- Mark Regev, Israeli PM's PR man, is Australian
- Grew up in Melbourne; says Israel is his country
- PREVIOUSLY: A war carried out over social media
Mark Regev, an Australian who is the chief press man for the Israeli prime minister. Picture: David Geraghty Source: news.com.au
HE'S the man leading the PR war against Hamas but he has a distinctly Australian accent.
As spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Melbourne-born Mark Regev is charged with selling the operations in Gaza to the rest of the world.
But friends and colleagues say it is Mr Regev’s “true blue” Australian nature getting him through the crisis, something he developed growing up Down Under with his parents and three siblings before moving to Israel in 1981 with a degree in political science.
Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Yuval Rotem, said his colleague’s upbringing meant he was always open and accessible, even during the most extreme moments of conflict.
“He brings your distinct character of 'fair go' (to the role),” Mr Rotem said. “He has developed a wonderful skill to understand what the media needs.”The Melbourne University graduate has faced some difficult interviews over the latest conflict, including a particularly contentious one with CNN where he was challenged over civilian casualties.
But friends say while he has an ideological commitment to his country his Australian background means he “gets” how the Western media works.
Australian Jewish leader Colin Rubenstein said he did not think he had ever seen Mr Regev lose his temper.
“That’s a pretty Aussie laid back quality that he has,” Mr Rubenstein, from the Australian Israel Jewish Affairs Council, said.“Despite some rather ferocious questioning he maintains his composure and he delivers very astute factual informative responses.”
But he famously lost that composure in a particularly pointed encounter with the UK's Channel 4 News in 2009 when he shouted down anchor Jon Snow.
He lectured Mr Snow, a journalist of thirty years, about media ethics after he was challenged about Gaza residents being injured by dangerous Israeli munitions. A British newspaper has labelled Mr Regev "horribly compelling".
Mr Regev has made his passion for Israel clear, saying in 2008: "Australia is the place [where] I grew up, but Israel is my country."
Mr Rubenstein, the Jewish leader, said Mr Regev's Aussie accent was still “true blue” if slightly influenced by his proficiency in Hebrew.
He will need every bit of professionalism to maintain his composure over coming days, as hundreds of rockets fly between Gaza and Israel and the public relations war intensifies.
