Who Does the Israeli Media Serve?

Yoav Yitzhak, Translated by Elad Benari
Shalomlife.com
16 March '10

The Israeli media has once again tongue-lashed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As usual, due to extraneous considerations. This time on account of Israel's interests in the capital - Jerusalem. No less. The media presents the permit that was given to build 1600 housing units in Ramat Shlomo (Tuesday, 09.03.10), as a lawless, disturbed and illegitimate move - designed, ostensibly, to thwart the proximity talks with the Palestinians.

This means that the big media outlets - television channels (Channel 2 and 10), and the newspapers Yediot Aharonot, Maariv and Haaretz, give a seal of approval to stop construction in Jerusalem. These media outlets not only denied through their publications this week Israel’s right to make decisions during a seemingly volatile time, but also Israel’s right to build in controversial areas such as Ramat Shlomo; and also the public's right to receive what was promised to it by the chosen government. Thus the media serves the Palestinian interest. Netanyahu's unnecessary apology - rather than standing erect and saying: This is the elected government’s policy – as he was startled by the criticism and pulled into it as if possessed by a demon, "played" even more to the Palestinian side.

A stranger might come to think mistakenly, that he is watching broadcasts and reading newspapers by the Palestinian Authority in Hebrew, and not Israeli-Jewish media. A stranger from a distant land might get confused and think that the regional committee in Jerusalem was supposed to get a permit from Ramallah before approving the construction of housing units in Ramat Shlomo, even though it is land wholly owned by the Israel Lands Administration.

Most commentators have enlisted to blast Netanyahu and present him as an empty display, and the arms of government as conducting themselves in a wanton way, in order to thwart the visit/mission of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in Israel. The media refrained from giving appropriate expression to the simple facts and thus failed in their role. Those facts are:

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