Why Israel is Always Right?
Racism, Not Ignorance, Plagues the Media Covering Palestine
Ramzy Baroud, Aljazeera.net
Racism is “the belief that one ‘racial group’ is inferior to another and the practices of the dominant group to maintain the inferior position of the dominated group. Often defined as a combination of power, prejudice and discrimination.” This is how the British Library wished to define racism on its website.
The above definition hardly deviates from the essence of almost all definitions of the ominous concept. And indeed, the concept is being fully utilized as I write these words in the Gaza Strip, with Israel’s onslaught against the Palestinians and the international community and media’s mild, if not accommodating response to the onslaught.
The capture of Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit is a clear act of self-defense. One of America’s top and most courageous international law professors wrote me yesterday: “Insist on calling Gilad Shalit a prisoner of war, for he is one.” Well, maybe according to international law and the Geneva Conventions, but not CNN, Fox News and the increasingly spineless BBC, which insists on presenting the solider (with an overt emphasis on his young age) as a victim, who was “kidnapped” by Palestinian “militants”, who are “affiliated” with the Hamas government, and that Israel is doing its outmost to free him, insisting that there can be “no negotiations with terrorists.” If reporters stationed with the invading Israeli soldiers, amassed in and around the Gaza Strip fail to communicate these assertions themselves, then they will do all they can to ensure that they are communicated by Israeli military spokesmen or “experts”, both seem to convey the same ideas.
By not challenging the Israeli narrative in any meaningful way, and dumping it on hapless viewers all around the world, the uncritical media has become a tool in the hands of Israel’s war strategists and their eternal concoctions. Consider this for example, an Israeli military commander tells a BBC correspondent dispatched to the border area between Israel and Gaza, that Israel intends on opening the border for “as long as it takes” to offset the humanitarian crisis developing in Gaza. The Israeli Army representative in a barefaced lie declares that the border has always been open, despite the perpetual Palestinian threat on the state of Israel. The BBC correspondent thanks him sincerely and signs off. I, in turn, throw my remote control at the television.
Is it possible that the BBC and its mighty researchers are unaware of the fact that Gaza has been under a very strict military siege since Hamas’ democratic advent to power through the January 2006 elections? Could it be that the Western media has missed the dozens of shocking reports, including some by the World Bank, that have warned that the Israeli siege, which began months before the capture of Shalit, was soon to create chaos and panic among the already malnourished Palestinians in Gaza? Did they all miss statements by top Israeli officials, vowing to carry on with the siege until the ouster of Hamas?
Well, maybe. For someone who has spent many years in this business, I can testify that some reporters misrepresent facts out of ignorance, not by design. But if that indeed was the case, then how can one excuse the fact that the same media that coined the term “kidnapping” to describe the action of the Palestinian fighters who captured Shalit, refused to use the same association to describe the kidnapping of most of the elected Palestinian Cabinet, mostly academics with no affiliation to any militant wing of any sort. Israel’s military spokesman insisted that they are “all terrorists” and Israel, “like any democratic” country has the right to protect itself against terrorists. If they were indeed “terrorists” as Israel claims, why did Israel refrain from kidnapping them until Palestinian fighters embarrassed the mighty Israeli Army and captured their first prisoner of war in a long time, Shalit? Is “rounding up” Palestinian ministers and scores of legislators the same as having a solider captured in what has been for long a one-sided Israeli war? If you are an avid viewer of Fox News or a reader of the New York Times, then Israel is yet to exceed its legitimate legal boundaries, that of a democracy opting to defend its citizens.
But only utter racism can lead to such rationale. Only a racist media portrays the capture of a solider whose army units have besieged Gazans for years, denying them food and medicine, as an earthshaking violation of all that is holy. Only a racist media presents the kidnapping of 9,000 Palestinians, now in Israeli jails, as a just outcome of Israel’s routine arrests of Palestinian terrorists or potential terrorists.
