By Duvi Honig
Israel’s media tactics and its self-destructive behavior are not only hurting its own image but also undermining the hard work of American Jewish groups who have been tirelessly defending Israel. The decision to allow CNN reporters to broadcast horrific images of Palestinian suffering and Israeli aggression without any counter footage shows a lack of judiciousness. It is clear that Israel has failed to establish an effective PR team to counter the attacks on its image.
The decision to allow CNN into Gaza to showcase the suffering of the Palestinians while holding back their own images of Jewish suffering and barbaric murders is incredibly foolish and careless. This move has given the enemy the spotlight and allowed them to portray Israel as the aggressor with no means for Israel to counteract these allegations.
The special showings of October 7th, intended to counter the negative images, have no weight for the public as they have not seen the footage. This lack of proactive media strategy is a grave mistake on Israel’s part and is causing turmoil within American organizations that have been defending Israel. The American Jewish groups, who have been working tirelessly to defend Israel, have been left without any tools to counter the negative images being shown by CNN and other media outlets.
It is time for Israel to take responsibility for its actions and defend itself from the portrayals of aggression. This is not only about helping Israel’s image but also about not destroying all the hard work of the American Jewish organizations. The failure to counter the negative images being portrayed in the media is not only careless but also hurtful for all those who have been working hard to defend Israel.
Israel needs to understand the impact of its media tactics on its image and the efforts of American Jewish groups. By allowing themselves to be promoted as the aggressor without putting up a strong defense, Israel is undermining the work of those who support and defend them. It is crucial for Israel to take immediate action to rectify this situation and salvage its reputation.
Israel needs to establish a proactive PR team that can effectively counter the negative images being portrayed in the media. The lack of this crucial component is not only damaging Israel’s image but also causing distress within the American organizations that have been supporting Israel. The decision to let CNN show sympathetic images of the enemy as the victims and not providing any counter footage is having a severe impact on Israel’s image.
It is clear that Israel’s media tactics are having a significant negative impact on its image and the efforts of American Jewish groups. The self-destructive behavior being displayed by Israel is something that needs urgent attention and rectification. Israel needs to take responsibility for its actions and defend itself from the portrayal of aggression in the media. It is time for them to understand the gravity of the situation and take action before irreparable damage is done. The blood is on their hands, and they need to act now to put out the fires they have lit.
Duvi Honig is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber Of Commerce. This article first appeared at Arutz Sheva.
“This lack of proactive media strategy is a grave mistake on Israel’s part and is causing turmoil within American organizations that have been defending Israel.”
Of course, you could just stop being mechalel shem shamayim trying to defend the idol and its “State”.
Israel’s PR for the past few decades has been horrible. I’m old enough to remember Ben Gurion when he came to the USA. He managed to keep the US sympathetic to Israel. Abba Eban, during the 1967 war, was a public relations master; he had the UN and the American media eating out of his hand. Golda Meir was also very good. Menachem Begun was also decent at it.
Shamir was a disaster! No one representing Israel since has done a decent job of presenting Israel’s case. The Israeli leadership thinks that by simply presenting basic facts, the facts will simply speak for themselves. Sorry, but it doesn’t work like that. Ask anyone in the advertising world it’s not what you say, but how you say it.
As Mark Twain put it, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes”.
Honig is a true chosid and says things the way they are meant to be said.
A man who speaks only emes for the sake of Am Yisroel all the time.
Which planet are you from
How about starting with the IDF banning those stupid TikTok videos of female soldiers dancing. What purpose do they serve? If Israel is suffering so much and the IDF is in such a difficult situation, why on earth do they allow their soldiers to post these stupid videos??
Totally agree! It’s the same with that stupid video of a Bais Chabad in middle of Gaza with some idiot calling out, ah tzenter ah tzenter. They may think it’s funny but that’s not how the world views it and reacts to it. At least by the equally stupid act by those soldiers getting on the mike in that Gazan mosque screaming out Shma Yisroel, Rabbi Yosef immediately condemned it. The war in Gaza is not cute or humorous. There are Yidden (soldiers) being killed every day in Gaza, R”L. The last thing we need is to raitz-un the Arab world and all their evil supporters. Just go in there, finish the job COMPLETELY, of eliminating Hamas, and then maybe just maybe, I can hear a svara to get in their face perhaps. But even then, it accomplishes nothing. That’s not the Torah way. We still have hostages being held by the most barbaric beasts on earth. Let’s tone it down, do what has to be done, and move on from there.
The geopolitical ignorance of the author is evident from this article.
Not allowing left wing media coverage wouldn’t stop the outlets from reporting on the biggest news story of the year.
The Israel Palestinian conflict has made its way into every new cycle since 1948, barring the most prominent media outlets would be counterproductive, And taming them would be impossible.
In previous articles written by this author we’ve seen a lack of knowledge about the issues he discusses. In my opinion it is reckless to allow his ideas to fester in halls of the frum media.
Eric Starkman
(Los Angeles-based writer and journalist) said:
“The mainstream media has abandoned all pretense of objectivity.
Whereas in the past journalists viewed themselves as
unbiased chroniclers of the news, their focus today is on
manufacturing it and dominating the ensuing conversations.
