GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel established a unit in early August to communicate with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank through social media and traditional media, away from the Palestinian leadership. The unit aims to talk with Palestinians about everyday life issues and to clarify the Israeli attitude toward the Palestinians. Millions of shekels were allocated to the work of this unit, which is headed by Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Palestinian Territories Yoav Mordechai. The Defense Ministry is behind the unit in coordination with the Israeli civil administration.
Israeli news website Walla noted Aug. 5 that the unit was introduced following a recommendation by the Israeli security authorities. It will include many professional experts and specialized technical personnel. Israel is not looking for a new political dialogue with head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Mahmoud Abbas; it wants to communicate directly with the Palestinians.
The unit’s work was translated into a Facebook page titled The Coordinator, which publishes Mordechai's statements in Arabic, targeting Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
On Aug. 18, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman announced that the unit will be launching a website in Arabic soon, which is expected to be visited by 400,000 people daily.
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