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In this conflict, the media has informed us, but has also subconsciously swayed our opinions in ways we could never fully realize. The way a situation is reported can have a subtle but crucial effect on our perceptions and perspectives of the situation. In some Arab and Muslim countries where the television channels are state-owned there is almost complete filtration of any pro-Israeli element in news stories. This would obviously sway the opinions of the people to be fundamentally anti-Israel and is a significant problem. (It is worth mentioning here that anti-Israeli sentiment in the Muslim world is a very recent phenomenon (since 1945) whereas widespread anti-Semitic sentiment in the Christian world has been around for two millennia). Conversely, the largely Jewish-owned American media seems to filter any news sympathetic to the Palestinians and presents the American public with an extreme pro-Israeli viewpoint. Selective reporting on both sides means that there is a justifiably huge uproar in much of the American media about a child killed by a suicide bomber but very little about a Palestinian child killed by Israeli in the state terrorism of destroying civilian buildings, and the converse is true in much of the Muslim world. Often in the Arab and Muslim world the media uses the term “freedom fighter” to describe the suicide bombers and their killing of innocent Israelis is described as “justified”, whereas Palestinian deaths are always “cold-blooded murder”. Often in the Western world Palestinian killing or Israelis is rightly “murder” whereas even companies such as the BBC are wrongly having to use the phrase “targeted attacks” for the Israeli policy of sending death squads to kill Palestinian activists (including children) who are not even acting violently – which would by anyone’s definition be murder. These examples demonstrate the dehumanisation of such members of the media who are essentially suggesting that some lives are more important than others.
The selective reporting in some of the Arab and Muslim world, the poverty there and the fact that they share their religion with the Palestinians can explain why so many there are obsessed with the Palestine issue. Many of the theocratic and Islamic fundamentalist governments in the Middle East use this issue to distract their people from the corruption and crimes that flow through the governments themselves. The level of hypocrisy in some cases is incredible, with leaders who have established themselves only by terrorism accusing Israel of terrorism in the media, which causes the public to subconsciously forget about the crimes of their own governments. In many countries the Palestinian Authority is deceitfully pictured as having the complete interests of their people in mind, rather than power. There is a great degree of spin, which sometimes portrays Israelis as seeking to extradite all Palestinians out of the occupied terrorism and the hugely unreasonable and at times anti-Semitic equation of Pan-Zionism with Judaism. Such media often fails to show the inhumane side of some Palestinians – for example failing to portray when a crowd brutally kicked two Israeli agents to death. Many say that this media distortion and the opinions of many in the Arab and Muslim world are the products of a backward culture. Whatever you may think of this, the fact remains that the state-owned media are largely responsible for some of the radical opinions of much of the public in countries such as Syria and Saudi Arabia. Many Israelis are also worried that some of us in Europe and in the Muslim and Arab world believe through the media that Israel “stole” the lands of the Palestinians in 1967, and hence the Israelis are quick to point out that the Palestinians started the war against Israel at that time and lost the land as a result of mistakes made on their part in war-time. And after all, isn’t all fair in love and war?
However, what about the USA? American public opinion is at times fanatically pro-Israeli which can be explained by the subconscious brainwashing caused by most of the mainstream media. But what about the attitude of the American government itself which should obviously be more well informed than the people? Many explain this by the extent of pro-Israeli lobbying which affects much of America’s foreign policy and the public attitude (it must be mentioned here that many American Jews are not at all proud of the Israeli government’s actions and much of the pro-Israeli lobby are actually Protestant). As an example, blame is correctly placed on Arafat for the perseverance of suicide groups that kill innocent Israeli children. But why was there so little about why Ehud Barak could not control the Israeli “security forces” who shot and killed more than 100 Palestinians, including children as young as nine, and who according to an uncritical BBC Reporter were using machine-guns and missiles randomly and in every direction. One worries when so-called “main-stream” journals such as USA Today headline articles such as “Israel extends time for peace”, which gives the impression that only the Palestinians are to blame for the conflict. The Jewish-American media critic, Norman Solomon had a very valid point when he stated, “At this rate, we may someday see a headline that reads: “Israel Demands Palestinians Stop Attacking Bullets With Their Bodies”.” Isn’t there something very odd in sending tanks and gunmen to combat people throwing stones?
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N Gadd
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Feedback I have received N Gadd | Jun 5th, 2002
After receiving much feedback from many people about this article, I must say that there are a few striking omissions that I have made and these will be addressed before the second version, because I agree with them completely.
Firstly, it is increasingly evident that the first steps for peace have to be taken by the Palestinian Authority and that only when the terror networks are destroyed can anything positive happen.
Also, a very important issue is that in many Palestinian schools there is substantial hate-mongering, and blaming of all of the Palestinians' problems on the Israelis. Clearly the brainwashing of the Palestinian youths is another huge problem.
Looking at both sides, I have also forgotten to mention the dehumanization which allows either side to not feel guilty when they are committing all sorts of crimes. This is much more pronounced in the case of the Palestinian suicide bombers who think they are serving a just cause by murdering innocent civilians, or carrying out actions which are for the greater good, but we must also mention the prominent Israeli politicians such as Ehud Barak who make statements like "all Arabs are liars", a racist dehumanization which is the pretext of so much discrimination.
Other mistakes N Gadd | Jun 5th, 2002
I have been reliably informed by one of my friends who is a Zionist that Zionism is not expansionism (which is what I have equated it with in my essay) but rather the legitimate desire for a safe Israeli homeland. Hence I must apologize for this error.
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