Only racism can play down the Israeli destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure or the little infrastructure that it still possesses (since Israel has already destroyed a great deal). The sabotage of Gaza’s electricity, water supplies, its bridges and universities is justified without question, for such actions are necessary to impede the militants efforts from transporting its soldier to another hideout. And yet, Israel is praised for its seemingly generous act of allowing some food to be transferred to hungry Gazans, who ironically have gone hungry because of the Israeli spearheaded international campaign to punish Palestinians for electing Hamas.
Only racism can completely remove from the current discourse the murder of dozens of Palestinian civilians at the hands of the Israeli Army (90 civilians in seven weeks) as the reason that led to the Palestinian raid on the Israeli Army post and the capture of Shalit; instead depicting the current escalation as if it was entirely the work of the Palestinians, with Israel’s slate still clean.
Indeed, Israel’s slate will continue to be clean as long as racism and inequality are the concepts according to which this conflict is explained. Israel has the right to collectively punish, starve to death, kidnap democratically elected civilian ministers and try them “in accordance with Israeli law”, destroy its neighbors’ infrastructure, instigate a humanitarian disaster, assassinate at will, violate international law without hesitation, because Israel is not Palestine, and the lives and well being of the residents of Israel, at least some of them, cannot be equated with Palestinians. Turn the tables for a moment, and you’ll understand how repellent such racism is.
Inequality has always been at the heart of this conflict, the late Professor Edward Said used to say. Racism is at the heart of inequality, I must add. The media can be ignorant, biased, self-serving, indeed, but it can also be utterly racist.
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32 Comments on “Why Israel is Always Right?”
Here is a link to a treasure trove of information titled, “Links About Stereotyping of Arabs and Muslims” http://www.muhajabah.com/anti-arab.htm
“Vital Signs, Whose Bias” http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/Chronicles/June2004/0604Hadar.html This article is excellent. It talks about any attempt in the US media to openly criticize Israel as being rejected due to “cognitive dissonance” Cognitive dissonance is the disassociation between reality and percieved vision. This is all part and parcel of the cry of “anti-semitism” which is shouted out when ever any reporting of the crisis in Palestine attempts to openly criticize Israel. It is a well known fact that without
un-questioned US support for Israel, they could not carry out their policies enslaving the Palestinian people. When is it ever asked here in America, “Why do they hate us?” The Palestinians and their other Arab supporters are NOT ALLOWED to hate us because THEY should UNQUESTIONABLY accept the overlaying upon them of the dominance of the exclusively Jewish state of Israel.
Why? Because the “Jews” are “God’s chosen people”. How dare anyone question this “well-known fact”? The Arabs are supposed to accept that when they are born, they are inferior to their Jewish neighbors. Is this NOT racism? Is it not racism in it’s most pure form? This goes back thousands of years and is not ever going to be solved until the people of my country, America, the biggest supporters of this claim, realize that NO SINGLE PERSON OF ANY SINGLE RACE OR RELIGION IS SUPERIOR TO ANOTHER.
The not so subtle manipulation of terminology when reporting on the Palestinian crisis is but part and parcel of the extention of the racism of Zionism. Listener beware that you are being manipulated. When the media is biased, when “legitimate defence” is compared to “terrorism”, it is up to YOU to seek out the facts. It is up to YOU to question why this problem exists.
It is up to YOU to demand that the politicians become aware through FACTS and become more even-handed in their approach.
