Power and Influence

Musings #127
June 23-8, 2005
16th to 21st of Sivan

Power and Influence

When I was growing up, the feeling was that if you wanted to "change the world" have power and influence; you'd go into politics. President Kennedy's motivating speeches are quoted to this day.

Fortunately or unfortunately, things have changed. This week an enormous tragedy, a terror attack that challenges the imagination, was, thank the Good Lord, prevented. An Arab, one of the lucky ones from Gaza, a patient in the Israeli hospital, Soroka, prepared for her check-up by strapping explosives to her body. The same body that Israeli doctors had labored to heal was going to be used as a murder weapon to murder her doctors, nurses, and fellow patients and to destroy part of the hospital itself. The Soroka Hospital, in the Southern city of Beersheba, treats both Jewish and Arab patients, and its staff is also integrated. One of the Arab doctors who works there wrote a very moving article against such terror in the hospital he considers a home.

This horrendous, unthinkable for normal minds, plan was barely mentioned in the international press. Via the Internet, I'm in touch with concerned people of all religions, and we are all surprised and disappointed by the lack of press coverage. The media has no problems magnifying and saturating the airwaves with anything that may be considered a fault of Israel, but to expose the immoral Arab terror is considered so much less important.

Everyone remembers the little Arab boy photographed next to his father in the crossfire of Arab and Israeli bullets. Israel was roundly condemned all over the world press and diplomatic world for his death, though extensive ballistic tests proved beyond a doubt that Arabs killed him. If there was a "clarification" it was hidden in the back pages and certainly the TV and radio didn't publicize corrections.

My family has had a lot of experience with the international media as residents of Shiloh. Journalists call us with requests that sound like they're ordering from a Chinese restaurant. "Can you find us an American immigrant living in the Hebron area and a native Israeli near Tel Aviv?" When queried about the stereotypes, we've been told that the editor ordered a specific article, and the reporter has to find people "to fit the bill." Meaning that the true situation, like a "native Israeli" descended from Jewish residents murdered in the Hebron Massacre of 1929 and an American immigrant living near Tel Aviv wouldn't convey the message the editor desires. Truth is what the editors want it to be. Apparently this phenomena isn't exclusive to Israel.

Here in Israel we're constantly warned of the dangers of "the extreme right wing," and any Arab injured is described as "innocent of guilt," a phrase never used to describe Jewish victims of Arab terror. Yesterday's simple 15 minute Stop a Moment to Think Again Protest was heralded with warnings from the media that the demonstration was irresponsible and will certainly cause death.

Tens of thousands of vehicles and at least 200,000 pedestrians lined various roads throughout the country in one of the simplest and calmest demonstrations imaginable. I participated in Jerusalem standing near the Israeli Supreme Court with hundreds of others of all ages and backgrounds. Almost everyone wore something orange and some waved Israeli flags. Passing cars tapped out the "we support you" beep. And then after a short time, as planned, we all returned to our everyday lives.

Last but most important. The big mystery: why in the world did Arik Sharon declare the Disengagement policy? According to a recently published book, Boomerang, it was Ariel Sharon's attempt to escape punishment for corruption.

In addition more and more proof of media manipulation have been revealed. A decision was made by the Israeli media to "coddle and protect" Ariel Sharon in order to promote Disengagement. Instead of honestly reporting the news, the media campaigns for its favorite issues, trying to influence the trusting public and in some cases, even orchestrates events to suit its agenda.

The Arutz 7 station was closed down and is now only available via phone and internet. It was closed down in order to prevent the public from hearing the truth. Today, thank G-d, some of us at least have the option of the internet and blogs as an alternative news source.

So if you want to change the world, forget politics. True power is in front of the camera and tapping the keys. It's up to all of us to tell the truth and not to believe everything we see and hear.

Remember the old saying:

"Everything's true in the newspaper, except for the things you know about personally."

Batya Medad, Shiloh
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