Dov Lipman to direct WZO department

Gil Hoffman, jpost.com

Lipman image from article

US-born former MK will reach out to Diaspora, Jewish students.

Former Yesh Atid MK Dov Lipman began a new job Thursday in the World Zionist Organization as director of public diplomacy at the WZO’s Department of Zionist operations.

The first American-born MK in the Knesset in 30 years, Lipman was appointed by WZO vice chairman David Breakstone, who heads the department.

Lipman said he had several projects in mind.

“I have been burning with ideas for public diplomacy since my time in the Knesset,” Lipman said. “This gives me an opportunity to implement plans and ideas that have not been touched. I will use the knowledge I gained on how to work with the government.”

Lipman said one of his projects would use multimedia to reach out to campuses, where he said outreach to 80 percent of the students would not constitute preaching to the converted or the inconvertible.

He said he would also try to bring together the many organizations involved in public diplomacy so there would be greater partnering and sharing of information. He tried to do so unsuccessfully when he was in the Knesset’s Diaspora Affairs Committee in the 19th Knesset, or the last term from 2013 through earlier this year.

Breakstone said he and Lipman shared an outlook about the need to present Israel both inside the conflict with its Arab neighbors and beyond it without hiding the country’s flaws.

They also want to highlight the personal stories of people fulfilling the Zionist vision.

“It is important to not ignore the complexity of the situation,” Breakstone said. “There are those who want to make believe the conflict doesn’t exist. In reaching out to intelligent and educated public, if the perception is that we are persecuting the Palestinians, the technology and all of Israel’s contributions to the world mean nothing.”

Breakstone praised Lipman, saying that he got to know him and thought he was the best person to advance their mutual goals for the WZO.

“His passion for Israel advocacy and education is infectious and I have no doubt we will further our common agenda of bringing a younger generation closer to Israel,” Breakstone said. “His stature as a former MK and his standing both in Israel and abroad give added prestige to the WZO, which will help us further advance our goals.”