fight goes on. Social media has added to the fun, with facebook becoming a shooting range for those who think people who live in Judea and Samaria (also known as the West Bank) are Israelis, while facebook insisted they were Palestinians. Yet Israel’s official stance in these arenas has been silent. Until now.

The Web vs. Israel 

One of the most frustrating things about this battle is the fact that the State of Israel hasn’t exactly taken up a position on the web. They have made lukewarm efforts here and there, but nothing substantial. This makes sense, since the people running our State aren’t exactly embracers of transparency, which is what the new web is all about.

So I was pleased to read that our glorious leaders have actually started to upload videos on YouTube, which is an enormous Middle Eastern battleground all unto itself. In an article titled “Israel’s new weapon against terror: videos on YouTube,” The Marker has reported that the government has posted three videos about the recent terror attack on the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem. As the paper points out

this is an unusual case where a State representative has used the Internet in an unofficial manner as part of Israel’s PR efforts. Until now, Israel has only officially responded through spokespersons on television and radio.

The videos were uploaded by a user named AtiyaRachel, who joined YouTube at the beginning of March. I used my tremendous sleuthing powers and decoded this user name to uncover her real identity: Rachel Atiya. I don’t know how The Marker discovered that she works for the government, since there is nothing on the web to indicate that, but Rachel is pretty active in social media, with profiles on facebook, digg and flickr. In all of these profiles, Rachel is busy trying to get the message out that terrorism is, well, bad.

Still a long way to go

Israel still has a long way to go in the social media battlefield. When will the Ministry of Foreign Affairs set up a department dedicated to creating an effective web presence? In the meantime, we’re still losing. Guess who owns the domain name “israels60thbirthday.com”? Not Israel, and not one of Israel’s friends, or even acquaintances (I purposely didn’t link to the site so as not to give them any “link juice” which can increase their position in Google). Even small businesses know that they should buy up all domain names related to their business and products.

State of Israel - I would be happy to come in and give you guys a lecture on using the web and social media. Just give me a call!

Here are the three videos + one that I threw in to show the contrast between the blood of the students and the candies in Gaza. Warning: the videos are very bloody and are hard to watch.

Footnote: I highly recommend Andre Oboler’s study titled “Online Antisemitism 2.0. ‘Social Antisemitism’ on the ‘Social Web‘” for a thorough analysis of how social media is impacting the spread of antisemitism on the web.