Newspapers often hostile to nationalist Jews
Newspapers often hostile to nationalist Jews

Mattot Arim (Cities of Israel) has launched a boycott of products that are advertised in media outlets carrying incitement against residents of Judea and Samaria. The group's leaders planned the boycott following what they term serious incitement in the weeks leading up to the anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin.

Newspapers and television stations incite against the Jews of Judea and Samaria every year prior to the Rabin memorial, Mattot Arim said. The boycott will focus on products advertised in the two media outlets determined by Mattot Arim to be the worst offenders: Channel 2 television and the daily paper Yediot Acharonot.

Mattot Arim founder Susie Dym explained that the incitement caused great harm to Judea and Samaria Jews and to all Israels. Palestinian Authority Arabs and other groups hostile to Israel take the allegations and incitement printed in Israeli media and use them to spread anti-Israel hate, she said.

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Dym gave an example, saying Defense Minister Ehud Barak had recently asked Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to stop PA incitement - but Abbas pointed out that the PA's statements were no more severe than Barak's own words. Barak “had to eat what he himself had cooked,” Dym said, as his incitement against Jews of Judea and Samaria was turned against him. “If there were some way to boycott Defense Minister Barak, that might also be a good idea,” she added.

When asked if the Israeli community was ready to participate in a boycott, Dym replied that the Israeli community is “mature” and understands the need to sacrifice for national safety. If Israelis are willing to serve in the IDF reserves each year, they will find it easy to purchase a different brand of cereal or soap in order to avoid funding incitement, she said.

"The Israeli community is mature enough to understand that these advertisements cause us tremendous damage,” Dym said. "If enough people join the boycott, hostile media outlets will finally understand that the time has come to stop their crazed campaign of incitement against those who are faithful to the land of Israel.”

The group will start its boycott by publishing a list of all companies and products advertised in Yediot Acharonot or Channel 2 News. Boycott participants will avoid buying the products in hopes that the advertisers will pressure both media outlets into changing the tone of their coverage. “No media outlet does anything without advertising,” Dym said.