The Last Word: It's time for some real PR training

There are lessons to be learnt from Shahar Zubari's blunder this week.

By JEREMY LAST
jeremy last better pic (photo credit: Courtesy)
jeremy last better pic
(photo credit: Courtesy)
It was telling that when he spoke to The Jerusalem Post on Monday evening, Shahar Zubari appeared totally relaxed, apparently oblivious to the possible implications of comments he had made in an interview elsewhere a few days earlier. According to Deputy Sports Editor Allon Sinai, before Zubari discussed his successful Olympic campaign with the Post, he chatted excitedly about how much he was looking forward to a reception honoring the Israeli Olympic delegation due to be held at the Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv on Wednesday. The next day, after that very reception was cancelled, reality would have set in for the 22-year-old windsurfer. The Chinese Embassy had finally found out about comments Zubari made in an interview published in Yediot Aharonot the previous Friday, in which he described the Chinese people as "sh*ts," ridiculed their accents and said how much he didn't like their food. The Chinese repsonse wasn't, well, very diplomatic. Rather than brushing the issue aside as the folly of an inexperienced youngster, the embassy took the criticism to heart - and the reception was simply cancelled. The incident was a downright embarrassment, not only for the Olympic team but for the entire country, and could have had far-reaching diplomatic implications. Ghaleb Majadle, the minister for Science, Culture and Sport, quickly stepped in and wrote an official letter to the Chinese ambassador apologizing for Zubari's rudeness. But he shouldn't have had to, because Israel shouldn't have found itself in such a situation in the first place. There has clearly been a lack of education from within the Olympic Committee of Israel, which should have spent time teaching the less experienced members of the delegation some basic PR skills. Zubari clearly didn't realize that even though he competes alone, he is a part of a team and represents not only the team but the State of Israel as a whole. He may not have felt perfectly comfortable in China, but it is safe to believe that his hosts went out of their way to help him enjoy his Olympic experience. And even if he had certain gripes, blabbering about them to the biggest-selling newspaper in Israel was irresponsible at best, reckless at worst. The whole country saw the joy painted on his face after he clinched the bronze, and it is unfortunate that he felt so negatively towards the locals. As we can see in his interview with this newspaper, Zubari is, in general, a nice young man, appreciative of being able to make a career from a sport he loves. This is his first real taste of fame and, with time, he will learn not to speak out so rashly. But it is, perhaps, even more important for the OCI to learn its lesson here as well. The country's Olympic athletes are its responsibility and they should therefore be given far better media training to ensure an incident of this nature is never repeated. jeremylast@gmail.com