ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses Israel’s use of winter sports for nation branding and public diplomacy purposes through Beijing 2022. In contrast with the narrative surrounding Israel’s participation in the Summer Olympics, the chapter argues that participating in the Winter Olympics portrays Israel beyond a polarizing armed dispute and tells a story about Jewish immigration and the possibilities of building bridges between East and West. The chapter highlights the different origin stories of Israeli Winter Olympics athletes, coaches, and administrators and the role of international training locations in developing a distinct Israeli winter sports culture. The chapter concludes by arguing for the favourable outcome of normalization for Israel’s nation branding and public diplomacy.
