When Israel first allowed privatized TV stations to operate, everyone believed that this spelled the beginning of media pluralism in Israel. After all, Channel One, the state-run TV, and the state-run radio stations, were all solidly under far-leftist hegemony, but private TV stations could have any orientation they wish. Right?
Wrong.
When Channel Two was first launched as a private station, it quickly became clear that it was, if anything, to the left of Channel One.
Then the same false hopes were raised when the second private TV channel was launched - Channel Ten. Aside from being a complete fiasco in a commercial sense (the audience is close to zero), it is possibly even further left of the rest of the chattering class.
This week was a great proof of this. Leftists in general like to reverse cause and effect. Like insisting that Pearl Harbor was caused by Hiroshima, rather than the other way around. Leftists insist that settlements produce the Arab wars against Israel; whereas, we all know that the inversion is true. Leftists insist that Israeli army checkpoints that limit Palestinian mobility cause terrorism; whereas, we all know that the inversion is true. Leftists insist that Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes causes terrorism; whereas, we all know the inversion is true. Leftists insist that Israel not offering generous concessions to the Palestinians causes terrorism; whereas, we all know that offering such concessions causes terrorism.
One of the most Orwellian inversions popular among Israeli leftists these days regards targeted killings of Palestinian terrorists by Israel. The Left of course is unaware of the possibility that these killings were caused by PLO atrocities themselves and insists the inversion is true. The Left insists that there would never be any Palestinian suicide bombers or murderers or other terrorists if Israel were only to stop targeting and killing the poor terrorists. If Israel only turned the other cheek and dealt with terrorism the way the Left wants, through capitulating to the demands of the terrorists, then there would be no violence in the Middle East, or so insist the beautiful and caring people.
Channel Ten devoted its entire news coverage of Israel?s killing eleven Gazan terrorists to proliferating this Orwellian inversion. Israel entered Gaza this week because of the usual atrocities being perpetrated by the Palestinians, including the regular firing of Kassam rockets into Jewish civilian areas, those inside the pre-1967 Green Line, as well. The Israeli military went in to blow up some workshops where the rockets are made.
The Palestinians insist that as many as five of the eleven killed were civilians, except the Palestinians are congenital liars. The difference between a Palestinian civilian and a Palestinian terrorist is largely a matter of whether the rifle was left at home or is being carried at the moment. And in any case, what difference would it make? If innocent civilians were injured in the Israeli raid, the PLO is responsible for their injuries because the PLO made the Israeli incursion necessary by turning the Gaza Strip into a rocket factory and terror launch pad. The same way that any civilians injured in Afghanistan are Bin Laden?s fault. All of the Gaza Strip is today a large single-industry entity, where that single industry is terrorism. This is so thanks to the Israeli Left, the same Left that exercises near-totalitarian hegemony over the media.
Anyway, Channel Ten devoted the entire coverage to interviewing Palestinian relatives of the dead terrorists, killed in the raid. These explained that, of course, Israel?s raid would produce more terrorist responses, and the Channel Ten people sighed and nodded their talking heads and agreed that there would be no terrorism at all from Hamas if Israel had not insisted on provoking the Hamas every time it was prepared to lay down its bombs and wave the olive branch. Darned if there has ever been a single Israeli reprisal against terrorists that did not spoil a sudden last-minute inclination by the Palestinians to seek peace. Darned if the Palestinians keep bringing themselves to the very brink of Quaker pacifism when Israeli aggression forces them to abandon pacifism and return to their bombs and sniping.
Channel Ten interviewed the father of two terrorist sons from the Hamas who insisted he himself would take to terror to avenge his sons, and Channel Ten bimbos clicked their tongues and sighed. The possibility that this father?s anguish might deter other fathers and terrorist sons? An imponderable on Israeli TV. Israel?s media long ago joined those pro-Palestinian anti-Bush street urchins all over the world, posturing for peace.
