There is a great empathy in the world for the tribulations of the Jewish people and the tragedy of the Jewish diaspora. The Jewish people have been victims for centuries. However, there is a need to intellectually separate the legitimacy of the Jewish ideal of Israel, and the actions that Israel, as a sovereign state, is currently pursuing. There is a integrity requirement to isolate the past from the current, and there is definitely a case for the press to treat Palestine and Israel with media equity. It is easy to criticize Palestine - Hamas, the violence and the unrest. There is an equal validity in calling Israel to account for its current extremism. Today, Israel announced it is banning journalists from access to the Gaza Strip. This, they clam, due to the growing unrest there and to ensure press safety. This is an infringement of media liberty - a flagrant denial of press freedom. Journalists routinely work in the world’s hot-spots, bringing vital news home to their respective country. Israel wants to clamp down in the Gaza, and the first act is to deny journalists the ability to report on the facts there. Such a monumental act, and one that would earn world condemnation if it was done anywhere else, only warrants a small byline in the regional press, and garners no coverage at all in the mainstream media. Denial of freedom of the press is an infringement of democratic process. Israel positions itself as the only long lived democracy in the region but today’s decision calls that claim into serious question.Iran has famously said that Israel will rend itself apart from internal conflict. This is an extreme position and one that does not merit mention except that Israel is beginning to behave a little erratically. This denial of press access appears part of this pattern. Israel is in a state of flux. There is a growing divide between orthodox and secular in Israel. Jerusalem today elected a secular mayor much to the open contempt of his orthodox opponent. There are many moderates in Israel but there voice is not being heard, and won’t be at all if the press is denied the ability to report them. There is a split within the Israeli government. Some advocate active peace negotiations based on the pre-1967 territories -a moderate positioning - others vehemently deny the possibility, clamoring for a ‘no-concession’ platform. Again, anywhere else in the world, the press would be reporting the facts, seeking resolution, for Israel to comply with the UN sanctions, but the world press remains muted. it is almost as if a criticism of Israel, even though it has its own internal dissenting voices, is a press crime against humanitarianism. Israel seems to be having something of an identity crisis. Is it a hawk of war and independence, or a force for good in the region? It is a debate so poorly covered in regional and mainstream media. The press needs to stake a claim on the story from both sides of the debate. Denying access to the press merely exacerbates the suspicion.
The Gaza blockade is a human rights infringement. The Gaza is almost out of oil and has 48 hours of food supply left. Where is the world press decrying these acts? Where is the coverage of this in the US media? Why is this not headline news? Again, for some reason, the press applies a double standard in relation to Israel. There seems to be no press equity for Palestine. Even Netanyahu, a politician with far right leanings who many predict will become the new Israeli President, is making some overtures of co-operation, but this gets little to no coverage. He has called for Israel to assist in the expansion of the Palestinian economy, saying it would also benefit Israel and would be a crucial factor in advancing peace talks. Speaking before a Knesset committee meeting Wednesday, Netanyahu said “rapid [economic] development is key, and not only for the sake of negotiations with the Palestinians, but also so that Israel will be able to get out of the economic crisis.”Netanyahu added that Israel intends “to advance peace talks with the Palestinians, in order to gain a stable, safe, and prosperous peace.” The Likud leader also vowed that Israel will “continue diplomatic negotiations and we will advance the ‘economic peace’ whose goal is to bring the rapid development of the Palestinian economy and to prepare public opinion for a real agreement. The economic peace is not an alternative for peace talks but will help guide a winning process. We have seen this in the world, quickened economic development has helped form the conditions for peace and the resolution of conflict,”Netanyahu said, before adding that Israel “must bring peace - this is our goal. We will reach this goal.” None of this made mainstream media the issue remains under reported.
At this time more than other, the press needs to have access to the Gaza and to the developing story that is Israel and Palestine. if the press remains silent on the denial of access to the Gaza, then the press has sacrificed its charter. Press freedom equates to world interest and coverage could possibly be a factor to see a normalization of Israel-Palestine relations. if the press cannot report, then the world is kept in the dark on this critical regional issue and that would be the biggest shame of all. The press needs to be responsible - report the facts, decry the denial of access and to promote media equity on the matter. This story alone should be the headline for today’s world papers.
By stuart
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