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Superstar Bloggers in Israel – the best PR Israel could ever get

Posted on April 15, 2008 • By Rebecca Markowitz
Category: Social media View Comments

There are at least 13 bloggers in Israel right this minute that are unbelievably influential and major celebrities to those with Internet Addiction Disorder. Unfortunately, It wasn’t easy finding info about these tours but thankfully someone dropped a few hints my way. This is a shame, considering these visits should be promoted like a… fill in your own analogy. Rebecca the gumshoe to the rescue.

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]

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