CNN is bad, this is VERY true, but it is certainly more palatable than FOX. “IF” you are knowledgable, you can dismiss the “irregularities” of CNN. They ARE allowing for Arab criticism to be aired without complete newscaster dismissal of it following the airing. (At least what I saw yesterday) FOX on the other hand is a pure propaganda tool with it’s sole purpose being indoctrination in a NOT so subtle manner. If you were watching FOX (as I did for all of two minutes) it would not be the remote being thrown, it would be the entire TV itself, right out the window to smash on the street. It is FOX which is the favored channel by those supporting the neocon agenda which includes Zionism to a MUCH greater extent than CNN. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a big fan of CNN either but since they are the only games in town here in the States of the major news channels, CNN FAR out preferences FOX. It is FOX which most Americans who are totally ignorant say is the only “fair and balanced news” BAH!, I can hardly contain my anger at this stupidity. What ever happened to Al Jazeera opening offices here in the States? I didn’t keep up with those events. Is it possible, is there and English language Al-Jazeera television news available by any means (satellite disc or whatever) to those of us in the States who would be interested in having this?
I would like to add one thing. The Israeli invasion of Lebanon has taken full center stage in the media AWAY from what is happening in Gaza. This is ironic, especially ironic considering the fact that Hizbollah claims they are acting on behalf of their Palestinian brothers. OH, how the media does NOT catch on to how their own coverage is adding to the misunderstanding of the case. Why is it so MUCH worse that Israel has invaded Lebanon when the attrocities against the Palestinians committed for years are not covered. Could it be that Lebanon is seen as a place more palatable than Palestine? Could it be that there are so many foreigners in Lebanon that might be affected by this? Could it be that countries world-wide are trying to get their citizens out of Lebanon so that they might not become victims to Israeli aggression there? Why is it, that everyone is so concerned about this MORE than what is happening to the Palestinians? I personally have family in Lebanon at the moment who I am frightened for BIG TIME. But as citizens, as God’s children, we need to be frightened for EVERYONE suffering here. These tourists and foreign nationals in Lebanon have sources of rescue. WHO is going to rescue the Palestinians? Please consider this question if it is only Lebanon on which you are focusing.
Actually, it sould be Racism and power, Not Ignorance, Plagues the Media Covering Palestine … Saying that the media is biased is not breaking news. Those who have the most influence over it, get the advantage.
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What we lack is good PR. I believe as Arabs, we have yet to master this - in fact, collectively we tend to be very emotionally charged when expressing our views …who wants to listen to someone barking to the camera!
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We, as readers, as journalists, as reports and even political analysts for the most part, have been very passive when it comes to words we used and to those used in the Media…and we continue to be. Refer to Aljazeera’s English site, and you will not be able to miss the heavy Western(and it wont be stretching it too far to say israeli)influence that dominates every single word on that site. Why?
I cannot help but bring up this - though it happened a few years ago, I still have it saved in an email I sent myself:
I listen to ‘The Osgood File’ which is always sponsored in part by something… One that caught my attention is the sponosred in part by the American Jewish Committee. It goes like this:
When people deliberately target civilians, what should they be called?
For many in the media, the answer is simple: “militants.”
But that’s inadequate. It softens the brutality of going after innocent people in schools, buses, offices, or houses of worship.
They should be called by their rightful name: “terrorists.”
You’d think this was a no-brainer, but it turns out that calling people “militants” is less controversial. It avoids judgments. Calling people “terrorists” entails making judgments.
Yet if we can’t make judgments about people who, driven by twisted faith or politics, board a bus to blow it up, enter a sacred place to kill, or murder schoolchildren, then we’re in sad shape.
The next time you hear or read a news report about a premeditated attack on civilians, pay attention to how the perpetrators are described. If it’s “militants,” why not contact the source and ask them to stop mincing words?
Terrorists aren’t just militants; they’re terrorists, pure and simple.
This is David Harris of the American Jewish Committee.
They never miss a thing, no matter how insignificant it may seem to the rest. We, on the other hand, still have Palestinians in particular and Arabs in general referring to the israeli Occupation Forces as israeli Defense Forces…and the latest, I have yet to read or hear ‘POW’ in reference to the capture of Gilad Shalit. The Jewish community is so quick in condeming the media’s actions if it feels that on single word is not serving their best interest, they work for the edge…and that is why they enjoy a great sense of influence everywhere and on everyone!
