The soldiers have moved across the international border, with the aim of stopping an Islamic fundamentalist terrorist group.
The terrorists are occupying large swathes of the neighboring country, which has been wracked for decades by civil war and bloody internecine conflict.
Sounds familiar, right?
Well, in fact, the above scenario is playing itself out not only along Israel's northern border, but in the Horn of Africa, too, where Ethiopia has moved troops into Somalia to counter an Islamic fundamentalist militia that has seized control over parts of the country.
Ethiopia legitimately fears the destabilizing effect of having a fundamentalist terrorist group based next door, particularly since the Somali Islamists aspire to create a "Greater Somalia" that would incorporate parts of Ethiopia itself. And so, Ethiopia has done what any normal country would do in such a situation: they have moved to protect themselves and their interests from harm.
Why do I bring this up? Because it underlines the hypocrisy and double standard that is applied by the media and much of the international community, which is only too happy to denounce Israel for defending itself, while remaining silent when others do precisely the same thing.
Selective media coverage? You bet.
Selective morality at the UN? Case closed.
Selective morality at the U.N. you say. Except for the fact that the U.N. has no morals. The bulk of the U.N. consists of a circle of terrorist thugs who use it to protect their own interests and save their own rear ends, using it just like they do innocent women and children to hide behind in battle. The hypocrisy of the so called peace loving world body astounds me. Well, they should be telling their terrorist friends to dig their bunkers deep in Syria, and Iran. There isn't going to be any place to hide. Don't worry Israel. The United States will be there to cover your flank when the time comes and blow away the hypocrisy and BS shoveled by the UN. The Euopean Union has no wiggle room either. During world war II where was their outrage when Dresdin was being fire bombed? Of course, it was their ass on the line then. Now that the US has kicked the Soviet onto the world trash heap of failed ideas, they don't think they need us anymore. The same hypocrites in this country were not saying a word when Japan was being leveled. How do you win a war eh? Battlefield fatalities in the Pacific theater were 1 American to 22 Japanese. As ugly and uncomfortable as it is, you kill more of the enemy than they kill of you. Innocent civilians are going to be killed. Israel has done and is doing it's best to minimize civilian deaths, but that is all you can do...minimize not prevent. It doesn't appear Hizbollah is targeting any military installations with their rockets does it? Most of the comments I see on this blog that are in support of the terrorists always seem to hide from the truth, cover their hypocrisy by conveniently leaving out the facts, and lie. Several have commented on the media bias being in favor of Israel. I don't know what limited means they have at their disposal, but the media in the US is simply showcasing the Hizbollah as the victims of "disproportionate aggression". Talking points straight from the UN and their terrorist supporters. Every channel using the same old tired buzz words like "collective punishment" and "suffering civilians". It's all crap. And despite their best efforts, in the end game, what it is going to be, Israel and the US is going to stick the Jihadists flaming sword of truth, right where it belongs.
Posted by: Thomas | July 21, 2006 at 07:10 PM
I'm sure there are many who would agree with me that the words "moral(ity)" and "Media" have no place in the same sentence. For many years, in the US, at least, the press has operated under the assumption that they alone are the ones that protect the little man by reporting The Truth, and that they have a right to scoop to any tactic, no matter how unethical (or illegal) in order to get The Scoop, because of that other golden assumption: the Public's Right To Know.
Except in a few cases where they were instrumental in bringing to light shady governmental or union practices, they've never really held the role of "Bringers of Truth", but they don't let little things like that stop them.
In recent years, as the interrelation of Media and Advertising Dollars, and Media and Politics have been recognized, the press has grown into a giant uncontrollable beast who now believes it "makes" or "creates" the news. As Thomas said above, the US media tends to slant toward the Left, where a latent but growing anti-Semitism predominates, so there is considerable coverage of anything that will show Israel, her actions, her forces and her citizens to their detriment. The unfortunate flip side of this is that they then portray that abomination of a terrorist organisation as "victims" and give them endless air time to voice their views, complaints and recruiting cries.
Strangely, this has almost always been true. For a crowd who view themselves as very liberal socially, there is a very insidious and nasty streak of racism that runs through the industry (actually through a great deal of the country's intelligentsia as well, unfortunately) wherein nothing that goes on in Africa merits attention unless it involves Americans (ie. Somalia back in 1993, which again, showed Americans to their detriment). The unspoken assumption is that atrocities committed by blacks upon other blacks is somehow...natural, or predictable, and is therefore not particularly newsworthy. During the wars in Angola, Rwanda, Burundi, Burkina Faso - where was the press coverage? Liberia got light coverage due to its former relationship with the US as a country established by freed former slaves. South Africa got a good deal of coverage because the "bad guys" were white, and the "good guy", Nelson Mandela, was a black socialist (a perfect combination for the American press). None of the tribal warfare, successions, or social conditions (other than those that can be used to demonstrate that the US hasn't done enough to solve world hunger - as if it could) are shown. When pressed, they assert that their audience has other issues that claim their attention, but the fact is, the public will read pretty much anything that is served up to them in an attempt to find out more about the world. Most readers would be pleased to learn more about other countries and interested in cultures around the world, and would then be more capable of understanding how the events that happen in Israel, or Somalia, or India, have a profound effect on what happens in the US as well.
So yes, I'm very sorry to say the media does indeed practise VERY selective coverage, but there is an up-side: a large (and growing) group of Americans know this, and they're educating themselves, questioning the media and paying much closer attention because of media bias.
In the meantime, God Bless Israel, give her the fortitude to withstand the attacks committed upon her people by these dregs of humanity, give her the strength, cunning and force of will to cut through her enemies like a hot knife through butter, that she may destroy them, and make their allies sit up and realize that even following their hating and hateful religion is not worth the trouble of trespassing on Israel's patience ever again.
Posted by: Katje | July 21, 2006 at 11:05 PM
Michael Freund....you're exactly right!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Israeli journalists pull out of the International Federation of Journalists to protest the association's
condemnation of Israel's attacks on Hizbullah's Al-Manar television network.
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"Thank you, Mr. Natanyahu.
Once again it has been a pleasure speaking with you.”
Yeah, right! Once again the interview between the former Prime Minister of Israel and Paula Zahn of CNN ends
with a dismissive and disingenuous comment.
"Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth,' is something my mother, of blessed memory would have said.
Former Prime Minister Barak had it exactly right.
"Paula, this is the Middle East not the Midwest, where those who are weak simply disappear."
While firestorms rage, a fierce battle is being fought for the hearts and minds of the free world.
Reporters lean on Israel’s supporters, while providing ample airtime to those only too willing to
denigrate the Jewish state along with America.
In their zeal to cover the story, they miss the larger picture – that Israel is a mere deflection in
a sectarian war between Shiites and Sunnis and a viable distraction from the blatant failures of
Arab governments..
Journalists shape attitudes while possessing neither facts nor sense of history.
Surely the Lebanese government cannot hide behind a cloak of ineptitude while missiles reign
down on a neighboring state.
In spite of this, calls for a ceasefire are mounting, blaming Hezbollah for precipitating the conflict
and Israel for her disproportionate response.
What IS disproportionate is the media’s coverage of Lebanese refugees, while largely ignoring
Israeli civilians hunkered down in bunkers day after day, night after night.
The Spanish prime minister condemns Israel’s response and is photographed wearing a kafiyeh.
Russian condemnation of Israel has not let up, and the EU and UN rush around drawing moral
equivalency between Hezbollah, a terrorist entity and the democratic state of Israel. Imagine!
Yet there is no turning back. Peace deals, unilateral withdrawals, land for peace, peace accords
are dead in the water.
Given that the media must present all sides of a conflict, it is at the same time beholden to democracy.
It might walk a fine line, however it must forever be mindful that Democracy is hard won and even more
difficult to maintain.
The press had better pray that Israel is successful in routing terrorism and getting out that vital message
that there can be no compromise with terrorism.
'Good night and Good Luck' will be remembered for the courage of a journalist who chose ethics over a story.
Posted by: ellen tannenbaum | July 21, 2006 at 11:07 PM
Media's selective coverage? Wow! one could write volumes on this topic.
See how the media covered the recent Iraq war. Our own US reporters clearly projected their anti-American, anti-military, anti-war, pro-terrorist attitude. They won a lot of pro-Saddam sympathizers from the kook-fringes of the Democratic Party, from the ignorant liberals, high-school-drop-out-celebrities, etal.
See how the media covers the present Israeli-Hizbullah war. They clearly exhibit their anti-Israeli, pro-Hizbullah attitude. They have been salivating with a glimmer in their eyes, while describing the 'charismatic' personality of Nasrallah! Compare this to the skepticism they exhibit while speaking about the Texas Cow Boy, Pres.Bush. Nonetheless, we are VERY PROUD of Pres.Bush.
The media project the number of civilian deaths in Lebanon, while they don't mention that most of them were Hizbullah goons or their Palestinian sympathizers. It's only through Arutz 7's reporting that we know that 100+ of Hizbullah have been dispatched to their 'paradise'.
The most recent scream in the media coverage was about the 25,000 Americans left stranded in Lebanon. They neglect to tell us that 8,000 of them were Muslims. How many of them are Hizbullah sympathizers, their fund-raisers, or members of their sleeper-cells? Nobody knows.
All along the media reports, there is one clear omission of words: 'Islamic/Muslim terrorists.' The liberal media sure knows how to steer clear from the Islamists' reprisals!
Posted by: M. D'Souza | July 22, 2006 at 01:22 AM
Selective coverage?! Are you insane? The only selective coverage I can see is the pro-Israel coverage of the American media. Fortunately 95% of the world is still getting the truth about atrocities being committed against innocents in Lebanon. You want to attack Hezbollah? Go ahead...but don't kill 100 innocent civilians for each guerrilla fighter! No sense of proportion - the Israeli government is simly creating more and more enemies. Stop the madness!
Posted by: GS | July 22, 2006 at 10:00 AM
I'm in the states and I don't know what media you are watching, but the mainstream I'm watching is humanizing the Hizbollah by portraying them as weak victims. The media has not mentioned once that they have been targeting civilians with Iranian and Syrian made rockets. Of course nobody is condemning those countries. If they had the means to use the force Israel is using, they would. So, don't preach your lopsided morality about atrocities. What a crock. In case you have not been watching, The junior Hitler of Iran called for Israel to be wiped off the map. The Lebanese made their choice to allow the terrorists to attack Israel from their territory. They will probably think again from here on out eh? The 2000 man U.N. so-called peace keeping force in southern Lebannon has stood by and watched as the terrorists have built up arms and attacked Israel since the pullout. Where the hell was the 95% of the world you are talking about while that horseshit was going on eh? Get your facts straight. The Leabanese could have asked for help along time ago to rid themselves of Syria and Hizbollah, but they chose otherwise. Now their people are the ones to suffer their bad choices. And we are all sorry for that, but choices, choices. We all have to live with the ones we make. Creating more enemies. Get real. The same 95% of the world has been attacking Israel since 1948. If the same 95% of the pissy-ass world would get on the right side of this issue for ONCE, it would end. But they continue to allow the U.N. to shield the people responsible for the continuing fighting. It's tragic yes, but your attitude of blaming Israel is the part of the problem. But far be it from leftists like you to point your elongated finger of twisted morality at yourself. Your just a coward who would rather take the side of cold blooded killers as opposed to standing up for what's right, BEFORE the fighting starts. You sit back on your comfortable ass and do nothing to help, then when all hell breaks loose, take the same easy way out the world has been taking for the last 58 years. What don't you get about these people. They just do not want Israel dead, they want us ALL dead.
Posted by: Thomas | July 22, 2006 at 08:52 PM
GS - I dont know what news you are watching - but every station I have watched has been fair and balanced (except for ABC News at 11:30 that had a story last week that was to get the American public to believe that the Israeli arabs in the North are being neglected. They totally brushed off the official Israeli view that the arabs in Nazareth disconnected their sirens and instead dedicated an entire show to interviews with Israeli arabs to give a hundred different views on why their was no warning given to them of an incoming rocket attack.
