Time magazine’s circulation is dropping fast – recent industry data showed its sales had dropped by nearly 30 percent. But lots of people still see its front cover as they pass newsstands, and browse in newsagents. Which makes the current issue’s deceptive front cover-line ‘Why Israel Doesn’t Care About Peace’ particularly unfortunate.
The accompanying article by Karl Vick has been described as ‘probably the most anti-Semitic essay I have ever read in a mainstream publication’. Vick has form as a mouth-piece for anti-Israel propagandists. Only last month he wrote a one-sided missive from Ramallah, claiming Benjamin Netanyahu has a ‘history of resistance’ to peace deals. This is misleading because in fact, during his first reign as Prime Minister, Netanyahu personally negotiated with Yasser Arafat, signed the Wye River accords and handed most of Hebron to the Palestinians.
In his Time article, Kirk sneers that Israeli Jews are too busy ‘making money’ to care about peace. Those Jews and money, eh? Kirk has little to say about the long-running intransigence of Palestinian leadership to offers of a homeland, including in 1936, 1947, 2000 and 2008. Indeed he turns the truth on its head by painting them as the peace-makers. When he turns to the murder of four Israelis last week his language is absurd and revealing: he describes the incident as “the shooting deaths of four Jewish settlers”.
The fact that Kirk went to Israel to research his Time piece shows that he must be either willfully deceptive or heroically unobservant. Anyone who has spent time in that country can see the holes in the way he describes its people. As I often say, such misleading journalism really is unforgivable. These are real people he is writing about. Real people with real lives.
Over and over it is Israel and the Israelis who are slandered. For instance, remember how the media screamed ‘racism’ when reporting that case of ‘rape by deception’ in July? It was a perfect story for Israel-haters to use for their own twisted ends. The only trouble is, it wasn’t true.
“In May 1977, when Menachem Begin was elected Israel’s prime minister, Time magazine set out to describe the man, beginning with the correct pronunciation of his last name: “Rhymes with Fagin,” the editors explained, invoking the character from Oliver Twist. Modern Israeli leader; archetypal Jewish lowlife: Get it?”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703946504575469502667359126.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
I read about “Time”‘s despicable cover elsewhere. Though I am not a Jew the present state of the world regarding Israel, especially such articles from once respected publications like “Time” (and often the BBC), really do leave me in deep despair.
I remember in my youth how my companions *ALL* admired “plucky little Israel” as she withstood the onslaught of her neighbours and then proved victorious over them in the Six-Day War. Since then I have closely followed all that has gone on in the Middle East and that interest has led me in to a deeper study of the history of the area. The things I was able to learn are freely available to anyone with an open mind.
However, it appears I am the only one remaining in my group of companions to have such a mindset. I am now a virtual pariah among life-long “friends” because of my unwavering support of Israel. When I say “unwavering”, I simply mean that I insist Israel has the right to exist! Even this “bold” statement of mine is now frequently challenged by ignorant people [ignorant only in the classic meaning of the word!] who sometimes say things like, “perhaps there is something wrong about Israel and perhaps the country should never have been created!”
Oh!
I honestly feel we are entering a new Dark Age. In a way I am glad that certain things I did, and some paths I followed in my life, mean I will not have the guilt of leaving offspring behind me to face what I am certain will be a very bleak future. Perhaps not the immediate future of my “children”, had I ever had any, but certainly any great grandchildren of mine would have been left to fend in a far stranger country than I ever grew up in. My niece’s children are now in that position.
Meantime! To heck with it all! May I wish everyone reading a Happy New year! I shall celebrate in my own way, in which I may enjoy some gin, some sweet vermouth, and some very tasty maraschino cherries! I hope it meets with your approval, especially after I listen to the .mp3 of the shofar!
And I must post this soon!
William Jay – you and my father need to meet. He too is not Jewish, and is slowly becoming a virtual pariah amongst his good friends because of his political opinions! Keep it up.
I’ve lost a number of friends over my support for Israel. I am not Jewish either. I have visited israel twice recently and know the reality on the ground…..including trips to Hebron and Kiryat Araba. I feel increasingly isolated and alienated from friends and colleagues who relentlessly demonise and delegitimise Israel, the outcome being that I am becoming more and more vociferous in my support.
William – thank you for your thoughful, supportive comments. I wonder if it might be worthwhile asking your friends what they believe will happen if – heaven forbid – the day comes when Israel is overwhelmed or otherwise lost? I find that it is a question many have never considered or, if they have, believe all strife in the Middle East will magically cease and with it, all terrorism.