We should learn to do the same!
“Wag the DOG” “Wag the DOG” …..
CNN is playing a nice propaganda game for justification for ethnically cleansing muslims around the globe.
The middle east crisis, is it Hezbollah the problem. Ok consider we disarm hezbollah or democratically elected hamas is ousted or their leaders are decapitated. Would this massacre or ethnic cleansing end. A century ago we have seen that India had faced similar ethnic cleansing or the Native Americans face the same psychological war fare. Why a century ago, just 4 years or 3 years before we have seen leaflets to oust Saddam Hussein. I hope you people are getting the point. The white’s are saying that they are the king of the jungle and they are above all in the food chain and no body else has the right to exist. Any potential challenger would be exterminated. So, what gaurantee is there for security of Jordan and Egypt. Today it is lebanon, Palestine, tommorrow it would be Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman and all the muslim countries.
The proble is not israel or US the problem is our own people and in capable leaders. Who fight among themselves. I had alot of respect for King Hussein, but the people in middle east now are ashamed of King abdullah. History will remember him as betrayer of his own people (muslim brothers and sisters around the globe).
This is to remind the leaders, that the peoples movement in the middle east, can send ripples around the world. If the leaders do not act now to cooperate with each other and engage the enemy with a unified policy then our interests are safe gaurded. It is in the greater interest of our community that we should unify under our principles.
The series of events shaping up and your helplessness in the United Nations, where you are slapped with sanctions and hegemony of the western nations. Is a testimony of your incapability, either you step down or else with drawn from boycott the united nations until these hypocratical rights are put into practice.
We always cry that we are occupied occupied, go and occupy their lands. do what they unto you. The bottom line is Dont be hunted, better be a hunter.
dude, kool
I agree that the Israelis have been given way to many free passes, when their actions in many cases have far outweighed any actions taken against them. They should be treated as any other nation ans sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council. But since the U.S.,(where I am from) would veto it, they get away with being terrorists themselves. I would ask everyone who has any care for anyone regardless of their nationality, to write their local and national media, politicians etc. Make sure that every nation is held to the same standard. Wrong is wrong no matter what country you live in
I think racism is a huge factor, and the fact that it is so rarely acknowledged is a huge problem.
It’s like when all the major news outlets were saying that the 14-year old allegedly raped and killed, along with her family, by U.S. troops was a “woman.” Dude, she was a KID. And yes, it does make a difference, because referring to her as a freaking CHILD would expose the perpetrators as rapists, killers, AND pedophiles.
I am pretty powerless over here in the States…
So what do y’all think of this:
http://www.gamla.org.il/english/article/2006/july/g3.htm
Here are the basic points for understanding Palestinian politics:
There are hardly any moderate Palestinians in public life and even those few generally keep their mouths shut, or echo the militant majority. With few exceptions - countable on your fingers - a Palestinian moderate in practice can usually be defined as someone who apologizes for terrorism in good English. The mantra of “helping the moderates” cannot work under these conditions.
Fatah and PLO strategy rests on the belief that defeat is staved off as long as you keep fighting. Their only true victory is to continue the struggle. Of course, the cost of this is not only violence, suffering and disruption, but also a failure to achieve anything material. This is why the “cycle of violence” concept is useless. Palestinians don’t attack Israel because Israel attacks them, but because that is their sole program.
Whatever the common people think privately, the vast majority of activists believe everything must be subsumed to the struggle.
Democracy, living standards, women’s rights and so on have no value outside contributing to the battle against Israel. This is why the idea of appealing to Palestinian material interests or finding some leader who puts the priority on achieving peace and plenty fails.
The interim goal is to be able to claim phony victories, which are actually costly defeats. If after 40 years of armed struggle the movement’s great triumphs are destroying one Israeli outpost a year or kidnapping a single soldier, this shows its remarkable weakness on the battlefield. Inflicting damage on Israel via rocket attacks serves no Palestinian strategic objective except to make people feel good about damaging Israel (even while they suffer far more damage themselves).
