Too Sexy? Bar Refaeli is certainly one of the most recognizable Israelis in the world. So why does the IDF want her barred from a global pro-Israel ad campaign? Image by getty images

The Israeli Defense Forces criticized a public relations campaign launched by the Foreign Ministry to boost Israel’s image around the world because it starred sexy Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli, an Israeli TV station reported Sunday.

The report stated that the IDF spokesman sent an official letter to the Foreign Ministry arguing that by using Refaeli, who didn’t complete her military service, the Foreign Ministry was sending a “message of forgiveness and turns a blind eye towards people that chose to enlist.”

“In recent years, the IDF has been trying a verity of methods to improve the value of military service and to fight draft evasion, in order to preserve the moral dimension whereby the IDF is the people’s army,” Channel Two quoted the letter.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The letter went on to argue that although public relations campaigns abroad are not the IDF’s responsibility the foreign ministry should had wave taken into account: “the negative message sent out to Israeli society from the inclusion of Bar Refaeli, who did not complete national service, as Israel’s representative in a public relations campaign.”

Several years ago, the IDF conducted an aggressive campaign against celebrities who did not serve in the IDF.

For more, go to Haaretz.com

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount