Israelis are not seen as victims

[Gimel]

A day after the recent attack on a bus in Jerusalem, The Wall Street Journal reported on the event in its European edition. One had to make an effort to find the item: It was the fourth in a list of foreign news items that appeared on the first page. It included seven lines, beginning with, "A suicide bomber killed 10 bystanders on a bus outside Sharon's residence in Jerusalem." The item continued with the prisoner release transaction with Hezbollah, which took place at the time, with the following words: "Hezbollah will kidnap more Israelis to secure the release of Lebanese detainees, the group's leader said amid a prisoner swap." Fourteen words about the bus explosion, and in the reference to Hezbollah there is a tone of justification for the kidnapping of Israelis.




The Wall Street Journal is known as a fair and professional newspaper, with a pro-Israel bent, which usually levels criticism at terrorist acts. Judging from the latest news item, one can't help but conclude that terrorism against Israeli citizens is seen by many abroad, and especially in Europe, as part of a tribal war in a distant land. That accords with one of the conclusions of a study conducted in Germany (published recently in the professional journal Media Tenor) about the way in which German television covers Israel. "In the news, Israel is for the most part seen as the guilty party. Even when covering stories where Israelis suffer from the acts of their opponents, they are not simply presented as victims. Editors often frame suicide attacks as a reaction to injustices committed against Palestinians." When such a trend continues for years, it's no wonder that in many places Israel is seen as constituting a threat to world peace, much more so than North Korea or Iran, for example. The researchers say there is a direct link between the negative publicity about Israel and attacks on Jews.

Continued here...

This is what Israel is up against in world opinion.

[Jim Sagle]

1. Luckily DU is a safe haven from such twisted and perverse attitudes.

[drewb]

2. .

:yourock:

[Jim Sagle]

4. Hey, you're stealing my techniques.

;-) You have good taste.

[el_gato]

3. it works both ways

you reap what you sow

It's hard to feel sorry for a government that bulldozes homes
and sends missles into neighborhoods.

And as usual it is civilians that suffer not the corrupt leaders.
Yes I do see Isreali civilians as victims but not Sharon and the IDF.

[Gimel]

5. They are icons of imagination

There will be not aggression from Israel once terror stops. IJ is promising a new wave of suicide bombings.