Israel/Palestine
Related: About this forumIsrael's New Line of Propaganda Puts Orwell to Shame
Israel is resorting to lies and deceit about the occupation and its treatment of the Palestinians to fill the void left by the death of the peace process.Gideon Levy Feb 27, 2016
An all-American youngster fair-haired, regular churchgoer returns from his morning run and decides to join the boycott against Israel. He has heard of the BDS movement and about the oppression and occupation, so he collects everything in his home that was made in Israel or by companies trading with it just about everything he has and starts shooting the products. Suddenly, another young man appears and suggests he shoot the Bible, since that too was made in Israel. The shooter recoils. He gets the message that appears at the end of the video: Dont boycott God. Buy Israeli products.
This video was produced by HaYovel, an organization founded by Tennessee couple Tommy and Sherri Waller. He once worked with Federal Express, she is a passionate restoration advocate of families and the nation of Israel, as their website says. Their mission is to bring volunteers from America to help the Israeli farmers, i.e. the settlers. The organizations website enables donations and even to pray for the settlers. Another video on the site shows U.S. veterans volunteering in the vineyard of the West Bank settlement of Har Bracha.
There are plenty of wacky rightist organizations. But the youngster who persuaded his friend not to boycott Israel said something else. Most Palestinians arent oppressed. Those who are are oppressed by their own government. Israel provides them with work, free electricity, health care and loads of humanitarian aid. I was there and saw it.
Tons of aid or not, it is not only HaYovel that spreads these absurd falsehoods. And these tainted goods now have much more serious sellers: the Israeli government. It is doubtful whether it has more serious buyers than the grotesque U.S. veterans at Har Bracha.
The propagandist in the video says the same things Israels prime minister is saying. Addressing his British counterpart David Cameron, who let slip a rare word of criticism of the occupation in Jerusalem, Benjamin Netanyahu preached, Only Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem guarantees the citys Arab residents roads, clinics, workplaces and other means of normal life that Arabs across the Middle East dont enjoy. He said it as an insult to Camerons intelligence.
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.705799
Israeli
(4,161 posts)One may, of course, suspect that Israels propagandists are guiding HaYovel and similar groups. Or perhaps great minds think alike. But its impossible to ignore the embarrassing change that has occurred in Israels propaganda.
Nobody in the world speaks seriously about the peace process anymore. No one believes that the Israeli government is interested in peace, while the two-state solution is nothing but a monument. At a time like this, propaganda must reinvent itself. Israel cant say Theres no partner, because its clear it doesnt want to talk to the Palestinians. Israel cant say two states, because its clear it doesnt mean it.
But Israel must say something, so it is now resorting to the Orwellian propaganda of lies and deceit, the likes of which even George Orwell himself couldnt have imagined; he didnt even go so far in 1984.
The new Israeli public diplomacy (hasbara) consists of three principles, at least two of which are outright lies: there is no occupation; the Palestinians are living contented lives; God giveth.
Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely has drafted the new line, following Netanyahu. The occupation is not an occupation, she said in all seriousness to Yossi Verter this weekend, adding something about a biblical right. Naturally, this is good news. According to Israels spokespeople, the Palestinians situation is wonderful, theyre neither oppressed nor occupied joyful tidings! And theres more: the world is stupid, and so are the Israelis. So the government finds it easy to sell them anything.
And the best news is that official Israel is pulling its rusty day-of-judgement weapon of yore out of the attic: theres a God, so theres no occupation. In the early days of the occupation, a few wackos used to wander around trying to sell us this merchandise. Not many were convinced. Dredging up this weapon again confirms that Israel has run out of arguments.
Were left only with the delusion and lies.
Gideon Levy
Haaretz Correspondent
Source: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.705799
6chars
(3,967 posts)Gideon Levy hyperbolic criticism of Israeli government. What a surprise.
Well, at least Israel is a country where internal critics as severe as Levy are allowed to speak their minds.
Israeli
(4,161 posts)With God on your side .....whoes God tho ....
http://www.israelvideonetwork.com/the-video-that-literally-just-blew-the-bds-movement-to-smithereens/
oberliner
(58,724 posts)He has been writing essentially the same three articles over and over again for years and years.