Posted by: blogrfactor | July 23, 2006 at 05:59 AM
i agree wholeheartedly with thomas.
listen up, all around the world, a PATTERN is approaching, that the issue isn't even about the arabs vs. the israelis. see, the issue is islamic DOMINATION.
islam is in its middle ages, and a large number of these people, and by God they aren't necessarily poor r illiterate, would want to go back to 800 ad - 1500 ad, where islamic empires dominated the known world. The Philippines (where I belong), Thailand (where majority are peaceloving buddhists), indonesia, india, china, the united states, and of course, europe -- conflict has revolved around a sizeable number of muslims wanting fundametalist states. zapatero thinks he can skirt the issue by siding with them, but the reality is his tactic will backfire once muslims claim majority of their population. When that happens, even if they only claim a sizeable number within their communities, the traditional liberties of the spaniards will be threatened. I think European and especially American civilians know of the problem, and are slowly being uncomfortable (and unfortunately) leery of the presence of arabs in their country. while obviously i cant blame them, it is unfair for the few muslims who actually want to integrate into western culture. indeed, muslims are now the new pariah of the 21st century. we can also see the west being more protective of their way of life, and a growing anti-islamist-fundamentalist sentiment. (note that this refers to extreme islamist attitude, heck we might even see anti-muslim sentiment PERIOD).
it is very important the the United States win the war in Iraq, and create a stable government there. Doing so weakens Iran, our present WW2 era Germany. That also strengthens the Saudis -- who are influenced by the States. Israel will never find peace for as long as Iran is alive. By weakening hisballah they weaken their evil sponsors as well.
Posted by: paolo | July 23, 2006 at 02:54 PM
THE THIRD FRONT
BY: FERN SIDMAN
While Israel is engaged in heavy fighting with Hezbollah terrorists on the northern front and Hamas terrorists on its southern front, it would appear that Israel's proverbial nemesis, better known as the media, has opened a third front with its incessant assaults on Israel.
While the media may not be launching Katyusha or Kassam rockets aimed at Israeli cities, the rockets that the media launches are instrumental in degrading Israel in the war of public opinion. Case in point would be the drastic difference in the content and modality of reporting between the two major cable networks, CNN and Fox News.
To the average viewer, it would appear that CNN and Fox are reporting the news from two different planets. While it is true that the Ted Turner owned CNN, has its own left wing agenda along with the perfunctory anti-Israel bias that goes with that territory, and Roger Ailes' Fox News has a more conservative, pro-Republican platform, the stark and extreme contrasts cannot be missed. To state that their coverage of the current war between Israel, Hezbollah and Hamas is diametrically opposed would be a gross understatement.
One need only press the button on their television remotes for a period of an hour or so, to gain tremendous insight into the world of media propaganda, distortions and lies. For a truly mercurial experience, just spend an evening with Anderson Cooper and Larry King of CNN and then visit with Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly over at Fox.
The story according to CNN is the following: Israel is murdering Lebanese children and civilians en masse, Israel is not making a dent in Hezbollah's power, Israel is not forthcoming in opening up a corridor for humanitarian assistance to Lebanon, Israel is causing a refugee crisis amongst the Lebanese population, Israel is using phosphorus in its weaponry, Israel refuses to agree to a cease fire, Israel's retaliation against Hezbollah has been "disproportionate", Israel refuses to engage in negotiations with Hezbollah over a prisoner exchange. CNN's conclusion is: World opinion will turn against Israel because of its actions. One can only scratch their heads and ask, is there a pattern developing here???
As we watch Anderson Cooper taking us for tours of hospitals in Lebanon showing the burnt and mangled faces of Lebanese children, while giving platforms to Hezbollah supporters who spew forth their party line which includes accusations against Israel for starting this conflict by occupying Palestine, to scared and trapped Americans who blame Israel for the destruction of Beirut. Repetitive images of Israeli tanks and gun ships shooting missiles into Lebanon fill our screens ad infinitum, while there is never a image of a Hezbollah terrorist shooting a Katyusha rocket into Israel.
If this weren't enough one sided and biased journalism, we are also treated to an hour of Larry King, who gives more than ample time to Hezbollah journalists, Syrian ambassadors, and a whole host of other Israel bashers. King allows them to make hate filled speeches riddled with inaccuracies and grandiose distortions about Israel and her role in this current conflict, while never challenging them in any kind of meaningful and significant manner.
In marked contrast to CNN's coverage of the war, there is a definitely a more "fair and balanced" coverage on Fox News. While far from being totally fair and balanced Fox News takes pains in researching new details from their reporters in the Middle East and presenting a more even handed account of the situation in Israel.
From Sean Hannity to Bill O'Reilly to Greta Van Susteren to Sheppard Smith, one can see that these journalists are dedicated to digging out the truth by ask searing questions concerning the facts of the situation, which are so very often buried under the propaganda and lies of Hezbollah and other Arab spokesmen who are allowed lengthy platforms for their vituperative and vitriolic rhetoric against Israel.
There is no question that Fox News is far from perfect and has on more than one occasion fallen prey to the CNN and New York Times syndrome of making Israel the scapegoat for the world's problems, but by in large, Fox has made a concerted effort, thus far, to reporting the news with a high degree of accuracy.
That is all that we can ask from the media. In general, they always have been instrumental in generating negative feelings towards Israel and have been the biggest asset of the cause of Hamas and Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations in the region. Right now, they represent the third front that Israel must contend with. An enemy that is funded not by regimes predicated on terror but on corporate dollars. It is an enemy that never runs out of rockets or mortars or missiles, for their verbal missiles and subliminal messages are in infinite abundance and these fatal weapons shape a public image of Israel that is more deadly than rockets because they pervade the hearts and minds of their viewers.
For the Jewish people, this is an old story. Since Guttenberg invented his first printing press in the 1600s, words and thoughts have always been published against Jews. The media of today bares little difference to its more in-your-face predecessors. While the facts may be different, today's media is just re-hashing the same kind of Israel hating messages that is has done for close to six decades.
The media is a persistent and resilient foe, almost an implacable one, yet despite this most formidable enemy, we have borne witness to our continued existence as a nation. As with the Greeks, Romans, Crusaders, the Turks, the Nazis, the British, the Soviet Union, the PLO, Hamas and Hezbollah and all the other enemies that I may have forgotten to list, those who sought to vanquish and eradicate the Jewish nation and the Land of Israel, we tell them and the media that they have not succeeded in our destruction and with G-d's help they never will.
Anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism are one in the same and they are a permanent part of and endemic to our society. With G-d's help, we will deal with the media as we have with our other enemies and may we take comfort in the fact that we are a people who fears and obeys only the Almighty G-d of Israel and does not fear the words of mortal enemies. World opinion will always be against the Jewish nation, and fearing it and cowering over the words and threats of world leaders is a futile exercise and a colossal waste of precious time.
Let us utilize our precious time in appealing to the Holy One Blessed Be He, who girds His nation Israel with strength, crowns His nation Israel in glory and gives strength to His weary nation. For in the end, the media is just another enemy in a huge litany of enemies. Let us turn to Hashem Yisborach at this critical juncture in time, for it is He who marches into battle with us and it is He who will conquer our enemies, if we only recognize His dominion and His glory.
And to the media, we say, just take your place on the back of a very long line. You're not our first enemy and you won't be our last.
May we our prayers reach the Almighty G-d of Israel and may we be zoche to the see our redemption, speedily in our days.
Posted by: FERN SIDMAN | July 26, 2006 at 07:23 AM
Let's use common sense here. Usually the country with more money and power is better able to commit violence against a defenseless population and get away with it. Israel has the money and power. When it's all said and done, we will learn of the complete monstrosity of the Israeli government, which is only surpassed in duplicity by the American government.
Posted by: ebi | April 15, 2011 at 06:52 PM