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Hermit
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How Israel's Propaganda Machine Works
« on: 2009-01-12 10:48:57 » |
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How Israel's Propaganda Machine Works
Source: Huffington Post
Authors: James Zogby (Founder and president of the Arab American Institute)
Dated: 2009-01-09
As in past Mideast conflicts, both the media story line and political commentary here in the U.S. has closely followed Israel's talking points on the war. This has been an essential component in Israel's early success and in its ability to prolong fighting without U.S. pushback. Because it recognizes the importance of the propaganda war, Israel fights on this front as vigorously and disproportionately as it engages on the battlefield.
Here's how they have done it:
[1] Define the terms of debate, and you win the debate. Early on, the Israelis work to define the context, the starting point, and the story line that will shape understanding of the war. In this instance, for example, they succeeded by constant repetition, in establishing the notion that the starting point of the conflict was December 19th, the end of the six-month ceasefire (which Israel described as "unilaterally ended by Hamas"). In doing so, they ignored, of course, their own early November violations, and their failure to honor their commitment in the ceasefire to open Gaza's borders. They also ignored their having reduced Gaza into a dependency, a process which began long before and continued after their withdrawal in 2005. Because they know that most Americans do not closely follow the conflict and are inclined to believe, as the line goes, "what they hear over and over again," this tactic of preemptive definition and repetition succeeds.
[2] Recognize that stereotypes work. Because, for generations, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been defined with positive cultural images of Israel and negative stereotypes of Palestinians, Israel's propagandists have an advantage here that is easy to exploit. Because the story has long been seen as "Israeli humanity confronting the Palestinian problem," media coverage of any conflict begins with how "the problem" is affecting the Israeli people. As Golda Meir once put it, "We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children, but we can never forgive them for making us kill their children." And so, it was not surprising that, despite the disproportionate suffering of the Palestinians, media coverage attempted to "balance" the story, giving an extensive treatment, with photos, of anguished and fearful Israelis and the impact the war was having on them. Early on, when media treatment mattered most, Palestinians were reduced, as always, to mere numbers or objectified as "collateral damage."
[3] Anticipate and count on your opponent's blunders. Hamas' stupidity played into Israel's strategy. From the outset, Israel could count on the fact that Hamas would launch rockets and issue the kind of threats that Israel could then parley into sympathy in the West. Knowing that these would most certainly come, and could be exploited, was an advantage in their propaganda war.
[4] Be everywhere, and say the same thing -- and make sure your opponents remain as invisible as possible. Israel begins each war with a host of English-speaking spokespersons (many born in the West) available at any time for every media outlet (it's no accident, for example, that Israel has an "Arab" Consul General in Atlanta - that's where CNN is). The work of their propaganda operation, which spreads multiple spokespersons in venues across the United States with consistent talking points, guarantees success. At the same time, they are able to deny media access to Gaza, only allowing the Western reporters to operate near the war zone under IDF supervision, guaranteeing Israel the opportunity to shape every aspect of the story while removing the possibility of independent verification of the horror unfolding in Gaza.
[5] Give no ground. Since half of the story will be determined by what political leaders say and do, the political apparatus in Washington is also pressed into service, ensuring that White House and Congressional leadership will "toe the line." Statements issued by Congress, therefore, reflect the talking points and, together, the Israeli spokespersons, the political commentators, and the Congressional statements serve as echoes of one another.
[6] Deny, deny, deny. When events and reality break through, contradicting the Israeli-established narrative, creating stories that run counter to the imposed story line, the propaganda machine works overtime to deny, deny, deny (saying quite boldly, "Who do you believe, me or your lying eyes?"), and/or concoct a counter-narrative that shifts the blame ("We didn't do it, they made us"). In this instance, that means asserting that the death of Palestinian civilians is always the fault of someone else, or that reporters or their opponents are staging the photos of grief (as if to say, "Arabs don't really grieve like we do").
[7] The last refuge... When all else fails, point to a few examples of outrageous anti-Semitism, generalize them, suggesting that that is what motivates critics. It stings, and may be over-used, but it can silence or put critics on the defensive.
