22 Friday, anuary 1, 1983 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS U.S. Media Held Hostage by PLO Anti-Semitism , (Coxittigeli from Page 1) who a-idf 'that Arab babies dying "is almost a daily occurrence." ABC's Tom Jarriel also cited mysteriously high in- fant mortality figures and, not surprisingly, quoted "Palestinian doctors" but gave no evidence to bolster his claim. -- The murder of West Bank infants is a "sensa- tional'? construction but one so easily demolished by checking WHO figures or other hospitals, Arab or Israeli, that one is left wondering at the pur- pose of ABC's charges. One might charitably attribute this "story to gul- libility and it is not difficult to substantiate the premise that Moslems in Ramallah or Teheran or Beirut have become quite skilled in ma- nipulating American TV "journalists." For months during the hostage crisis, highly-paid "anchormen" revealed an insatiable appetite for views of peas- ants howling on demand at the U.S. Embassy before slinking back to their hovels when the cameras were gone. BILL MEYER MUSIC- 355-2721 PEOPLE'S CHOICE 459-7287 INNO- VATIONS 589-2478 440- tviafttul P*1140441 f• artenttal 4trva ftfrful 40444‘ Wm, a FPrordam - putt:, art , dond Ittanteritre„ er 4ch " . tongs) •-• ow-tamp ,tn i g ei tsfejti ttmitad advance. relt*anitton., be Call 544.1877. brochur4.; : .--- A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A• A A . A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A SPACE•PLANNING INTERIOR•DESIGN COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A ARCHITECTONICS 139 W. MAPLE • SUITE H BIRMINGHAM, MI 48010 (313) 540* 6769 A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A Yasir Arafat, a master of the "howling Moslem" bit, has progressively used adult Moslems, West Bank teenagers and was later re- duced to posing for TV, slobbering all over a de- fenseless Beirut infant trapped in his arms. The U.S. press offers abundant evidence that it is a "set-up" for pseudo- authorities and others with prejudices so blatant as to disqualify them for any serious discussion. Uri Av- neri, for one, is brought on camera again and again, his words being recorded reve- rently. Avneri is usually intro- duced as a former member of the Knesset. What is never revealed is that he is a publisher of pornography, is re- garded with scant re- spect and is about as representative of the Is- raelis as Helmut Schmidt. Former Undersecretary of State George Ball is an- other regular who can al- ways be counted upon to ex- press his malevolence in a dignified, articulate man- ner. Of late, he has extended his rancor to American Jews, charging them on ABC's "Nightline" with putting their own country's views second to those ofrIs- rael. That two standards of press coverage exist, one for Israel and another for Arabs, seems obvious. The killing of Lebanese civilians by the PLO and Syria has gone on for years but has been largely unreported — principally because of PLO intimidation. Last year, the PLO arrested five American newsmen (two from the New York Times) in Leba- non, an incident which was concealed by the Times from its readers. It required two charges by the Israel Government A A A A A A A A A Press Office of yielding to since the early 1970s, the even close to matching its intimidation before the PLO has avoided and con- pejoratives and its long re- Times explained that it only demned terror." cord of hostility to Israel. Its reports difficulties "by its To "plug" its book, the use of innuendo is unsur- correspondents in pursuit o f Times used excerpts on its passed. It once called upon stories when the difficulties Op-Ed page which were lit- its readers to "ponder the become news." tle more than anti-Zionist significance of the fact that This may be welcomed diatribes. In the first two of Begin rhymes with Fagan." as a standard of sorts but these extracts, the Times, One outraged reader coun- it is, nonetheless, difficult which more than any other tered that one should, to reconcile with the newspaper protests its dedi- rather, "ponder the signifi- lengthy article by Yous- cation to lofty principles, cance of the fact that Time sef Ibrahim, a Times re- identified its author as a fa- rhymes with slime." porter (May 29, 1979) on culty member at Columbia But why, it may be asked, how he had been de- but carefully omitted his does the U.S. press cling to a tained by Israeli guards connection with the PLO. In standard so obviously while crossing the Al- a subsequent article, the shabby, while heatedly de- lenby Bridge from Jor- terrorist connection was nying any lack of profes- dan. One might conclude noted — but only after sionalism? Why was the full that the nationality of many protests to the Times. account of PLO atrocities in those making the arrest is After a long hiatus, it southern Lebanon for years a prime consideration once more published an (surely an important story) with Times editors. Op-Ed (Sept. 29, 1982) by not published until after the The PLO has few better Said and, again, carefully Israelis had driven them friends in the U.S. than the omitted his PLO connec- out? Why was the documen- Times, which regularly car- tion. tation of Lieut. Gen. ries the harangues of its The Washington Post William Callaghan of the spokesmen and apologists. seems to apply similar con- UN on the PLO's "murder- When