In my view, this is the least likely scenario. The demise of Israel would a) cause considerably more bloodshed as the various factions fight for control of the land and b) provide a massive psychological boost to the jihadist, Caliphate crusade. A victory over Israel would be seen as a sign that Allah is on their side and the wind at their back. Global terrorism would increase – not decrease.
Thank you for your replies and support Rhiannon PS and Penny.
Rhiannon PS, I rather suspect your father is about the same age as myself and like me, he has weighed up the evidence in the jury room, then just like Henry Fonda in “12 Angry Men” he has tried to persuade the other eleven that their beliefs are wrong and the evidence does not support them. Unfortunately neither me nor your father lives in a movie script and we find life much more difficult than Mr. Fonda ever experienced. But as you say, I will definitely “keep it up”!
Penny, I have indeed attempted to discuss with my friends about the possibility that one day Israel may cease to exist. I may have read the following quote here, I forget where I did copy it from, yet it is *SO* valid concerning Israel:
“Two decades ago Israel was told that it was Israeli troops in the Judea, Samaria and Gaza that was enraging Muslims. A decade ago Israel was told that it was Jews just living in those places in their Jewish houses that was enraging Muslims. Today, Israel is being told that it is Jews living in Jerusalem that is enraging Muslims. *Tomorrow*, if Israel withdraws from Jerusalem, as Israel did from Gaza, and Israelis huddle in the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station, it will soon be discovered that the only thing that will appease Muslim wrath is the handover of the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station. Go figure.”
There is *ALWAYS* the same vapid explanation from my Palestinian apologists that such a thing could *never* happen, and yet the whole lot of them believe every single outrageous and untrue claim made in the MSM about Israel. A few months ago I found myself in our local pub trying to rebut wild, outlandish claims about Israeli medical relief teams in Haiti “harvesting organs” from earthquake victims! It was only when a complete stranger butted in to the argument, stating he was a paramedic, and while he had absolutely no time for Israel, such claims were absolute and utter cr*p because organs from dead bodies were worthless. Then, and *only then*, did the disbelievers grudgingly accept they *may* have been wrong in believing such freely published stories.
To say I despair is an understatement. However, I still believe in Israel and that country will forever have my undying support.
It’s almost as if people really, really want to believe the nonsense they hear, William. When Israel hits the news the frenzy on some blogs is just incredible. It’s almost as if Israel is providing some people with an outlet for an underlying, personal pathology!
It’s heart-warming, though, to read messages like yours with so much support.
As a 65 year old, and life long supporter of Israel, I am beginning to wonder if the current unconscionable wave of hatred is possibly a generational thing. By that I mean that certain parts of each generation tends to reject the mores and principles of the preceding generation.
I can remember in the 50′s the images of Kibbutzim being shelled from the Golan. The images were frequently shown on the BBC and ITV channels. Now the possession of the Golan is among the reasons younger people agitate against Israel as they have no idea of its strategic importance to Israel’s security. If the current bigotry toward Israel is indeed a generational/fashion phenomenon then I can only hope that the next generation will see through the black propaganda/lies and view Israel more fairly.
I wish I knew the answer, John. In one sense I agree with your ‘generational’ view; for sure, the keffiyah-toting brigade who trot out the ‘We’re all Hamas/Hizb’allah’ slogans are mostly, but not exclusively, young. I often wonder if they realise that they are supporting the elevation of corrupt leaders, supression of women, abuse of children via indoctrination into hatred and martyrdom, anti-semitism, anti-Christian and anti-Gay rights plus the promotion of a global war? And that is not an exclusive list.
Youth is exhuberant and ideological – it has an excuse. What puzzles me the most are those who are mature and professional. Most especially some of our leaders, intelligentsia and journalists. What the hell is motivating them? What causes someone like Cameron to appear so Israel-friendly (I’ve read some of his speeches)and then turn as he did in Turkey, making a fool of himself by condemning Israel regarding the flotilla and then calling for an inquiry. Any rational person would wait for the latter before issuing the former.
Hi Penny. The Cameron episode was bizarre because it came just as world wide perception of Gaza being less like a refugee camp than a third world country complete with a corrupt elite; and his comments about Turkey….well where does one start, Cypriots, Kurds, Armenians?
I have a sneaking feeling that he was relaying some kind of Obama inspired message to Turkey.
Re your remark about keffiyahs. I remember in the late 60′s when the PLO blew up planes, in Jordan I think it was, and the world’s media carried pictures of the keffyah wearing doe eyed Leila Khaled. I thought to myself that the PLO had found their icon.