The Middle East peace process has failed dismally. A disappointing parade of accords, resolutions, road maps, initiatives, disengagements, and mass international and media support on behalf of Palestinian statehood has culminated in the violent meltdown that is independent Palestinian Gaza today. Any person with a remaining shred of logic must conclude that it is time for something different, if anything at all can be achieved from beyond the grave of the resulting mess.


Israel must now go on the offensive with a clear strategy.



This is good news for Israel. With decades of Palestinian scapegoating, sound-bites and sob-fests still ringing in the ears of international media and diplomatic circles, the shocked focus on the vicious anarchy in Gaza is a golden opportunity to turn the media attention into a receptacle for new ideas. The stunned International community, watching the bestiality erupting in Gaza in horror after years of goodwill, are thirsty for a drop of change, and for new negotiations to begin. With new Israeli elections on the horizon, there is a strong whiff of change and opportunity in the Middle Eastern atmosphere.


This is the time for Israel to negotiate on new terms.


With media interest at an all time high, and antipathy towards Israel and the "occupation" in parallel, Israel must now go on the offensive with a clear strategy to eradicate all false, misleading, and damaging terms and phrases in the international diplomatic lexicon. It is Israel’s turn to use words as weapons.


It is patently obvious that media mantras such as "brutal occupation" or "freedom fighters" have done almost as much damage to Israel as terrorists themselves, if not more. These terms and phrases could be considered unconventional weapons in that they work together to deny Israel’s right to exist. In today’s world, where signatures are the new semi-automatics, words cannot be taken lightly.


These terms must be singled out, reinvented, and then memorized by every official spokesperson, Foreign Ministry representative and interviewee on Israel’s behalf. Extensive media training should be undertaken in order to effectively use these new terms to Israel’s best advantage.


Following is a suggested sample of the type of terms one might hear on a daily basis from any of the major media networks that continually erode Israel’s image and status; and simple, subtle and effective replacement terms or concepts. During the course of an interview, the interviewee would be trained to redirect these damaging terms into a re-phrasing of a "red-flag" question or statement.


"Palestinians must renounce terror" becomes "Palestinians must announce acceptance of Israel’s existence."


"Israel must dismantle settlements" becomes "Palestinians must dismantle refugee camps."


"Palestinian Right of Return" becomes "Israeli Right to Settle."

"Palestinian" refers to geography, not history.



"Palestinian refugees" becomes "Palestinian victims of Arab military aggression."


"Land for Peace" becomes "Land for Terror."


"Golan Heights" is equal to "the northern Israel security zone."


"Palestinian State" becomes "Islamist Terror State."


"Cycle of violence" becomes "maze of myths."


"Israeli occupation" becomes "99% Palestinian Autonomy."


"The Road Map" becomes "the Israel Agenda" (and we need to have one).


"Palestinian" refers to geography, not history.


One can imagine the impact on international collective memory if any one of these terms and their explanations were publicized in any of dozens of interviews every day. The beauty of this war of words is that it doesn’t cost much money and, most importantly, it won’t cost any lives.


If the world is going to spend more time, money and ink discussing and dissecting Israel than any other country on Earth, then it's high time that Israel developed a long-term strategy that will have a long-term impact on international opinion, and eventually, on international action.