Chanting the Israeli mantra
Naomi Leitner | 03.05.2002 21:23
An evening in a typical Protestant church in America. I arrived there after the minister asked the local rabbi to send someone who could explain to concerned members of his congregation what is really going on in the Middle East.
start out by asking a few questions: How big is the State of Israel? To which country may it best be compared: the United States, France? What is its population? After a brief discussion, they decide that Israel is similar in physical size to France - a mid-sized country. Its population: 30 or maybe 40 million people. Actually it's probably closer to 50 million if you include the major immigration from Russia in recent years.
I hand out maps of the Middle East and ask the audience to find Israel. After a minute of confusion, one of them admits: "I can't find it." I take out a magnifying glass and reassure them: it is hard to find the State of Israel without optical aids. The boundaries are not wide enough to include all six slender letters of the country's name in English. I distribute a chart that compares Israel with other countries in the region, at which point the gargantuan Goliath is reduced to the scope of a diminutive David.
Before the American school system can be accused of abject failure in its administration of geography studies, one should recall that this is an audience of educated individuals, people who read the newspaper every day, who hear Israeli speakers interviewed in the media.
In this context, two questions arise. Why has the State of Israel failed so miserably in explaining its case, and is this really so important? I will first answer the second question: Israel's natural friends are the democratic countries of the West. In democratic countries, the various government authorities and the private businesses take public opinion into account. A negative image leads to a reduction in political and business contacts.
Let us not fool ourselves: the pressure now being exerted on Israel is the direct repercussion of global opinion. Israel's foreign policy and defense policy, and its ability to take action, are hostages to its failure to mount a persuasive information effort.
Why doesn't Israel succeed in its information efforts? This may be attributed to several factors:
l Lack of understanding of cultural differences. When an American reads the word "settler," he sees in his mind's eye a robust, armed individual looking for adventures in the Wild West. But what if we are actually referring to children of settlers being blown up on their way to school? Say "school bus," and the whole picture changes.
l Inability to express oneself in a foreign language. More than a few Israeli spokesmen would get a failing grade if given a pop quiz in English. They would be better off if they sent a professional interpreter, someone with a pleasant appearance and voice.
l Israeli leaders make do with contacts with government representatives of foreign states. There is an assumption that it is not important what the man in the street says about us, that it only matters what governments decide. But there is not, nor can there be, a long-term disconnection between government policy and public opinion in a democratic state. The consistent disregard of public opinion is a risky game.
l The sense that it is impossible to alter an image without altering policy. Anyone who understands advertising knows that this belief is incorrect. For proof, see the successes of the Palestinians in this realm. Without abandoning the course of terror, they are able to convince the world that they are humane and that we are Nazis.
l Erroneous assumptions about the general knowledge of the public in Western countries. My information evening at the church is only one example among many of this phenomenon: they don't know anything about us.
Israeli leaders prepare for elections in Israel though their media appearances abroad. Representatives of the right and of the left come to argue in front of CNN and BBC cameras. Not a single Palestinian spokesman plays this game. All of them stress simple messages, and repeat their mantra: occupation, occupation, occupation. We have mantras of our own. Let's use them.
I hand out maps of the Middle East and ask the audience to find Israel. After a minute of confusion, one of them admits: "I can't find it." I take out a magnifying glass and reassure them: it is hard to find the State of Israel without optical aids. The boundaries are not wide enough to include all six slender letters of the country's name in English. I distribute a chart that compares Israel with other countries in the region, at which point the gargantuan Goliath is reduced to the scope of a diminutive David.
Before the American school system can be accused of abject failure in its administration of geography studies, one should recall that this is an audience of educated individuals, people who read the newspaper every day, who hear Israeli speakers interviewed in the media.
In this context, two questions arise. Why has the State of Israel failed so miserably in explaining its case, and is this really so important? I will first answer the second question: Israel's natural friends are the democratic countries of the West. In democratic countries, the various government authorities and the private businesses take public opinion into account. A negative image leads to a reduction in political and business contacts.
Let us not fool ourselves: the pressure now being exerted on Israel is the direct repercussion of global opinion. Israel's foreign policy and defense policy, and its ability to take action, are hostages to its failure to mount a persuasive information effort.
Why doesn't Israel succeed in its information efforts? This may be attributed to several factors:
l Lack of understanding of cultural differences. When an American reads the word "settler," he sees in his mind's eye a robust, armed individual looking for adventures in the Wild West. But what if we are actually referring to children of settlers being blown up on their way to school? Say "school bus," and the whole picture changes.
l Inability to express oneself in a foreign language. More than a few Israeli spokesmen would get a failing grade if given a pop quiz in English. They would be better off if they sent a professional interpreter, someone with a pleasant appearance and voice.
l Israeli leaders make do with contacts with government representatives of foreign states. There is an assumption that it is not important what the man in the street says about us, that it only matters what governments decide. But there is not, nor can there be, a long-term disconnection between government policy and public opinion in a democratic state. The consistent disregard of public opinion is a risky game.
l The sense that it is impossible to alter an image without altering policy. Anyone who understands advertising knows that this belief is incorrect. For proof, see the successes of the Palestinians in this realm. Without abandoning the course of terror, they are able to convince the world that they are humane and that we are Nazis.
l Erroneous assumptions about the general knowledge of the public in Western countries. My information evening at the church is only one example among many of this phenomenon: they don't know anything about us.
Israeli leaders prepare for elections in Israel though their media appearances abroad. Representatives of the right and of the left come to argue in front of CNN and BBC cameras. Not a single Palestinian spokesman plays this game. All of them stress simple messages, and repeat their mantra: occupation, occupation, occupation. We have mantras of our own. Let's use them.
Naomi Leitner
Homepage:
http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/news/opinion/?disp_feature=A35gx5.var
Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
Pick a third world country anywhere
03.05.2002 22:02
pick a third world country anywhere in the world.
'The canal and the harbour were built by slaves, which isnt surprising:slaves were how *********** had achieved its magnificencee and power. but it was renowned for its handicrafts, espeacially its weaving. The secrets of the dyes used by its artisans were carefully guarded, its cloth shone like liquid honey, like crushed purple grapes, like a cup of bulll's blood poured out in the sun. Its delicate veils were as light as spiderweb, and its carpets were so soft and fine you would think you were walking on air, an air made to resembel flowers and flowing water. The carpets were woven by slaves who were invariably children, becos only the fingers of children were small enouf for such intricate work. But the incessant close labour demanded of these children caused them to go blind by the age of 8 or 9, and their blindness was the measure by which the carpet sellers valued and extolled their merchandise. This carpet blinded 10 children they would say. The services of children blinded in this way fetched high sums, their touch was so suave and deft, it was said, that under their fingers you could feel the flowers blossoming and the water flowing out of your own skin. If you had to cut throats or strave which would you do.' the blind assassin
debra
mantra mantra
04.05.2002 00:16
mantra mantra
Israel's mantra is well known to everyone...
anti-semite, anti-semite, anti-semite...
ad nausea
Here's another mantra
04.05.2002 07:35
Here's another mantra
Auntie Beeb
Misinformation, Palestinian and otherwise
05.05.2002 13:55
However, there is a difference between posting news on indymedia and propogating lies that the Palestinians have put forward. After the PA propoganda office declared that there had been a massacre in Jenin, people here at indymedia were livid at reports of the "cruel barbarians" killing "up to 500" innocent civilians. A Human Rights Watch proved these wrong, saying they had found 22 civilian deaths. Still, it is currently cool in the lefty radical world to say that Israel is the liar, and the Palestinians are the poor, misrepresented victims.
It is legitimate to criticise Sharon's policies at times, as an Israeli, I do regularly. But I ask you all to take two precautions: first, you can sound much more intelligent and be standing on firmer ground if you disagree with a certain policy on its own, and don't let lack of confidence make you roll on with attacking the whole state. Second, be informed before you make a fool out of yourself. Apart from the Israeli indymedia site (see link on left), I recommend the Israeli Defence Force site (www.idf.il) and the Israeli left-wing newspaper Ha'aretz (www.haaretzdaily.com), which has pretty decent coverage, and its editorials, when calling for pulling out of the territories and other issues which people here agree with, sound much more sensible and well-informed than any American, European or Arabic editorial saying the same thing.
Josh
e-mail: osh_josh_bgosh@nospam.hotmail.com