Eydar - My private dictionary of media terms

Dror Eydar
Israel Hayom
05 December '11

http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=960

Courageous media - A title bestowed upon those who attack the Likud-led government, people who identify with it and the majority's conservative values. The antonym of that would be "media on behalf of ..." - a derogatory term for media outlets or journalists who protect the values under attack, or condemn the hypocrisy of the "courageous."

Silencing of voices - An attempt by representatives of the conservative public to democratically implement a political agenda which they were elected to implement. You will not hear this term used when the prime minister passes a controversial leftist agreement by a slim majority of votes, while stealing votes from the other side. The public will then be asked to honor the democratically accepted agreement of the majority.

An offshoot of the above is:

Silencing of voices in the media - A catch phrase used to describe an attempt to replace a few leftist strongholds in the media with journalists identified with the excluded majority.

Another offshoot is:

Balance - A debate with three or four leftists on one side, sometimes with a supporting audience, against a lone ideological opponent.

Sons of light - Code for those who wish to retain the old order.

Sons of darkness - The opposite of sons of light. Those who sat in darkness and were silenced for a generation, and are now asking the sons of light to move over a bit and give them some space, so that they too can be represented in the courts and media.

The sons of light today may be those who were called the sons of darkness just yesterday, but at the moment the political constellation holds a position that serves the old sons of light. An example of that is how Minister without Portfolio Benny Begin (Likud) has until recently been portrayed as eccentric and extreme. His real-time warnings of Arafat's intentions fell on deaf ears, and the media clucked in glee over the dismissal of his views by Shimon Peres (then foreign minister), who called him "Abu Amar" [Arafat's nom de guerre, which in Hebrew could also mean "so he said"]. Begin has been transformed into a son of light these days, and his father - the late prime minister Menachem Begin - has become a democratic wonder, whom the Left waves about every now and then. This is the same Left that only a generation ago called Begin a murderer (during the first Lebanon war in 1982), considered him a fascist even before he was elected prime minister and warned of the consequences of voting him into power.



As a side note, it should be pointed out that the dichotomy of sons of light versus sons of darkness is taken from the 18th century, so that we know just how much progress the sons of light have made since then.

Harmful to democracy - An attempt to improve the social, governmental and judicial order through election to the Knesset and legislative activity. Laws referred to as "harmful to democracy" are those that attempt to widen the range of opinions inside the old power structures. Harming democracy even includes legislating a law that strengthens the country's sovereignty and prohibits foreign governments from meddling in the natives' affairs via their support of political non-governmental organizations. The irony is that those who cry out in opposition to such laws, enable the last remaining form of European neocolonialism in the Middle East. Only in Israel do we permit the Dutch or Norwegian governments to teach us natives the wisdom of the enlightened European nations' concepts of justice.

The "harmful to democracy" concept's twin is:

Tyranny of the majority - A phrase used to refer to citizens who voted for a political platform that they believe is worthy of being implemented. For example, that of the Oslo Accords or the disengagement from Gaza, or the destruction of Jewish settlements. In case you did not understand, these examples do not express the tyranny of the majority, but rather democracy at its best, in which the sons of light reeducate the sons of darkness.

Extremist - A term reserved only for rightists, but not necessarily those who support the late Rabbi Kahane's views, or those of the National Union or National Religious Party. Even Likud centrists are called extremists. That is what happens when Israeli reality is viewed through the lenses of Hadash (Israel Communist party) or Meretz.

Introspection - A standard phrase used by journalists after they help trample their ideological opponents from the Right, and at the same time praise their beloved ones of the Left. That is when the trampled public representatives of the Right arise in an attempt to alter the impossible reality via legislation. The journalists oppose the change and shout "Gevald!" ["Alert!" in Yiddish], and even gather in the cinema to formulate their silencing of voices (see above) and the harm to democracy (see above), while mumbling something about introspection. Afterwards they will return to their stations and broadcast programs only with those who share their political views.

In the end, there needs to be order. The microphones always belong to the brave and democratic sons of light, who allow only those whom they want to voice their opinions. And they will also, as a rule, be willing to die for our right to think like them.

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