Joel Leyden, a native of New York, has practiced international public relations, public affairs, crisis communications and journalism for 25 years [1]. As an Internet pioneer in Israel, he co-created Israel's first commercial Website - NetKing in 1995. In addition, Leyden produced the first Website for an Israeli prime minister, established the first condolence website for assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin[2], created the Israel Defense Forces Website, was the first SEO - search engine optimizer in Israel and serves today as both commercial PR / SEO ([3]) and publisher of the Israel News Agency, Israel's first on-line news organization.

Leyden has worked as an international media consultant for the Israel Prime Minister's Office, Ehud Olmert, the new prime minister of Israel [4], the Israel Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Israel Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Israel Ministry of Tourism and the Israel Defense Forces [5][6] where he was awarded a commendation for his crisis communications work during Operation Defensive Shield. Leyden served as a media consultant to the government when Israeli Astronaut Col. Ilan Ramon perished in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster on February 1, 2003.

Leyden, a political centrist, has served in the IDF combat engineers, the IDF Spokespersons Office
and today serves in the Israel Border Police (res.) - MAGAV.

Leyden has also served several times as a humanitarian officer in the Israel Defense Forces and promoted the concept [7] of improving relations with the Palestinians at one of the very few points of contact between Israelis and Palestinians - Israeli security checkpoints.

Leyden also served as senior media advisor to the International Coalition for Missing Israeli Soldiers [8]where he succeeded in having former PA / PLO leader Yasser Arafat admit that he knew where the IDF soldiers were and provided the dogtag of Zaharia Baumel to then Israel Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin [9].

Joel reporting for the Israel News Agency on the historic visit of
US President George W. Bush to Israel for her 60th birthday.

Leyden, who is a professional cross-cultural consultant and served as director for Berlitz's Middle-East cross cultural programs [10] [11] [12], has created several local and international community and professional on-line forums [13] which today consists of thousands of members. During the IDF Operation Grapes of Wrath Leyden provided free Internet service to the hundreds of Israeli children who were confined to air raid shelters in northern Israel.[14]

Joel Leyden, the father of three children, is a leading father's and children's rights activist in Israel advocating equal access and reforms in Israel's gender bias family court custody laws and public child welfare departments for children of separated and divorced parents in Israel.

In the States, Leyden was a media advisor to former New York Mayor Ed Koch, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, Senator Edward Kennedy and the Democratic Party. Joel Leyden coordinated several national media events with personalities including former President Ronald Reagan, Nixon advisor Henry Kissinger and holocaust survivor Elie Weisel[15].

Leyden served on the first board of directors of the Alzheimer's Association in New York City. As a former ski racer and licensed ski instructor, Leyden has promoted the Israeli Mt. Hermon ski resort. Joel Leyden was also responsible for coordinating the first marathon run through the streets of Jerusalem.

Joel Leyden, a well respected Zionist who volunteered for the 1973 Yom Kippur War, has worked with HIAS, the United Jewish Appeal, the Israel Forum, the Israel Chamber of Commerce, the Association for Missing Israel Soldiers and the Israel Export Institute, served as a senior editor at the Jerusalem Post[16] and as a media advisor to the Israel Government Press Office during the first Gulf War.

Leyden covered the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks from New York City for the Jerusalem Post, Israel TV, Israel Radio English news and the Israel News Agency ([17]).

Joel Leyden founded the IsraelPr Internet discussion group. This group brings together over 200 public relations and public affairs consultants world wide who are able to provide various Israeli governmental ministries with real-time advice. He is also credited for creating and operating several non-profit on-line community support groups for Israel's Anglo community such as NewRaanana, Israel Anglo Singles, Israel Children and Israel Anglo Homes.

Leyden recently created the first global SEO political contest in response to the Holocaust cartoon contest sponsored by Iran's best selling daily newspaper Hamshahri. [18] There were over 40 million Internet page views indexed by Alexa for this non-profit, SEO contest Website that Leyden built and mass marketed.

Joel Leyden, who has university degrees in journalism, psychology and mass communications, resides in a suburb north of Tel Aviv, Israel and in New York City.

References