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Steven Plaut teaches at the University of Haifa and is author of The Scout (available from Gefen Publishing House: http://161.58.167.199/shop/indi_scout.htm).
Wrong.
When Channel Two was first launched as a private station, it quickly became clear that it was, if anything, to the left of Channel One.
Then the same false hopes were raised when the second private TV channel was launched - Channel Ten. Aside from being a complete fiasco in a commercial sense (the audience is close to zero), it is possibly even further left of the rest of the chattering class.
This week was a great proof of this. Leftists in general like to reverse cause and effect. Like insisting that Pearl Harbor was caused by Hiroshima, rather than the other way around. Leftists insist that settlements produce the Arab wars against Israel; whereas, we all know that the inversion is true. Leftists insist that Israeli army checkpoints that limit Palestinian mobility cause terrorism; whereas, we all know that the inversion is true. Leftists insist that Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes causes terrorism; whereas, we all know the inversion is true. Leftists insist that Israel not offering generous concessions to the Palestinians causes terrorism; whereas, we all know that offering such concessions causes terrorism.
One of the most Orwellian inversions popular among Israeli leftists these days regards targeted killings of Palestinian terrorists by Israel. The Left of course is unaware of the possibility that these killings were caused by PLO atrocities themselves and insists the inversion is true. The Left insists that there would never be any Palestinian suicide bombers or murderers or other terrorists if Israel were only to stop targeting and killing the poor terrorists. If Israel only turned the other cheek and dealt with terrorism the way the Left wants, through capitulating to the demands of the terrorists, then there would be no violence in the Middle East, or so insist the beautiful and caring people.
Channel Ten devoted its entire news coverage of Israel?s killing eleven Gazan terrorists to proliferating this Orwellian inversion. Israel entered Gaza this week because of the usual atrocities being perpetrated by the Palestinians, including the regular firing of Kassam rockets into Jewish civilian areas, those inside the pre-1967 Green Line, as well. The Israeli military went in to blow up some workshops where the rockets are made.
The Palestinians insist that as many as five of the eleven killed were civilians, except the Palestinians are congenital liars. The difference between a Palestinian civilian and a Palestinian terrorist is largely a matter of whether the rifle was left at home or is being carried at the moment. And in any case, what difference would it make? If innocent civilians were injured in the Israeli raid, the PLO is responsible for their injuries because the PLO made the Israeli incursion necessary by turning the Gaza Strip into a rocket factory and terror launch pad. The same way that any civilians injured in Afghanistan are Bin Laden?s fault. All of the Gaza Strip is today a large single-industry entity, where that single industry is terrorism. This is so thanks to the Israeli Left, the same Left that exercises near-totalitarian hegemony over the media.
Anyway, Channel Ten devoted the entire coverage to interviewing Palestinian relatives of the dead terrorists, killed in the raid. These explained that, of course, Israel?s raid would produce more terrorist responses, and the Channel Ten people sighed and nodded their talking heads and agreed that there would be no terrorism at all from Hamas if Israel had not insisted on provoking the Hamas every time it was prepared to lay down its bombs and wave the olive branch. Darned if there has ever been a single Israeli reprisal against terrorists that did not spoil a sudden last-minute inclination by the Palestinians to seek peace. Darned if the Palestinians keep bringing themselves to the very brink of Quaker pacifism when Israeli aggression forces them to abandon pacifism and return to their bombs and sniping.
Channel Ten interviewed the father of two terrorist sons from the Hamas who insisted he himself would take to terror to avenge his sons, and Channel Ten bimbos clicked their tongues and sighed. The possibility that this father?s anguish might deter other fathers and terrorist sons? An imponderable on Israeli TV. Israel?s media long ago joined those pro-Palestinian anti-Bush street urchins all over the world, posturing for peace.
--------------------------------------------------------
Steven Plaut teaches at the University of Haifa and is author of The Scout (available from Gefen Publishing House: http://161.58.167.199/shop/indi_scout.htm).