Is there anything the rest of the world can do to calm things down, or are these spreading riots in Arab North Africa like some virus that must run their course?
Here's a media darling used to promote the idea that the protesters want a better life.
Most pundits can't accept that these spreading riots won't give the citizens of those countries a better life. U.S. President Obama and U.K. Prime Minister Cameron are among those in la la land, because they refuse to recognize the true situation.
Rioters/demonstrators chosen to appear in the international media are chosen to portray the image, the agenda, that the media wants us to see. Everything is scripted. They are casting directors, like in the movies. They provide professional image-making.
Years ago, when we were frequently featured in the international press and media as typical "settlers," I finally realized why. It wasn't that we were the most eloquent, intelligent, photogenic or that the reporters liked my cooking. It was because the international media liked to show that Jewish residents of Judea and Samara (and then Gush Katif, too) are foreigners, immigrant Israelis, new-comers, not native to the region. They didn't want Israelis whose English had been taught in Israeli schools.
One time we were asked to help the "casting director" find a Right wing immigrant Israeli from the Hebron area and a native Leftist Israeli from a kibbutz. So I have no doubts that everyone you see peacefully demonstrating in those Arab cities were very carefully chosen and probably prompted, rehearsed and well-edited. No, nobody ever gave me a script to read, but my words were edited to suit the agenda of the media.
4 comments:
Shalom!
"It was because the international media liked to show that Jewish residents of Judea and Samara (and then Gush Katif, too) are foreigners, immigrant Israelis, new-comers, not native to the region. They didn't want Israelis whose English had been taught in Israeli schools."
You've made two points here which shouldn't be confused. In reverse order: 1) The media doesn't want to deal with people who speak lousy English. 2) If the media portrays the residents of YeshA as outsiders, that weakens Israel's claim to her land in the eyes of most of the people consuming the news.
The foreign media doesn't mind Israeli accents from Tel Aviv.
Shalom!
Accents are quaint, lousy English isn't. Do they find Tel Avivians who speak well? If not mistaking your intent, you're stressing the fact that Sabras in Tel Aviv suit the image that the foreign media wants whereas Sabras in the "territories" are problematic.
Hadassa, I'm sure you also have plenty of Israel-raised neighbors who speak excellent English, just like the native Israeli Leftists frequently interviewed by the foreign press. Repeatedly choosing anglo immigrants just perpetuates/creates an image that we're foreigners to the region.
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