[1] The goal of the campaign is to establish Israel as a cosmopolitan, progressive, Westernized and democratic society, contrasting it with the Islamic, homophobic and repressive surrounding nations.
[4] Israel's efforts to rebrand itself began unofficially in 2003 at the initiative of American business people and media experts.
[6] Israel has also, as a result of its policies against the Palestinians and the activities of the BDS movement, increasingly come to be associated with apartheid and war crimes.
A Brand Israel campaign in July 2007 showcased scantily clad female soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces in the American men's magazine Maxim.
Ken Loach, Jane Fonda, David Byrne, and John Greyson condemned the festival's cooperation with Brand Israel.
Another purpose was to counter negative perceptions stemming from the previous year's fatal gay centre shooting in Tel Aviv.
[19][20] In 2016, 26 Oscar-nominated celebrities were offered 10-day trips to Israel funded by the Israeli government, among them Leonardo DiCaprio, Sylvester Stallone, Mark Rylance, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, Matt Damon, and Kate Winslet.
The Israeli Tourism Minister said that the celebrities were "leading opinion-formers who we are interested in hosting" who would get the chance to "experience the country first-hand".
BDS activists have argued that Round Tables is part of the Brand Israel campaign to normalize its ongoing denial of Palestinian rights.