Media Manipulation By Israel's Media

Emanuel A. Winston, a Middle East analyst & commentator
June 4, 2001

I have watched with interest and alarm the biased attitudes of Israel's three leading Hebrew journals. While the ethics of the world Media are or should be to present the facts in an accurate and unbiased manner, this has not always been the case.

We know, of course, that PRAVDA was the voice the Soviet/Russian government. Similarly, AL AHRAM the lead Egyptian journal has a tight rein on what is printed or said. For that matter, the newspapers and TV reporters in most Arab countries would not dare defy government policy or its editors would find themselves eating prison slop. Every country, even democracies, try to influence the Media.

While they are not captured, nevertheless, the LONDON TIMES, NEW YORK TIMES, CNN, BBC and NPR are volunteer spokesmen for their respective governments. Granted, there are many editors, publishers, directors and producers of newspapers, television and radio can also have personal political bias.

Let us return to the three leading Hebrew journals of Israel, HA'ARETZ, MA'ARIV, YEDIOT AHRONOT who were born out of the bowels of the Mapam/Mapai parties or what is now called the Labor Party. Each of the owners were loyal party members and formed their business within the ideologically Leftist policies mandated by their party. They did, of course, report the daily news in an ordinary way. They were professional in such matters.

However, when it comes to politics, they dropped any pretense of objective reporting. The idea of ethical journalism was deleted - whether from company policy or the personal feelings of all employees hired on the basis of their political correctness.

Now, after another terrible tragedy, HA'ARETZ editorializes that it would be wise for Prime Minister Ariel (Arik) Sharon to continue his policy of restraint. The Media of Israel has at their disposal vast archives of historical data which it, regrettably, chooses to ignore. The Jewish people "From Time Immemorial" have had to fight for their existence or perish before enemies who could not be appeased or reasoned with. All of this has been repeated in six wars and on-going terrorism since 1947.

The Arab nations did not respond either to their losses or to the gestures of peace offered to them by the Jews. These gestures were viewed as indications of weakness and merely accelerated the arming and planning for their next war. Yassir Arafat and his mixture of Arabs from the warring Arab nations became advance agents for these nations. They were not liked by their Arab employers but proved useful as terrorists to keep the pressure on Israel.

Unfortunately, they found allies among the Jews, particularly those who called themselves Leftists or Labor or 'merely' Peace Now. The three Hebrew newspapers were the spokesmen for those called the Left. They led the nation via the news which was how they communicated to the people that surrender to terror was the only way to appease an implacable enemy.

Even as Arafat and the Arab world taught their children to hate and kill Jews - to be prepared to carry forward the war of elimination well into their maturity and beyond. The Left and their newspapers have played a strategic role in assisting Arafat and the Arab nations. They do not think that brain-washing the public with false reporting is a betrayal of the nation and the Jewish people.

Even in the face of what has become a daily slaughter, the papers remain political and reluctant to print the facts of Arafat's unalterable goals of destroying the Jewish nation. Although on occasion they would allow a counter-opinion in - merely to show balance. Some of the dedicated Left, themselves opposed to settlements, have come to the conclusion that settlements were never the reason for Arafat's terrorism.

They now understand that the prior six wars and all the interim terrorism were simply one linear war - with pauses. You can start counting from the 1920s pogroms. They may understand that the Arab nations have never given up their original goal to eliminate the Jewish nation and drive our people into the sea. Their map of Palestine completely covers all of the State of Israel - not just Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) ,Gaza and Jerusalem - or parts of it. This is a difficult discovery and even harder to admit.

Regrettably, the owners of the three Hebrew newspapers and their staffs cannot, however, let go. They cannot stop themselves in a plunge towards an oblivion led by the false illusion that the Arabs and Arafat can be reasoned with. There are many good people who sincerely believe that words of good will can turn Arafat. (Some of my best friends believe this.)

Unfortunately, never in our history have our enemies have been delayed very long by our gestures of good will or our pleas to allow the Jews to live. While hope springs eternal in decent men, nevertheless, the reality is as it is. So, we must wearily, once again circle the wagons awaiting the enlightenment of our dedicated enemies.

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