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With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion. - Steven Weinberg, 1999
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Fritz
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Re:How Israel's Propaganda Machine Works
« Reply #1 on: 2009-03-06 09:48:25 » |
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Propaganda or not ?
Cheers
Fritz
Source: Press TV
Author: RSZ/SME/RE
Date: 05 Mar 2009
Report: Israel nears attacking Iran
Thu, 02:47:25 GMT
S-300 surface-to-air missile system
Top US politicians have reportedly said that Israel is seriously considering taking unilateral military action against Iran.
As the dispute over Iran's nuclear program heats up, top US advisors and experts on Middle East affairs, released a report on Wednesday, saying "Israel's time frame for action (against Iran) is growing shorter."
The experts at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) said Israel feels an urgent need to take action against what it called "Iran's advancement in acquiring nuclear weapons."
In the article: "Preventing a Cascade of Instability," the bipartisan group reiterated that the Israeli officials were alarmed that "Tehran might soon acquire upgraded air defenses and disperse its nuclear program to additional locations."
Several authors of the report however have met with high-level Israeli officials to evaluate their perspective, and noted that Israel is not interested in becoming part of an "American nuclear umbrella".
"A declared US guarantee would clarify a situation of ambiguity that may already work to Israel's advantage," the report noted. Also, "many Israelis fear that a declared US guarantee could come at the price of circumscribing Israel's freedom of action in confronting existential dangers."
This is while former US ambassador to the United Nations Nancy Soderberg, noted that the timetable for an Israeli attack might be "significantly" moved up if Tel Aviv was under the impression that Russia was going to supply Iran with the S-300 surface-to-air missile system which would get in the way of any Israeli attack.
The 10-page document urges for more international sanctions and expanding financial pressure on Iran.
RSZ/SME/RE
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1236103158937&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
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Where there is the necessary technical skill to move mountains, there is no need for the faith that moves mountains -anon-
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Hermit
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Re:How Israel's Propaganda Machine Works
« Reply #2 on: 2009-03-06 12:51:34 » |
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This might be a likely scenario as a result of the appointment of armies of Likudniks to Barack's administration, the recently demonstrated massive pro-Israeli media and government bias, and Israel's recent swing even further to the right than they already were. Of course, in a sane world, Israel with its hundreds of nuclear devices and multiple delivery methods is in no way threatened by Iran, even if Iran had a nuclear weapon (it doesn't), the material to make one (it hasn't), the ability to make one (it doesn't), the intent to make one (it hasn't) or the means of delivering one if they had one (they don't). And a threat, despite GW Bush's lies to the contrary, is in no means a justification to overturn the foundation of the modern political structure, the Grand Charter of the UN. So if Israel attacks Iran, it would be an illegal (and nonsensical) attack, but the US would almost certainly swing into action on behalf of Israel, probably on the ground as well as in the UN, once again reinforcing our hypocrisy and willingness to ignore equity and law on Israel's behalf, making us even more of a target for retribution than we already are. Which of course would be totally against American interests, but that is a consequence of supporting a bunch of genocidal, terrorist racists for most of sixty years.
I really don't want to think to much about this. The consequences would include the UN being shown to be utterly worthless, at a time when resource pressures are making it more needed than ever. But when have humans been rational about such things?
Kindest Regards
Hermit & Co
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With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion. - Steven Weinberg, 1999
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Fritz
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Re:How Israel's Propaganda Machine Works
« Reply #3 on: 2009-03-06 15:22:43 » |
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thx for the feedback Hermit .... I use to under my breath always mutter "It was the best of times; it was the worst of time", these days the first part seems to slip by unsaid more often now, yet so far, really can't complain yet.
Cheers
Fritz
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Where there is the necessary technical skill to move mountains, there is no need for the faith that moves mountains -anon-
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Hermit
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Re:How Israel's Propaganda Machine Works
« Reply #4 on: 2009-03-07 00:15:24 » |
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May you live in interesting times, come to the attention of important people and all your children be daughters (Old Chinese curse).
Well balanced by
May you never have a blind son without a lame daughter to lead him (Old Irish curse).
Kindest Regards
Hermit & Co
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With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion. - Steven Weinberg, 1999
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