Below are two extracts from today's 'Daily Alert' (www.dailyalert.org). They characterise two opposite approaches to arresting the deligitimisation and demonisation of Israel. The two approaches are not mutually exclusive.
The first refers to the massacre of the parents and 3 children of a family of devout Jews by Palestinians, who slit their throats and stabbed them repeatedly. Not very nice! It happened at the end of last week, on the Sabbath, but this horror was not reported by almost the entire British media. I did catch the end of a piece by Sky News which obliquely seemed to allude to it.
The second refers to a new standard that aims to measure 'hatred'.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are Israeli Settlers Human? - Bret Stephens
As one who has long entertained doubts about the wisdom and viability of much of the settlement enterprise, I find myself cheering Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for announcing, in the wake of the Fogel family massacre, the construction of hundreds of additional homes in the settlements. Israel's consistent mistake since the peace process began nearly 18 years ago was to suppose that conspicuous displays of reasonableness and moderation would beget likewise on the other side. The reality has been closer to the opposite.
For 60 years, no nation has been held to such stringent moral account, or such ceaseless international hectoring, as Israel. And no people has been held to so slight an account as the Palestinians. Palestinians have grown accustomed to the waiver the rest of the world has consistently granted them over the years no matter what they do. (Wall Street Journal)
/////////////////////////////////////////////
The Palestinian Authority, Still Celebrating Terrorism - Noah Pollak
The Israeli government has begun to compile an "incitement index," measuring recent official Palestinian celebrations of terrorism, such as naming a town square in honor of Dalal Mughrabi, a leader of the Coastal Road Massacre in 1978, in which close to 40 Israeli civilians were burned alive in a hijacked bus; or holding a soccer tournament in honor of Wafa Idris, a Fatah suicide bomber who used a Palestinian ambulance to enter Israel.
The index documents the incontrovertible fact that the Palestinian Authority is very much still in the terrorism game - all while funded by the U.S. and Eu ropean governments. Isn't it time for Congress to hold hearings on the use of U.S. funds by the Palestinian Authority to promote terrorism? (Commentary)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first entitled 'Are Israeli settlers Human' basically tells us that life is unfair. Now there's a revelation!
The second 'The Palestinian authority, Still Celebrating Terrorism' tells us that Israel's enemies are murder promoters. You and I know that but most people are blissfully ignorant or more likely, don't care.
Unfortunately, at least in my view, Israel's admirers have been too reliant on the former approach i.e life's unfair. Indeed there are now training courses that instruct us to put Israel in a positive light. We can tell the world about Israel's true democracy - the only one in the Middle East, its inclusive society, its Nobel prize winners, its aid to other countries in distress, its contribution to science and technology and so on and so on. This is good but falls far short of what is needed. In truth we've been doing this for a long time with no observable success.
The second extract attacks Israel's enemies. It demonises them and can in turn delegitimise them. It is fortunate (for Israel) that those constituencies that attack Israel are themselves deeply flawed. Be they the Palestinians, the Arabs, the Muslims, the UN, the universities, the trade unions or the NGO's, all have to some extent anti democratic, anti human rights, anti civil rights, anti equal opportunity, anti minority rights and anti freedom of expression elements; and much more. These characteristics are endemic to their very fibre. So let's spend more time attacking the hate mongers and less making ourselves whiter than white.
Alan
15 March 2011
P.S. If you're interested in knowing how and want to do something about it just contact me. alan@melkman.com