Hamas War

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Sorry, But Sarcasm Is a Bad Tool in The Information War

It's headline news in Israel that the Israeli Government has prepared a sarcastic letter to greet the international anti-Israel/Semitic faux peace but true anarchists who are arriving in Israel to support the murderous Arab terrorists.

Too many people think it's wonderful and clever, but using sarcasm is one of my main "no no's" when I give my advice/course in hasbara, the art and science of being an effective spokesperson.
Pro-Palestinian activists arriving Sunday at Ben-Gurion Airport as part of the anti- Israel fly-in dubbed the “flytilla” will be greeted with a sarcastic letter noting that while they could have chosen to protest the brutality in Syria, Iran and Gaza, they opted instead to protest against the “Middle East’s sole democracy.”
“Dear activist,” starts the letter that will be translated into a number of different languages for the participants in an event formally being called “Welcome to Palestine.”
“We appreciate your choosing to make Israel the object of your humanitarian concerns,” the letter continues.
“We know there were many other worthy choices.”
With people as religiously scrupulous in the belief and observance of Leftist Liberal (note the capital "L") dogma, you can't expect them to see the humor  or inconsistency or hypocrisy or illogic in their beliefs and actions.  They are chareidi-Leftists who pride themselves on their unstinting support for Arabs versus Israeli Jews and their creative excuses for overriding logic and facts.

The only sort of therapy, or deprogramming would have to be physical, such as their being mistaken for Jews and attacked so seriously that the physical scars would be permanent.  Even though, in all honesty, I think they'd still blame it on the Jews for creating a situation that caused the Arabs to feel so "desperate."

About twenty-five years ago, or more, early into the intifada, which I consider one long internationally supported terror action against Jews in the HolyLand, a neighbor and I were being interviewed in my house by a female Danish reporter.  I can still picture us at the dining room table trying our best to answer her questions.  The reporter was obviously subjective in her feelings, beliefs, ideology, politics.  At one point she said:
"The Arabs stone the Jews in order to get the world's sympathy."
"Do you mean that if we stoned the Arabs we'd get the world's sympathy?" I quickly replied.
She looked at me with horror and my neighbor looked under the table for a quick escape.  She didn't see the irony or idiocy in her statement nor the sarcasm in mine.  There's nothing we can do to get the world's sympathy in the true sense of caring about us and our future. 

As I've said many times, the world would be very happy to build memorials or annexes to the Holocaust memorials for the fall and destruction of the State of Israel, G-d forbid.  And no doubt, they'd put the blame on us for taking over "Palestine."  And if G-d forbid such a tragedy would happen,  there's no doubt that within a generation the Land here, the HolyLand would revert to the pre-Zionist desolation. Because it is only fruitful when cultivated by its true owners, the Jewish People.

8 comments:

דניאל פידלמן said...

מהיר לי יותר לכתוב בעברית, אז זה מה שאעשה. במציאות בה מרבית מלחמת המידע נערכת באינטרנט, אני חושב שערכו של הסרקזם עלה בעידן האינטרנט. קיימת שכבה ברשת שתקלוט ותפיץ דברים משעשעים דווקא ואף תמשיך את ההומור שבהם. לשכת ביבי מאד ערה לדברים האלה, והוא לא חושש לשים את עצמו ללעג בשביל לחדור לסדר היום ולרככו. נראה לי שבצדק.

אם כבר, אז לדעתי להפך - המתחיל במצווה אומרים לו גמור, ושבירת הסרקזם באמצע ממש לא לעניין. איזו מן לשכה זו שלא מסוגלת להחזיק סרקזם יותר מארבע פסקאות. כלומר אם יש "אנחנו מודים שבחרתם" ברישא, העסק לא צריך להסתיים ב"אנחנו מציעים לבחור במשהו אחר".
אני הייתי הולך לכיוון "אנו גאים בתנאים שנספק לכם במאבק למען הצדק הקוסמי, תנאים העולים לאין שיעור על מתחרינו ומקווים שתבחרו בנו כיעד אקטיביסטי גם בשנה הבאה. נוחיותכם ובטחונכם חשובים לנו מאד".

Hanajash said...

I'm one of that persons who think that the letter is a good idea or at least, not a bad one...

But I have to agree with you, when you say that those fanatics won't get it. Fanatics (specifically when they're fans of hate) have no sense of humour. Nothing we say or do will convince them that we're trying our best to make peace with our neighbours.

But I think the letter is not just adressed to them. Or not only to them. The world will know its content. Some people are intelligent and they will get the hint:

'The world thinks we are a terrorist state. Will a terrorist state welcome their hate-fans with a welcome letter and send them back safely to their countries?'

If they don't get it, well, then my faith in Humanity will be completely over.

I'm totally with you concerning the idea that the world will be happy to have a memorial to the State of Israel. Of course they want it. If we're strong and free, they can't pitty us. And weak people need to pitty others, so they can feel stronger than they are.

Thanks for reading, I'll take a tour reading the rest of your blog.

Rajel (Argentina)

Saul Mashbaum said...

No doubt there are plenty of clueless people who won't get it, but there is no doubt a very large proportion of those who read the letter who will. I think the sublety of sarcasm will appeal to lots of people - not the clowns who are
part of the protest, but more neutral parts of the public who read the letter, which has predictably been flying around the internet. I davka think sacrasm may be a useful tool, when used well, as I believe has been done here. We should be using all the tools at our disposal.

Batya said...

ד"פ, Saul, Rajel, the letter, re-written for stand-up comedy at public events all over the world for people of mixed politics can be effective. But it's a total waste on these rabid Leftists.

Hadassa said...

Shalom!
I reread the letter. I noticed that some parts of the letter are absolutely true and others are completely tongue in cheek. Isn't that worse than a totally sarcastic letter?

Batya said...

Hadassa, it just shows the lack of professionalism and maturity of the writers.
It's just too childish, as usual.

calev dan said...

who let these bustards into the country?
and why?
in vladimir lenin's words "there is no better way for a nation seeking self-distraction than to establish democracy"

Batya said...

Calev, Israel tries too hard to be an open democratic country.