Daniel Seaman suspended for making what has been deemed inappropriate statements on his personal Facebook page.
By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMANNetanyahu at cabinet meeting 370(photo credit: Koby Gideon/GPO)
The Prime Minister’s Office’s director for interactive media, Daniel Seaman, was suspended on Thursday for making statements in the past on his personal Facebook page that were deemed inappropriate.Seaman’s superiors warned him several times, including in writing, over the past month to refrain from writing controversial statements on his Facebook page. After statements Seaman wrote in the past about Palestinian officials and World War II were revealed by blogger Barak Ravid, he was suspended.“Danny Seaman’s statements on Facebook are unacceptable and do not express the view of the Israeli government,” the National Information Directorate said in a statement. “The directorate instructed Seaman to immediately refrain from making such statements.”A former head of the Government Press Office, Seaman ran for a slot on the Likud’s Knesset candidates list in 2009 but dropped out of the race before the primary. When he returns from his suspension, Seaman is expected to oversee a far-reaching plan to utilize students and other supporters of Israel around the world in the state’s efforts to defend itself in social media.A government liaison for Israel advocacy on social media will be in charge of obtaining rapid responses from relevant Israeli officials whenever news happens and generating stories on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube on positive steps Israel is taking that the mainstream media have ignored. The messages will be coordinated with all the Israeli bodies that deal with public diplomacy, including the IDF.The students around the world will be involved on a voluntary basis, while Israeli students will receive scholarships or stipends.
