Most of the Israeli mainstream media, whether for partisan or ideological purposes, is determined to show that Prime Minister Netanyahu is isolated. They also attempt to show that Barack Obama won over the AIPAC audience by their repackaging his proposals in a softer and less threatening package.
Absent from the mainstream Israeli media coverage has been the reaction to speakers other than Netanyahu, who appeared much more in agreement with Netanyahu than with President Obama.
A case in point was the failure to mention the speech by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who on domestic policy fully supports the president. Harry Reid, pointedly challenged the president on the border issue at the Aipac dinner.
Reid's comments were prominently cited in Politico in an article entitled: Harry Reid Rebukes Barack Obama over Israel Speech as well as on The Hill in an article entitled: Reid Breaks with Obama on Israeli Borders Condition for Peace Settlement, sites that are readily available as sources.
The articles included the following quotes from Reid's speech: "The place where negotiating will happen must be the negotiating table – and nowhere else. Those negotiations will not happen – and their terms will not be set – through speeches, or in the streets, or in the media.
"No one should set premature parameters about borders, about building or about anything else,"
The last remark, according to the article on The Hill, "earned Reid a long standing ovation.“.
A fair beginning to good-faith talks means that Israel cannot be asked to agree to confines that would compromise its own security,”
The average Israeli reader, viewer or listener was not exposed to these statements or similar ones made by other speakers at AIPAC, ignored in the most widely read and heard Israeli Hebrew media excepting Arutz Sheva.