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September 05, 2007
Free the Footage & The Other War
This from Breath of the Beast:
On September 30, 2000, Charles Enderlin alleged that Israeli soldiers intentionally targeted and killed a Palestinian boy at Netzarim Junction. Enderlin, Middle East Correspondent for France2 television, used the footage and testimony of cameraman, Talal abu Rahmah as “proof” of what he claimed to be Israeli savagery.
That allegation spread all but instantaneously around the world, sparking explosions of hatred and violence against Israel and Jews. It has been alluded to by Jihadis the world over, from Palestinian suicide bombers to Osama Bin Laden to the executioners of Daniel Pearl, to assorted radical Islamists in Europe.
Professor Richard Landes and others have succeeded in casting serious doubts about the reliability of the France2 report, including exposing compelling evidence that what is claimed to be the child's death in the sequence is mere playacting. There is also evidence of the habitual and unashamed dishonesty of the photographer Talal abu Rahmah .
France2 immediately has released only the 3 minutes of their cameraman's rushes they thought “relevant”, they have consistently refused to release the full "rushes" (all the footage shot by their cameramen) for inspection. They have blocked efforts in the courts to gain their release, and have allowed only screened viewers to see the tapes at their offices. Even some of those hand-picked viewers who have seen these "rushes" think that major sections of their “action sequences” are staged, and that a close look reveals unprofessional journalistic standards both for the cameraman and for the news broadcaster who used his work.
Charles Enderlin’s defense for running the story – "it corresponded to the situation in Gaza and the West Bank" – recapitulates the “False but accurate” attitude of many towards the Dan Rather forgery- a weak rationalization of disingenuous journalistic bias.
Keeping the full rushes of an event like this one secret can serve no conceivable purpose, other than to protect a guilty media outlet from being exposed in the act of fraud and libel. The honor and safety of the Israelis and everyone who wish for their fair treatment are endangered thereby. They and their embattled homeland are deprived of the chance to vindicate themselves without the evidence that France2 is withholding.
The petition is available here. Please sign. And then forward to as many people as you can.
Hat Tip: Seraphic Friend, Nancy Coppock, The Jackalope's Voice
Seraphic Secret also wants our readers to be aware of Stephanie Gutmann's seminal book, The Other War: Israelis, Palestinians and the Struggle for Media Supremacy. Ms. Gutmann explains why Israel has floundered in the all important propaganda war against her Arab enemies. I will be writing about this all important book more thoroughly very soon.
For the moment, I want to point out that Chapter Two, "Dura—A Case Study," analyzes this entire affair in excruciating detail. Enderlin emerges not only as highly unprincipled, but as a classic Jew-hater. His rant against German Jewish film director Esther Schapira sounds like something out of Vichy France. As for the Palestinian cameraman Talal abu Rahmah, well, half of what Rahmah says isn't true and the other half is just lies. Even Enderlin tries desperately to keep Rahmah away from interviews with the Western press.
After reading the mighty Ms. Gutman's chapter one can only conclude that the unfortunate child was murdered (if it's not a Pallywood hoax) by his own Arab bretheren—what a shock, huh? And the atrocity shamelessly exploited by the Arabs to stoke Jew hatred all over the world.
Guess what? It worked. Spectacularly well.
This is a great and important book, meticulously researched, beautifully written, and I urge all my readers to order this book immediately. It's a shocking expose of mainstream journalists—most verge on criminality in their bias against Israel/Jews—and a stunning portrait of Israel's ineptitude in dealing with a hostile world media.
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at September 5, 2007 01:07 PM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.
Robert,
Anti-Israel media bias is a fact, as Richard Landes and others have documented. Yet it's also a fact that Israel was portrayed positively by the MSM in the immediate years after its creation and after the wars it fought for its survival. The emergence of biased reporting, I sense, has much to do with the emergence of the worldview perpetuated by the postmodern left -- one that plays the moral equivalency game and that portrays Israel as a colonial oppressor. Interestingly, Israel's standing has fallen at the same time as anti-Americanism has increased --and I believe that this anti-Americanism has little to do with U.S. support of Israel; it's because of the worldview to which I refer. I shall look forward to future posts here as well as reading Stephanie Gutmann's book, not to mention Breath of the Beast.
Posted by: David at September 5, 2007 04:58 PM
David:
Ms. Gutmann chronicles the wonderful and positive coverage Israel received from the Western press after its creation. I agree, the turnabout can be directly linked to the left and its love affair with violent tyrants and anti-American sloganeers in all their various incarnations.
I distinctly remember seeing Vietnam War protestors wearing the kaffiyah and chanting about Israel the oppressor. It was my first glimpse into the dark heart of the left; they were and are aligned with terrorists, with Jew-haters.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.seraphicpress.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at September 5, 2007 05:37 PM
I think it goes further than that. As much of the West achieved great economic and military security post WW II, the self-loathing factor once only the province of rich malcontents, became more pervasive... especially on college campuses. Without any real enemies facing us at home, we decided to hate ourselves. And since Israel's Democratic and modern society mirrored our own in many ways in other parts of the West, it became the new surrogate for self-loathing. Add the always latent undercurrents of Anti-Semitism, and you have a real recipe for bad "PR" for Israel.
And just like feeling bad about yourself because you happen to be comfortable... this is all ridiculous! Western society has achieved great things, and we should be proud. Were there ugly moments, like pushing the Indians off their land... well yes. But does anyone really want to live in a Native American society anymore? Of course not.
Much of the rest of the world wants Israel to pay for some perceived injustices committed by the West centuries ago. That makes no sense... hey, Major League Baseball doesn't spot the Cubs 20 wins per year just because they haven't won the Series since 1908... so why do we have to inject Affirmative Action into political conflicts that cost real people their lives?
Posted by: Jake at September 6, 2007 09:21 AM