A journalist’s influence today isn’t determined by the quality
or accuracy of their reporting, but rather the size of their
Twitter following and the frequency of their television appearances.”
SOURCE: Why Crown Heights Hate Crimes Aren’t Newsworthy
by Eric Starkman, 2019 February 17, in The Algemeiner:
===================================
“Indeed, Palestinians rarely make an appearance in The [Washington] Post,
unless it’s to serve as the perennial victim —
and this too is contingent on portraying Israel,
and only Israel, as the oppressor.
When Palestinians suffer at the hands of their [own] leaders,
The [Washington] Post is nowhere to be found.”
SOURCE: article by Sean Durns, 2019 March 6 www algemeiner com
The Media Only Cares about Palestinians If Israel Can Be Blamed
===================================
“But the Western press shows little proclivity
for reporting on topics that might
cast the PA [Palestinian Authority] in a bad light.”
SOURCE: article by Sean Durns, 2019 March 6 www algemeiner com
The Media Only Cares about Palestinians If Israel Can Be Blamed
Stephen M. Flatow said:
“Despite the constant refrain from the J Street and the international news media about the so-called ‘Israeli occupation of the Palestinians,’ the reality is that 98 percent of the Palestinian Arabs live under Palestinian rule.”
SOURCE: Looking for Jews to kill
by Stephen M. Flatow, 2019 March 6, www JNS org
http://www.jns.org/opinion/looking-for-jews-to-kill/
===================================
“[Rashida] Tlaib, a high-profile member of Congress,
has been caught following a virulently anti-Semitic
Instagram account — and using her official account to do so.
Yet the press [news media] couldn’t be troubled to report it.”
SOURCE: The media goes to bat for
congressional anti-Semitism by Sean Durns,
2019 March 20 www JNS org
===================================
Laureen Lipsky said:
“New York City has seen a huge increase in anti-Semitic attacks,
largely carried out against religious Jews in Brooklyn.
Most of these incidents are ignored by the media.”
SOURCE: Algemeiner (dot) com
Anti-Israel Hate Marches Continue in Europe and the West
by Laureen Lipsky 2019/6/6 (Laureen Lipsky is a pro-Israel advocate
living in New York and the founder of Taking Back the Narrative.)
PERSONAL COMMENT:
Given that the mainstream-news-media intentionally
ignored the increase in anti-Semitic attacks in New York City,
how can they be trusted to report about Israel fairly?
===================================
Harvard Law Professor Alan M. Dershowitz said:
“I refuse to bend over backward to single out Israel –
or other things Jewish – for super-scrutiny.
I refuse to gloat, as so many in academia and
the media seem to, over Israel’s shortcomings.”
SOURCE: Chutzpah by Alan M. Dershowitz
(chapter 7, page 211) published in year 1991
by Little Brown ISBN: 9780316181372 * ISBN: 0316181374
On June 1, 2006, former New York City mayor Ed Koch
wrote an opinion piece in the [New York] Times
titled “The New York Times’ Anti-Israel Bias,”
asserting that “the British Broadcasting Corporation [BBC]
and the New York Times consistently carry news
stories and editorials that are slanted against Israel
and sympathetic to the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.”
SOURCE: Unfreedom of the Press
(chapter 6, page 157) by Mark R. Levin,
published by Threshold Editions, year 2019, NYC,
ISBN 9781476773094 * ISBN 1476773092
===================================
Mike Fegelman said this on 2020/12/31:
“The disproportionate focus paid to the Arab-Israeli
conflict has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
While there are many other conflicts in the region,
if enough media attention is focused on a tiny slice of it,
this conflict will inevitably become more significant as a result.”
SOURCE: It’s Time to Acknowledge Reality:
The Middle East Is Changing by Mike Fegelman
(Director of HonestReporting Canada) in Algemeiner (dot) com
===================================
Matti Friedman
(former Associated Press news reporter) said:
“The big players in the news business practice groupthink…”
………………………………
“Many of the people deciding what you
will read and see from here [Israel] view
their role not as explanatory but as political.
Coverage is a weapon to be placed at the disposal of the side they like.”
SOURCE: An Insider’s Guide to
the Most Important Story on Earth by Matti Friedman,
2014/8/26, Tablet Magazine www (dot) TabletMag (dot) com
PERSONAL COMMENT
This article exposes intentional anti-Israel bias in the news media.
It is still VERY relevant, even though it was written in 2014.
I agree Israel is responsible. Cease-fire now.
Idiot, they are getting their liberal version from Hamas and don’t care for the truth. Not do they not care, but the Biden administration knows the truth and doesn’t care for the truth. Nothing Israel can do will change anything. If Honig thins he can do it, got there and stay there until you change the world opinion. Guess what, it won’t change until Mashiach comes.
Egregiously naive. So stereotypical.
Israel is remarkably superb at hasbara.As good as those in control there wish it to be,that is.
But they’ll appreciate your naivetè
Reb Honig, is that all you got ?
Israel allowed in CNN, as though they had no other way in.
Do you want HAMAS to take them in?
Alteh Bucher