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| Arsenal, Israel tourism postpone advertising deal
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JERUSALEM (EJP)--- The Israeli tourism ministry has delayed the start of its advertising campaign with English football club Arsenal for fear of receiving negative reactions due to the recent war with Lebanese group Hezbollah.
The 350,000 pound (515,000 euros) deal was announced amid a mass of publicity in February this year. At a press conference in Tel Aviv, Arsenal’s managing director Keith Edelman said Israel would be the club’s “official and exclusive travel destination”.
But as the English football season began on August 19, just days after the war between Israel and Hezbollah ended, it was agreed by both parties to wait about a month before launching the adverts.
Arsenal are one of the most popular English soccer teams, with their matches in the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League watched by millions of viewers all round the world. Last season they got to the final of the Champions League, losing out to Spanish side Barcelona.
Perimeter advertising
When the deal was launched it was announced that the campaign will include advertisements around the perimeter of the pitch at Arsenal’s newly opened Emirates Stadium in north London as well as advertising on screens inside the arena and banners on the club’ website.
However a spokesman for the tourism ministry told EJP that although the deal was not canceled, it had been postponed.
“The agreement is still on and nothings changed,” the spokesman said. “It was decided it will take place later. It was a mutual decision because of the situation in the north. It is expected to start in September.”
Image concerns
Uzi Gafni, director of the Israeli government tourist office in the UK and Ireland said this week that his office had been concerned that the images of Israeli action in Lebanon broadcast on the British news and published in the newspapers had painted a negative image of the country.
He told the Jerusalem Post: "Given how Israel was portrayed in the British media through the war, we felt it better to wait until the cease-fire agreement was secure, that Israel was out of the limelight for a while, before starting the promotions for fear of a negative reaction by the public here."
In the months before the war began Israel had launched a massive advertising campaign aiming to promote the country as a “sun and fun”destination. Although this appeared to be a success, with figures up during the first half of 2006, the month of July saw a dramatic drop in the numbers of tourists to Israel.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Gafni said tourism ministry representatives were planning to meet with Arsenal around mid-September and the campaign should kick off at the club’s home game on September 23 against Sheffield United.
The Israeli government has apparently given assurances that it would compensated the ministry for the time lost on the deal.
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