Branding the Holy Land: Israeli Nation Branding in Tumultuous Times

• In Event: ICA Interactive Paper/Poster Session III
  In Interactive Poster Session: Global Communication and Social Change Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

In 2009, the Israeli government launched “Brand Israel” to reposition Israel’s national identity from a country mired in war, tradition, and religion to one that is forward-thinking, entrepreneurial, and technologically savvy. While extant research suggests that states pursue nation branding in order to align their national identity with the exigencies of the global market, this paper argues that Brand Israel harnesses the seemingly depoliticized language of the market to arouse international support and sympathy for its occupation of Palestinian territories. Through a critical discourse analysis of two parts of Israel’s nation branding effort—Israel’s “65 Years of Achievement” video and its Gay Israel media campaign—this paper shows how nationalist narratives, idioms, and iconography are subtly reinforced and reproduced by Brand Israel.

Author

• David Elliot Berman, Annenberg School for Communication / U of Pennsylvania