Briefing the foreign media
Israel’s Government Press Office has briefed the foreign media on the current situation of ongoing violence. Michael Kuttner reports…
Michael Kuttner
Presenting the Government position on the current situation were Yuval Steinitz, Energy Minister and a member of the security cabinet, Dr. Dore Gold, Director General of the Foreign Ministry and the PM’s spokesperson to the Arab media, Ofir Gendelman.
As anticipated nothing revolutionary new was disclosed at this briefing. Speaking with great emotion, the Energy Minister reiterated that the current wave of terror is as a direct result of massive incitement initiated and orchestrated by the Palestinian Authority and its officials. By means of incendiary language and false accusations of non existent threats to the Al Aqsa Mosque, Abbas is directly responsible for the ensuing mayhem. In schools and via the media a daily diatribe of lies and slander are taught, broadcast and published. He said it was no surprise that Arab youngsters were therefore influenced to undertake murderous violence against Israelis.
Dr. Steinitz emphasised that the western media were culpable of distorting and misrepresenting the events taking place by the use of tendentious headlines, photos and selectively slanted reporting. This tendency to present the Palestinian Arabs as innocent victims of Israeli reactions merely feeds the ongoing mayhem. The blatant double standards displayed by the media and the international community aggravate the ongoing murderous rampage because those who incite and who carry out these deeds feel vindicated.
It was also pointed out that conspiracy theories about Jews wanting to destroy the Mosque go back to the 1920’s. Nothing has changed since then.
Apparently when Moslems cause death and destruction in Europe or the USA it is called terror. When the same occurs in Israel it is called violence with both the perpetrators and the victims lumped together as equally guilty. When Israel takes steps to defend its citizens it is accused of using excessive and disproportionate force.
Dr. Dore Gold spoke along similar lines and Ophir Gendelman gave a brief statement in Arabic for the benefit of Arab speaking media journalists.
Observations:
It was obvious that the journalists (foreign and local) representing the very media accused of unfair and unbalanced reporting did not believe one word of what was being said. They were there merely to hear if anything startlingly new was going to be announced. Glazed eyes and closed minds will guarantee more of the same reporting as before.
This was exemplified by the questions posed by the reporter from Le Monde who wanted to know what Israel’s response to accusations of excessive force was. It was pointed out to him that strangely enough when French security forces stormed the Kosher Deli in Paris and killed the Moslem terrorist there was no international outcry over disproportionate reactions. Only when Israel eliminates similar terrorists do the media and politicians wake up.
You could almost see the shades come down as this glaring example of double standards and hypocrisy was presented to the journalists.
Will this briefing lead to any positive changes in media reporting? Definitely not. It will be business as usual.
I watched CNN this morning. The amazing Palestinian negotiator and informer to the media sold his Shtik to the CNN announcers. Why call the Palestinian amazing? His virtuoso performance of lies, obfuscation and contortions of truth was incredible to behold.
I agree with Shirley Zauer that it is to be hoped that the front pages of
influential newspapers without an all pervasive anti Israel agenda will publish Israel points of view and the actual facts on the ground.
But don’t hold your breath
I just watched another press briefing attended by Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Similar questions were asked by the BBC and Reuters representatives, despite the issues having been eloquently and comprehensively covered by experts, as well as by the prime minister. It was clear that they were pushing specific agendas and did not want to be confused by the facts. One can only hope that some of the material so clearly presented by Israel will find its way to the front pages of some of the more respectable media around the world and may eventually filter through to the public.