You've heard it here many times: speak out as you can, write letters to the editor, write to elected representatives, call in to talk shows, speak to friends and associates. Do what you can to set the record straight on behalf of Israel.
Today I attended an all-day conference sponsored by Honest Reporting called "Reclaiming the Narrative." Focusing on several approaches and several aspects of the problems we deal with, it delivered that same message: Do what you can, what is comfortable for you, but don't sit still -- speak out for Israel.
Some highlights of the day: Award-winning British journalist Melanie Philips (see her blog at: http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/ ) spoke first.
Progressivism, she told us, has replaced facts with ideology and moral relativism. They have embraced a whole lot of "isms" and have a utopian ideological fixation. Members of the intelligentsia, who are supposed to be the defenders of reason, have become the destroyers of reason.
European anti-Zionists actually believe that Palestine belongs to indigenous Arabs and that European Jews displaced them after the Holocaust. They feel guilt for their role in this perceived scenario, and will be relieved if Israel and the Palestinian Arabs make peace. They cannot allow Israel to be the victim.
We cannot fight irrationality with reason, says Phillips, and so a whole new approach is needed. Not arguing, not simply doing education: but defeating the bigots instead of fighting on their battleground. It's time to go on the offensive with a new narrative. Israel, for example, should not be sucked into discussion regarding a two-state solution.
As we'll see, this theme of a new approach was reiterated several times during the day.
Lastly, Phillips suggested that reputation is extremely significant to people in the public world -- this includes journalists and educators. Sometimes it's possible to shred their reputation by showing via the evidence that what they've said is simply wrong.
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Danny Seaman, who was until recently Director of the Government Press Office (see his significant interview in the JPost, which I carried last month, here: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Editorials/Article.aspx?id=194079 ).
Never apologize for Israeli self-defense, he advised. Right is on our side: the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. Be secure that your narrative is correct.
The Israeli government "gets it," he maintains, but doesn't have "the balls" to act. There is a bureaucratic mindset that says we shouldn't make waves and that conventional thinking should not be crossed.
There has been an Israeli mindset of defeatism: We have stopped talking about our rights and have instead lent credibility to the Palestinian Arab cause, When mention is made of the Palestinian Arab narrative it sends the wrong message.
Language is important and this is a battle we've lost -- with reference to "settlements," "the West Bank," etc.
Political views that were defeated by the public in the election are still given disproportionate voice in Israeli media.
Seaman is interested in seeing legal action brought when there is falsification of facts via the abuse of images: this should be considered media fraud that makes the perpetrator liable to criminal charges.
(See the Honest Reporting website -- http://honestreporting.com/ -- home page, for a three part special report called "Shattered Lens," on how images are misused, not doctored but framed in a way that misrepresents. E.g. "How the wire services use bars in their images to promote the Palestinian narrative of suffering and the impression of Palestinians as 'prisoners' of Israeli brutality.")
Lastly, and very importantly, Seaman says, "we have a moral obligation to never be silent."
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Neil Lazarus, advocacy trainer (and actually a very funny man), provided a good deal of professional advice about how to market the Israeli position -- for that is what we must do: Not just provide facts, but market.
Speak to your audience, he advises. Know whom you're speaking to and choose your language accordingly.
Some of his major points with regard to taking on falsehoods and misrepresentations about Israel -- winning an argument:
[] Show the contradiction between the persons values and belief system. "How can you support Hamas and be a feminist?"
[] Devalue a statement or question. "Let's move away from rhetoric and look at facts on the ground." "It's more complicated than this." "I would be very disturbed if some of the things being reported were really true."
[] Reframe. "That's not the issue, the issue is..."
Then, of course, you must have your facts and know how to deliver your message.
Other points:
[] The liberal perspective has become anti-Israel. Human rights is used in service of this agenda. Instead of attacking, show empathy. It gives you credibility. Be more politically correct than the speaker and take him/her off guard.
"You think Gaza is bad, I think it's appalling. We have to reach the point where it's better."
"I would be the first one to take a brick out of the security fence -- it's offensive, but until we have a partner for peace..."
"We know Palestinian lives are not as good as we would wish. But what prevents them from being better? The Palestinians who won't make peace."
[] Use the issue of extreme force.
"You say that Israel uses disproportionate force? It's true that I'm proud of it. We make phone calls to civilians before we attack. You want proportional force? Next time rockets are shot at civilian areas of Israel, we'll shoot rockets at civilian areas of Gaza."
[] Use "alleged" when being attacked.
"As to the alleged force that Israel uses."
It's not enough to be right -- have to be able to express it. Use packaging in language of the audience that touches their feelings, and resonates. Use words like "future," "peace," "hope," "children." They win arguments.
"Of course we all have hopes for the future that our children can live in peace." Also "freedom," values," "change," "decency," "opportunity."
See http://www.honestreporting.com/a/digitaldiplomats/html/intro.html for a six part digital diplomats course by Neil Lazarus that will teach you how to help Israel via the Internet.
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Elliot Chodoff, an IDF (res) military analyst, presented "Fighting Terrorism is not Photogenic."
Some of Chodoff's major points:
A preventative policy that succeeds will always be condemned: The standing building that was not hit is not a story. Stopping the terrorist becomes the story.
Media -- which are in the business of earning money -- want to offer consistency, entertainment, and then news (as sensational as possible). The people reporting are mainly ignorant and unprofessional.
Reporting is done in the present tense without context or perspective. Terms commonly applied are:
"breaking news"
disproportionate
massive
cycle of violence
At a certain point it becomes pornographic -- designed just to arouse emotions.
Even when a viewer intellectually knows better, it is almost impossible to correct a visual illusion, which hangs on.
Sometimes journalists are just ignorant of the facts. Example: In the Lebanon War, a Palestinian photographer, in the process of photographing an Israeli tank at some distance away was shot and killed by the Israelis. Reuters, who had employed him, was enraged and spoke at length about allowing journalists to do their jobs, etc. However, the fact is that the shoulder-held long distance camera the photographer was aiming at the tank had the same appearance as a shoulder-held anti-tank missile launcher. The Israelis in the tank thought they were about to be blown away.
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Lastly, a few brief pointers from Joe Hyams, CEO of HonestReporting:
You cannot afford to get it wrong. It destroys credibility. If you can't win, don't try.
Defenders of Israel are losing not on substance but delivery. Keep it short. Distill complex points. Get into feelings.
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© Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner, functioning as an independent journalist. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
see my website www.ArlenefromIsrael.info
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