German media have a “particular” responsibility to finally free themselves of Israeli lobby pressure and talk about the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, as would be expected of “genuine” journalism.
At Low Point of Media Reporting
by Evelyn Hecht-Galinski, English translation by Milena Rampoldi
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I very well remember the weekly rallies of Pegida which failed to make any proposals, but just created blind hatred. The AfD party came from its lap and got its voter potential because of the numerous unsatisfied and excluded Germans. What happened in Europa much earlier, was also experienced, even if to a lesser degree, in Germany.
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What is particularly alarming about this is that those right-wing populists support the “Jewish State” and venerate it as bulwark against Islam. They had already already been on a pilgrimage to Israel to support the Jews against the “Islamic terrorist threat” by forming an anti-Islamic front. And it is not without reason that today for the right-wing extremists the “Jewish State” is the outpost of the “Judeo-Christian Western World” which must be protected from the common enemy Islam and Muslim citizens. Consequently they made lots of friends in Israel who In fact shared their objectives.
What is particularly alarming about this is that those right-wing populists support the “Jewish State” and venerate it as bulwark against Islam. They had already already been on a pilgrimage to Israel to support the Jews against the “Islamic terrorist threat” by forming an anti-Islamic front. And it is not without reason that today for the right-wing extremists the “Jewish State” is the outpost of the “Judeo-Christian Western World” which must be protected from the common enemy Islam and Muslim citizens. Consequently they made lots of friends in Israel who In fact shared their objectives.
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What we can see today, is the result of many failures by the media who ignored the burning problems and promoted this dangerous movement. For a long time now the “Jewish State” has been moving away from democratic values by developing into a more and more racist Apartheid State ignoring and determining media and official politics with certainty of its power because it is financially and politically supported. Critics of the “Jewish State” and BDS supporters are also strongly opposed.
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When it is about the reporting on the “Jewish State,” all journalists and the media tiptoe around the “minefield.” As soon as a journalist dares to write a non-compliant report the reaction comes from the Israeli Embassy or from the President of the Central Council of German Jews who is actually Josef Schuster, acting as the German mouthpiece of the “Jewish State.”
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At this point, let me tell you about a typically German panel discussion organized by the German Israeli Society (Deutsch-Israelische-Gesellschaft DIG) at the site of the radio-television Berlin Brandenburg rbb. This event exactly exposed this issue, even if were in a different way than was the organizers’ intention.
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It was an uncertain round table discussion titled “The image of Israel in the German media.” In the end they were “entre nous,” because only supporters of the “Jewish State” had been invited: the “steel helmet Jew” Michael Wolffsohn, the chairman and managing editor at BILD, Julian Reichelt, and the two editors-in-chief of ARD and Deutschlandfunk DLF, Rainald Becker and Birgit Wentzien.
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The so called “experts” of the Israel lobby invited to this event speaks volumes. The vice-chairman of the DIG made the welcoming speech, in which he criticized the “tendentious, anti-Israeli” media reporting, “emotionalizing“ one party and added that politics were also involved. So it is time for the German media to recognize itself as the “fourth estate” and debate how to deal with Israel.
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Then Gesine Palmer, a leading “Christian Zionist”, and Protestant theologian, who also studied pedagogy and Jewish studies, criticized the “Jewish State” by mentioning that it had more to offer than violence and terror. However, in this context, she forgot to mention the constant existence of occupation and settler terrorism which must never to be forgotten. This policy, recognized as a violation of international law, and consisting of the oppression of a people is unique.
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In fact it is already overdue to talk about this issue again, as the reporting about the “Jewish State” only consists of omissions and tendentious understanding of Israel.
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It is understandable that this event was well-attended because in the meantime these facts have also been noted by the general “media consumer.” As friends from Berlin who visited this propaganda event told me, the discussion was just the mirror image of the more than sad journalism of our time. It was a unilateral and extremely unsatisfying evening. When the “steel helmet” Wolffsohn not just criticized the “lack” of empathy, but also – even more shameful – the “unilateral” reporting and “manipulation” and in particular the correspondents working in the “Jewish State.” And then the worm had turned!
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The atmosphere in the room was stretched to breaking point and was in danger of exploding, but nobody dared to openly oppose what was being said.
The atmosphere in the room was stretched to breaking point and was in danger of exploding, but nobody dared to openly oppose what was being said.
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Then the DIG presidential member and journalist Daniel Killy accused their colleagues of lacking sensibility and expertise because they chose the wrong terms that called for “negative” associations.
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I think that this more than appalling event was extremely pathetic for both invited representatives of the broadcast stations. Becker and Wentzien defended themselves against sweeping criticism, but their defense was less than devout and insubstantial. They tried to justify their reporting.
I think that this more than appalling event was extremely pathetic for both invited representatives of the broadcast stations. Becker and Wentzien defended themselves against sweeping criticism, but their defense was less than devout and insubstantial. They tried to justify their reporting.
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Then “colleague” Killy of DIG asked for “linguistic specifications” from the chief editorial team, and for a “list of terms editorial teams should avoid or restrict” in their Israel reporting as this would be a very effective step.
BILD editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt asked for more “empathy” because of the “special” responsibility of German national-socialism.
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We see this “special” responsibility every day in the newspaper BILD! With this “sensitive attitude” German journalists make themselves complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, and this is irresponsible!
We see this “special” responsibility every day in the newspaper BILD! With this “sensitive attitude” German journalists make themselves complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, and this is irresponsible!
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In fact, German media have a “special” responsibility to break free from the pressure of the Israel lobby and to report about Palestine as it is to be expected “genuine” journalism.
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How can editors-in-chief of public media and newspapers stoop to such a low level, by working according to such dictatorial targets and accepting them without any opposition just to keep their jobs? How bad does the situation need to get before they show open resistance?
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I am asking myself how we can positively report about a “Jewish Apartheid State,” by considering what happens every day. I would say they should leave their jobs. I have been dealing for many years with this unpleasant issue, and have experienced a deteriorating situation when I think about German media and Israel.
I am asking myself how we can positively report about a “Jewish Apartheid State,” by considering what happens every day. I would say they should leave their jobs. I have been dealing for many years with this unpleasant issue, and have experienced a deteriorating situation when I think about German media and Israel.
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What is daily reported in serious foreign newspaper, from the liberal Israeli newspaper Haaretz to various British, English-speaking, and Scandinavian newspapers, is not echoed in German newspapers.
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It has always been common practice that representatives of the Central Council of Jews, the Israeli embassy, and the international organizations represented in Berlin romp about in editorial offices and broadcast stations. In the past it was about background conversations, while today it is openly celebrated and brazenly influenced reporting. In addition, journalists are continuously invited by Israeli government and the institutions connected with it. However, in comparison with today, in the past it was possible to hear a voice of criticism. At the moment, we are at a low point of media plausibility, which is a dangerous development. In the long run media consumers do not let themselves be fooled.
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Originally posted AT
Desertpeace 