Celebrating martyrs simply means bragging about your own casualties.
I have several televisions in my home. I am ready to throw them all out the window after just watching CNN’s coverage of the G8 statement and our US representative, whoever the hell he is announcing that the world needs to get back to the root cause of the problem, Hizbollah and it’s agression against Israel. Where the hell is the coverage of the other side? Where are the Palestinians mentioned in this? Where is the fact that Israel has NOT totally evacuated the south of Lebanon, Shebaa Farms mentioned? What happened to Hooda (I believe that is her name) and her family massacred on the beach? Where are the prisoners held illegally in Israeli jails without charges mentioned? Where is the illegal occupation since 1967 mentioned? Where is the fact that the US has unilaterally supported the Zionist state unconditionally for YEARS mentioned? I’m running out of things that are not mentioned in our media. I am now trying to focus on news I obtain from internet connections. The CAUSE of the middle east conflict has been lost in this debacle. Until the Palestinian issue is resolved, FAIRLY and JUSTLY and they are allowed to become a nation with FULL HUMAN RIGHTS there will NEVER be peace.
Again I ask, is there ANY way to access Al-Jazeera or any other such English language Arabic news channels from here in the US that any of you know about? This is getting too frustrating for words not being able to actually SEE what is going on in the Middle East without Zionist/US bias. At least you guys over there have the option of seeing what we are denied here. If anyone has any knowledge about this, please help me and all the other readers here in the US who are being denied this coverage.
Shukran.
Hi Robin,
I’m afraid you’d have to learn Arabic to see Aljazeera by sattelite - alas!
Guys you really need to understand why Israel is always right, cause it is. I’m sorry to say but your so brainwashed by believing whatever your parents are saying to you i feel sick…accept that terrorists are people who actively kill people for no reason. Israel doesn’t INTENTIONALY kill civilians. I can guarantee if you leave Israel alone and just live a normal life and accept that you can never destroy Israel then they will benefit you in the long run.
Just think for yourselves for a second and understand that the world has got to be shared…you guys have SO MUCH more land then Israel you make yourself s look greedy, why do you need Israel. If you want it for holy sites then your welcome to come and do whatever the hell you want but killing people ain’t gonna help you get whatever the hell you want.
Israel has made the baron land a wonderland…why the hell would you want to kill these people and call it your own? Are you jealous? I’m interested to know why you hate Jews or Israelis so much cause remember that there’s over a million Arabs in Israel as well, you gonna kill them as well?
Seriously just stop supporting these terrorist groups passively and just thinkforyourself, say ‘I want to live a normal life and enjoy it’.
Anyway guys go ahead and continue to bare a grudge against Israel, you wont achieve anything. It says in the bible ‘If there is a city that brews evil among the city, it shall be destroyed’.
Understand that we are helping the Arabs become morally better people.
One day you’ll look back when the terrorists have been dealt with and say to yourself ‘Israel is one of the only countries that had the guts to take take out the evil in the world’.
I’ll be interested if you guys can answer me in an appropriate manner or are you just gonna attack me for supporting Israels right to exist?
Just grow up and stop living in a dream world. So naive…
Robin, If you still wanted to know about how to view Al Jazeera in the US, this link from the Al Jazeera ‘website may help Al Jazeera
With the heaviest possible irony, Al Jazeera in the UK comes through “BSkyB”, which is the same company as FOX News!
Moondy you are so right.
The whole hate thing these people have festering within them is infused into them from their parents when they are young. It is an ongoing legacy. They will infuse the same hate into their children and so on.
Israel will stand as it has continued to stand despite the senseless aggression metered to it by militants. Israel is getting used to delivering round house kicks to the faces of these extremest savages and I hope they do the same to Hesbollah.