18 Friday, July 30, 1982 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS American News Media and Israel: Growing Danger By PETER E. GOODMAN Director, Americans for a Safe Israel A phenomenon that has FACIAL HAIR PERMANENTLY REMOVED Eyebrows, Neckline, Arms Recommended by Physicians FREE CONSULTATION SHIRLEY PERSIN Registered Electrologist ADVANCE BUILDING 23077 GREENFIELD, Room 260 Near Northland & Providence Hospital PHONE 557-1108 Over 20 Years Experience 4111P- been apparent to many ob- servers was brought into sharp relief after the Israeli incursion into Lebanon last month: the media is at war with Israel, and truth and objectivity have little place in this war. For much of the media, especially network TV, the motto seems to have be- come, "lets not confuse our viewers with facts." Thus, NBC is able to announce that Israel has broken its pledge to negotiate with the PLO should it recognize Is- rael (no such pledge or House Cleaning Is Our Business We Have To Be Good Insured - Supervision - Pick-up and Delivery Call SUBURBAN MAID SERVICE at 543-1876 for Specials NHERE ELSE? I lour Sign of Value tor Sales Service Custom Leasing ROLLS Buick Honda ROYCE 28585 Telegraph Rd. Across From Tel-Twelve Mall Southfield, Mich. (313)353-1300 recognition have ever been given), the PLO's stand in Beirut is compared to the Warsaw Ghetto and Helen Thomas of UPI compares the Israeli action to the Soviet invasion of Af- ghanistan. The PLO and Syrians at- tempting to destroy the Jewish state for decades while killing, wounding and displacing hundreds of thousands of Lebanese have become innocent, peaceful victims. The Washington Post accuses Israel of exces- sive brutality, of "lord- ing" it over Syria, of de- stroying the Palestinians and obstructing justice for the Palestinians in the West Bank. For every ar- ticle supporting Israel on the op-ed pages of the Post or the New York Times, a half-dozen or more appear attacking Israel and its policies, often using language re- served only for the vilest mass murderers. ABC's "Nightline" pre- sents a panegyric to the PLO, citing past examples of U.S.-PLO "cooperation," including PLO efforts to negotiate the Iranian hos- tage situation. Since there is ample evidence that the PLO was involved in the embassy takeover, trained the Iranian 'students' and often calls the U.S. a bigger enemy than Israel, ABC's Orwellian and mendacious newscasting reaches new lows. ABC, NBC and CBS run picture aftet picture of refu- gees and dead Bodies. They announce as fact grossly- exaggerated and false casu- alty figures given to them by the PLO. (In the area where the media reported 600,000 refugees, there were only 500,000 inhabi- tants, the overwhelming Ameaminumw ' S. Awn...1Mo nAssonag 110,'ii11101.00.....8.1. 111111.1101MMORont OF 6REATSR. Demon- ewe ES774147ES Can Cut Your Air Conditioning Costs Up To 50% with Detroit Edison's New Interruptible Air Conditioning Metering 3 9 - 5 1 00 Sid Feldman and Stuart Weisblatt majority of whom stayed in their homes). While pictures of rubble are dramatic, it is hardly an excuse for ignoring the sa- lient factors of the war: • That thousands of refugees are streaming back to southern Leba- non after being driven from their homes by the PLO; • That civilian casual- ties are due to the PLO's placing arms and men in built up areas, thus inviting civilian losses; • That the Israeli army deliberately increased its own losses in order to spare civilians; • That the PLO held civi- lian populations hostage by seizing their children and often killing them. (Israeli soldiers report finding de- capitated children and chil- dren with bullets .through their heads.) • That there has been a seven-year war against the Lebanese by the PLO and Syrians, with 100,000 re- ported killed; • That the PLO and Syrians have massacred countless thousands of Christian and Moslem (In the Lebanese Nabatiye area, populated predominantly by Shiite Moslems, out of a popula- tion of 70,000 some 7,000 Lebanese were killed by the PLO and another 35,00 made homeless, ac- cording to the Jerusalem Post); • That Israel is being hailed as a liberator by both Christian and Moslem Lebanese; • That the Israelis found enough Soviet weapons to arm hundreds of thousands of men, the implications of which are staggering; • That PLO documents captured by Israel added more proof of the PLO- Soviet terror connection, PLO plans to wipe out Is- raeli towns and deliberate PLO tactics of using civi- lians as cover. Some of this information appeared in the print media, though not in the proportion it deserved. The electronic media has almost totally ignored it. When . Rep. Charles Wilson of Texas, the first congressman to visit Lebanon since the recent round of fighting began, held a news converence and related that the Lebanese are calling the Israelis liberators, none of the networks and al- most none of the News- papers carried this most significant story. If he had announced that the Israelis were oppressors, the story would have been flashed