Israel Matzav

Revenants launch new toolbar

A new website has been launched that includes a toolbar that provides 'instant updates' on what's going on in Israel for those of you who need updates that will compete with how quickly I update. You can find the website here. It's only Hebrew (at least for now - I hope they'll add English eventually). Here are some more details about them.

A simple toolbar application on a laptop or iPhone is the settlers’ latest weapon in efforts to galvanize activist support for continued Jewish presence in Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem.

Earlier this week, when the US State Department said Israel had promised not to build in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo, those with the application already on their toolbars were immediately alerted to call the Prime Minister’s Office and seek clarification.

The toolbar is just one component of a new Web site, www.myisrael.org.il, which the Council of Jewish Communities of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip has launched in the last two weeks under the auspices of its director-general, Naftali Bennett.

Bennett was a founder and past CEO of hi-tech Internet company Cyota. In 2006, he built a Web site and blog for then-opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu, under whom he served as chief of staff.

The new Web site offers users multiple options for receiving and interacting with information through online tools such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Since it opened its Facebook page earlier this week, it has already registered 619 friends.

“That’s more than 100 new users a day,” said Bennett. “I didn’t expect it to gain traction as fast as it did.”

“The site is more than a public relations tool,” Bennett explained. “In the old world, it was about press releases. This is about the public engaging with each other and creating ideas.”

Read the whole thing - especially those of you in Israel. I don't like Facebook (I'm on it in real life - but not for blogging - and I rarely use it). However, you may want to follow them on Twitter.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:40 AM