West European Public Relations Group for Information on Behalf of Israel
 West European Public Relations Group for Information on Behalf of Israel    | |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1974 |
| Founder |  Eric Moonman |
| Type |  propaganda |
| Start date approximate | |
Origins
In 1972 Eric Moonman was at the World Jewish Congress in Switzerland. He approached Stephen Roth, who was then director of the European Jewish Congress, and told him that changes had to be made in the way that Israel and the Jews represented themselves abroad. Roth gave him permission to start up a commission on Israel and in 1974, Moonman convened the first gathering of Jewish professionals to work out propaganda strategies.[1]
Activities and Funding
The group subsequently met in twice every year, once in Europe in the summer and once in Jerusalem in the autumn. Moonman was the “the founder and guiding light” of the organisation which became the West European Public Relations Group for Information on Behalf of Israel. The group was initially funded by the World Jewish Congress which later withdrew its funding. From 1980 it was funded instead by the World Zionist Organization and from 1985 also by the Israel Foreign Ministry.[1] The group was active until at least November 1991 when the The Jerusalem Post reported on its Jerusalem meeting[2] - one of only two references to the group in the English language press.
