The controversial New Israel Fund (NIF) apparently worked through an affiliate group to promote an anti-Zionist agenda at the annual Israel Media Conference taking place in Eilat this week, media personalities charged on Tuesday. The NIF was accused of working through the Arab organization Agenda to attack reporters on the political Right during panel discussions.
While organizers declined NIF's offer of funding, they accepted funding from Agenda instead and put its name on the banners on the stages where the panels took place and placed its representatives on the various panels.. NIF's Executive Director in Israel, Rachel Liel, sits on Agenda's Board of Directors.
One of the panels, chaired by veteran journalist Razi Barkai and attended by media personalities from across the political spectrum, focused on the way in which language is used to push politics into journalism. Most panel members agreed that in Israel, much of the media tends toward a pro-Left agenda, choosing words that suit its opinions.
Chaim Yavin, "Mr. Television" who for decades presented the news for the official Israel Broadcasting Authority's evening news program Mabat, asserted that political opinions cannot be divorced from news coverage and the only question is whether the news is reliable.
The panel was disrupted several times by members of the audience affiliated with Agenda. While Agenda bills itself as a group focused on “social change,” the insults hurled by its members had a decidedly political tone, accusing Israelis on the panel from Judea and Samaria of living in “occupied territory”, being "war criminals" or screaming that Israel is an occupying power.
The Agenda representative on the panel brought a survey that she used to criticize Israel which found that more than 50 percent of Israelis said that they do not want Arab friends. Arutz Sheva's CEO, Uzi Baruch, rose and told the audience what she had left out from the survey's findings: approximately half of the Arab respondents justified kidnapping IDF soldiers, and about the same number justified rockets launched at Israel. Arutz Sheva personnel are considering handing back their Media Organization membership cards, they told the Hebrew internet sites Walla and Ice that interviewed them.
International lawyer Aviad Vissouli, tired of the catcalls, informed hecklers that as an expert in international law, he can state unequivocally that Judea and Samaria, having never been part of a state other than Israel, are not “occupied.”Jordan relinquished its claim to them in 1988, he said. He went on to accuse Agenda of having “bought” the conference, and criticized organizers for accepting funding from Agenda while not allowing the Yesha (Judea and Samaria) Council to sponsor the event as well.
Language Used for Leftist Agenda
Those on the panel discussed ways in which language is used to push a political agenda. Dr. Penina Shukrun of Ben-Gurion University pointed out that media outlets often use the word “the” when referring to hareidi-religious Jews or Jews living in Judea and Samaria, making it sound as if each individual represents the whole. The word "secular" is not used to describe groups.
Noted right-wing journalist Chaggai Segel pointed out that the Oslo talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority were referred to as “the peace process,” even though it was not certain that talks would lead to peace. Instead, the more accurate term “diplomatic process” should have be used and was indeed used when the Intifada put paid to thoughts of peace.
Journalist and former Yesha Council spokewoman Emily Amrusi called on media to refer to Jews living in Judea and Samaria simply as “residents” of those areas, and not “settlers.” The term “settlers” makes it sound as if they are outsiders to Israeli society,and temporarily in the areas they live in. Journalists ask to meet "settlers" as if that is a full time profession, and when they are introduced to doctors, lawyers and teachers who live in Judea and Samaria, they are disappointed..
Panel members discussed the increasingly popular talkback feature provided by many online news sites. Barkai asked why the majority of talkbacks are written from a right-wing perspective. Journalist Udi Hirsch of Walla told Barkai that the talkbacks reflected the actual political breakdown in Israel, proving his point by saying that most of the Knesset is affiliated with the political Right.
Amrusi claimed that since the mainstream media do not relect the population breakdown, this is the only outlet people have for their right wing views.