all over the world. Similarly, when Dory Chamoun, son of the former president of Lebanon. Camille Chamoun, told a news conference in New York that military action was the only way to free Lebanon of the PLO and Syria, the media generally ignored this significant statement. But almost wing intellectuals to whom every person who attacks Israel (and America) is the Israel, whether it be the imperialist enemy. George wife of the Saudi Arabian Will recently wrote in News ambassador or an obscure week that the anti-Israel Reform rabbi, is given head- hatred on the left is "thick and rank enough to be sliced line coverage. This biased selectivity and sold as Limburger should cone as no surprise to cheese." However, when it anyone. For years, the comes to Israel, there are Washington Post and most also many conservative of the media has censured journalists equally a-- from the news the repeated biased as their colleagu' statements by PLO leaders on their left. While these reasons are that in conformity with their charter they would ac- certainly contributing fac- cept no solution short of Is- tors, they do not add up to a rael's liquidation. Instead, whole. There is a missing the Post and others have factor. A clue to this factor promoted the fiction that a was provided by Elie Wiesel West Bank Palestinian when he wrote after the state (which the PLO rejects Six-Day War that the image as a solution) would provide of Israel had changed. The Jew was no longer the Arab-Israel solution. However, the scope of the down on his knees. The imbalance and distortions victim suddenly became during the recent round of the victor, and this the fighting in Lebanon has world was not prepared to accept. "A Jew trium- been disquieting. There have been a lot of phant over death." wrote explanations offered re- Wiesel. "An intolerable garding the nature of the thought." media's bias. Some of these Accepting the Jew only as suggested reasons include: a victim is a form of anti- • Arab money buys Semitism. When a double think standard is applied to the businessmen, tanks, leading PR and ad Jewish nation, it raises agencies and much of the anti-Semitism from the per- government and thereby sonal to the national level some journalists, news- as Commentary editor papers, radio and TV sta- Norman Podhoretz pointed tions; , out. • Journalists in Lebanon It is not only non-Jews who have criticized the Sy- who refuse to accept the Jew rians have been shot. Fear as victor; this phenomenon can encourage built-in prej- applies equally to Jewish udices and discourage objec- journalists such as Anthony tivity. (One wonders why Lewis of the New York ABC has produced only Times and Richard Cohen of anti-Israel material — the Washington Post, "20/20," "Fortress Israel" — Jewish intellectuals such as since being visited by a Norman Glazer and delegation from the Arab- Seymour Mart i n Lipset and American University that minority of Jewish Graduates, the American- "leaders" such as Philip Arab Anti-Discrimination Klutznik and Arthur Committee and the Pales- Hertzberg. tine Congress.) These people spend an in- • Israel is an open society ordinate amount of time where all kinds of criticism worrying about Israel's of the Israeli government "soul," and less time about are available to journalists, the powerful forces seeking and criticizing the Israeli to deligitimize and elimi- government does not im- nate the Jewish state. They pede future access to news refuse to accept, as Will and interviews. This is not wrote, that Israel cannot true in the Arab countries always be an Athens but where only official govern- must sometimes act like ment statements can be ob- Sparta in order to survive. tained and journalists do I would suggest that not want to offend their newscasters, journalists, hosts and endanger their editorial and op-ed positions. This, however, does not writers examine their explain why the networks motives as they continue become so irate when Israel to provide to the Ameri- applies some minor censor- can public falsehoods, ship, and there is not a peep tendentious omissions, out of them when the Sy- double standards, half- rians close off Hamah truths, careful selectivity - (25,000 killed), and the and bias against the stal British do not allow any of Israel. foreign journalists into the Falklands. Paris March Nor does it explain why these journalists sud- for Solidarity PARIS (JTA) — Some denly lose their ability to discriminate between 2,000 Moroccan and Pales- fact and fiction and ig- tinian students held a nore important facts Palestinian solidarity which would support the march in downtown Casab- lanca last week, according Israeli position. • Israel's information to Le Monde. The paper said service needs improvement. police dispersed the demon- True, but this does not ex- strators who chanted plain the media's tendenti- against the Arab "de- featists" who, they said, are ous selectivity. • The disproportionate prepared to give in to Israeli power in the media of left demands.