Attacking Israel Through Journalism
The reporting about the situation for the past eight years has been from negligible to nil in the matter of reporting the ongoing rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza. Yet anything that can be misconscrewed as Israel's misbehaving is blasted in large letters in the papers and other media.
Why they can't report situations honestly is because most of them have their own agenda to emphasize, and their own friends to support. Instead of being true journalists, they have become some sort of politicians.
Honest Reporting is working on revealing what papers are so biased. One paper they found to have slanted journalism is the Huffington Post, and internet newspaper founded by Ariania Huffington. I noted that they do get articles from Al Jazeera, an Arab newspaper.
I've found this to be the case on our own Oregonian newspaper right in the editorial section, where the editor writes his opinion. I can't remember reading at any time a headline or article that has told of Israel being attacked by rockets from Gaza after Israel pulled out of Gaza. This was to be a time of peace, but Israel has suffered for 8 years shelling from the terrorists, yet the world did not react in any outcry or seem to care one bit, except the Southern Israelis around Sderot. Let Israel react finally to the bombings they have endured and suddently there is such an outcry and rage. How dare Israel not play the part of the sitting ducks! That is their role in life!
I was outraged reading the editorial's paragraph that stated: "hundreds and hundreds of rockets launched from Gaza into Israel-with the support and often the direct involvement of the Hamas regime-have provoked Israel powerfully.
Not hundreds and hundreds of rockets were launched. In this year alone, over 3,000 rockets, missile and mortars have hit southern Israel. Since the 19th of December to the 29th, 10 days, 200 missiles hit Israel including grad missiles that have hit deeper into Israel. Why did the writer only say hundreds? To make the history appear less important or less serious than it really was, no doubt. It's either that or he certainly did not research very well. Then again, this was a writing of his opinion, in which he throws in what seems to be a fact but in truth is not. This is how propaganda is written.
The second part, "with the support and often the direct involvement of the Hamas regime" really offended me. Why did the author hedge about who is doing the firing of rockets, missiles and mortars? Hamas is ruling the region. Hamas are the known terrorists who have struck at women and children in schools and buses. Hamas is the group who was voted for in Gaza by its citizens. Hamas are the fighters. There may be splinter groups, but they're all part of Hamas. With the support? Who does the editor think is doing the fighting? To me the journalism of the article is aiding and abetting terrorism against Israel by downplaying the role of Hamas. That's not true journalism. It's opinion colored by predudice.
This should be a warning to all that rely only on news from newspapers. We don't know the feelings of the journalists or how they really receive the news. In this case, are they relying on Palestinians for information only so that they can go back to a comfortable bar and write their "scoop" or are they seriously trying to get background and knowledge about the conditions and writing honest reports. One cannot rely on one source only for information.
I am in shock at the lies written in letters to the editor that people are reading as the gospel because it is in the newspaper. Have people not been educated in this city to realize that writers may not be educated in the situation but are showing their sympathy towards certain groups which means prejudices towards the other group?
One journalist that I truly admire is Joan Peters, a Christian who sympathized with Palestinians, and decided to do some of her own investigating. In her searching, she came upon written information that changed her whole attitude, and she realized who the Palestinians really were, where they had come from, when they had come, and that Israel had the right to be there in their homeland. She is a true historian and did not cover or diminish facts that she had found.
In culmination, she wrote her book, "From Time Immemorial", which tells of the origins of the Arab-Jewish conflict over Palestine. I only wish that some of these terribly opinionated people would read it.
Reed College in Portland, Oregon always emphasized the question, "What's your source?" I ask that when I hear outlandish statements about Israel's situation. I would hope that more people would become wiser and find out the truth by checking out their sources.
Mitchell Bard Fact Sheet #64
No comments:
Post a Comment