students at Bir Zeit siderations. On May 3, it ous attacks" on the on the West Bank began featured a report by Edward peacekeeping forces, "per- demonstrating a few years Cody from Hama, Syria, haps unprecedented in ago, Israeli charges that the on the killing of 5,000 civi- methodsand brutality du- university "students were lians and noted a govern- i ng peace-keeping opera- acting for the PLO were de- ment committee's estimate t ions" suppressed until por- nied. of about "20,000 orphans." t ions were released by the David K. Shipler, the On the following day, Cody I sraeli Mission to the UN. Times correspondent, wrote again filed from Damascus It seems credible that the often and sympathetically on another story and the s ilence of the media is not (at times, in almost poetical murder of 5,000 civilians unconnected with, quite fashion) of their struggle was quickly forgotten. imply, the fear of the PLO, and quoted their denials of Some 48 hours later, which murdered reporter terrorist influence. It took the Post editors were in Sean Patrick Toulan in Be- about two years for Mr. pursuit of the Israelis i rut in 1980 and another re- Shipler to finally concede with a five-column head- , p orter (in July 1981), Riad that Bir Zeit was indeed "a line for a story on one T aha, a Lebanese who had hotbed of Palestinian Arab woman killed by Is- t ried to arrange a memorial nationalism." raeli army gunshots dur- f or-murdered reporters and In Times editorials, PLO ing a Gaza riot. hotographers. terrorists are not referred to Although. the Post om- It was common knowl- as such but as "guerillas," budsman, Robert J. e dge that correspon- "commandos,' "fighters" McCloskey, denied on May d ents, to get any informa- and "soldiers." It is Prime 4 any "anti-Israel policy," ti on from the PLO, had to Minister Begin who is readers noted that the Post s tay at the Commodore called an "old terrorist"- had made a deliberate deci- Hotel in Beirut. Not as (James Reston) while Yasir sion not to report the result well known was the fact Arafat and Assad of Syria, of a poll, conducted by the t hat the "free U.S. press" as well as their financial Post and ABC News, which p aid a tax, as hostages, to backers in Saudi Arabia, found that "Americans, by 3 t he hotel, which was are termed "moderates." to 1, are more sympathetic d tinned by the terrorists Hussein of Jordan, who to Israel than the Arab f or $15,000 a month as murdered and expelled states . . . of those who know " protection money." thousands of Palestinians, what the PLO is, 75 percent No hint of this seamy side is called "cautious," his believe it 'a force for war o f U.S. journalism appeared "soft voice" is noted by An- rather than peace.' " n the media. Correspon- thony Lewis and he is asked More recently, the Post d ents recovered their cour- to speak out in his "kingly published ‘a "how-to" essay a ge only when it became voice." by Dan Morgan on "The c ertain that the PLO Those imaginative souls Next Steps in Isolating the p resence in Beirut was who refer to the press as Begin Government: What d oomed. Time (June 21) fi- "Jewish" or "Jewish- America Could Do to Con- n ally conceded that Beirut controlled" point to two tinue Tightening the c orrespondents "stick to- prime examples, the Wash- Screws." ether, do not go out at ington Post and the New To compensate for this n ight, and never photo- York Times. But a study of burst of not altogether dis- gr aph Syrian troops." It also their coverage might well interested enthusiasm, di vulged that Syrians "re- indicate some competitive- Benjamin Bradlee, execu- p ortedly" pistol-whipped ness as to which paper can tive editor of the Post, con- tw o photographers. denigrate the Israelis more ceding "tension between the The Israelis, who liber- effectively. Jewish community and the at ed southern Lebanon at For example, a tabula- Washington Post" invited gr eat cost, only to see the tion of 22 Times Op-Ed one local Jew to "watch to rrorists extolled as "fight- page articles, from the news operations" for one 'er s" and "soldiers," suffered start of the liberation of week. Presumably, the a U.S. press openly and al- Lebanon through June one-week observation m ost fanatically antagonis- 24, revealed only "two would convince Jews that, ti e. which were favorable, despite mountains of evi- Israeli blunders were three pollyannish and il- dence, it was churlish to co needed by reserve general logical and 17 distinctly even question the impar- A haron Yariv: "During the hostile to Israel." tiality of the Post. fir st two weeks, we lost val- The inability of the Times Incidentally, so great is ua ble time in competing to find contributors sym- the fear at the Post of wi th the version of the fight- pathetic to Israel is consis- Jews or "the Jewish in g and its aftermath put tent with its long term pol- lobby" that Bradlee ou t by the enemy, and in icy. Not too long ago, the warned in advance --- "if jo urnalism timing is of the Times published a book by he tries to lobby us, he's ut most significance." Edward Said, a member of out on his bottom." It is doubtful that the the Palestine National In the magazine field, Is raelis could have done Council, in which the startl- Time leads in animus — an ything to stem the tide ing assertion was made that with no other magazine Continued on Page 23) Ct .