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LIMITS OF FAIRNESS from page 32

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major broadcast and cable networks as
they cover what Cable News Network
calls "America's New War." And view-
ing on-air personalities wearing flag
pins (as they do on Fox News) makes
the Vietnam War seem a couple of
hundred years ago.
Print journalism, too, has reflected
the popular spirit of support for
President George W. Bush and the war
on terrorism. Excesses, such as the
front-page headline of the tabloid
Philadelphia Daily News on Sept. 12,
which screamed "Blood for Blood" in
a cry for revenge, are rare. Even the
most staid broadsheet dailies have
exhibited signs of patriotism both in
their news coverage and in their edito-
rials.
Tabloid hysteria notwithstanding,
there is nothing particularly wrong
with all of this. Journalists are sup-
posed to be impartial, but when faced
with evil — such as the Sept. 11
attacks — honest men and women are
obligated to call it by its right name,
not obfuscate and refer to it with a
fake objectivity.

Differing Perspectives

While most viewers and readers find
this brand of patriotic journalism
enjoyable, many media critics think it
is terrible. They warn us that with this
rah-rah coverage, the media may be
abandoning its role as the watchdog of
the government.
They worry that if this trend persists,
accounts of the American counterat-
tack on Osama bin Laden and other
terrorists will be even less impartial
than the media coverage of the Persian
Gulf War was in 1991. They note,
with justice, that coverage of that war
was notable for its lack of objectivity
about Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, as
well as for the adoring views of the
military and its hardware that were
portrayed on American television.
News that reflected an unquestion-
ing belief in the wisdom of our leaders
would be a travesty, as well as be bad
for democracy. But to expect a popular

that shame appears to be their chagrin
medium such as television or newspa-
at having to live with a sovereign
pers to be completely objective about
Jewish
state, not human-rights abuses.
Sept. 11 or a Saddam Hussein is as
unrealistic as it is absurd.
Thus, reports on the World Trade
Standard For Israel
Center and Pentagon attacks — in
When Israel retaliates against the ter-
even the best of newspapers — are
rorists or attempts to pre-empt further
bound to demonstrate little sympathy
attacks, the American media offer little
for the terrorists and their objectives.
sympathy. Whereas America's "war"
As much as American journalists pride
against terror is reported as a justified
themselves on their fairness, there is
act of self-defense, Israel's countermea-
little effort being made to be fair to
sures are generally portrayed as just
Osama bin Laden and his cohorts or
another part of "the cycle of violence."
their Taliban pals.
While editorialists, as well as the
All of this leads me to some interest-
U.S. secretary of state, routinely warn
ing conclusions about another instance
Israel's leaders to act with "restraint"
where there is a debate about the lack
of objectivity in the media: coverage of against people who not only murder
civilians but wish to destroy Israel as a
the Middle East. Most friends of Israel
nation, similar cries for American
have long perceived what they believe
is a bias in the American media against restraint against our enemies are
restricted to marginal voices on the far
the Jewish state.
left.
Despite a decade of concessions
In short, the American media is
made by the Israelis to the
uninterested in being "fair" to bin
Palestinians, the peace process has col-
Laden, but generally wants to be "fair"
lapsed. In return for these Israeli con-
to Yasser Arafat's Fatah, Islamic Jihad
cessions that have empowered the
and Hamas. U.S. journalists are very
Palestine Liberation Organization and
"subjective" about American terror vic-
its repellent leader, Yasser Arafat, the
tims and judgmental about those
Palestinians have responded with a
responsible. But they are remarkably
campaign of bloody terrorism.
"objective" when it comes to reporting
Deadly sniper attacks on Jewish
on those who commit similar crimes
motorists are so common that they are
against Israel. This basic fact accounts
no longer big news even in Israel.
for much of the frustration experi-
Suicide bombings by Islamic funda-
enced by friends of Israel when reading
mentalists in Israeli cities and towns
or viewing news of the Middle East.
have maimed and murdered Jewish
The point here is that terrorism is an
civilians much like the victims of the
unspeakable
crime, whether it is the
twin towers and the Pentagon.
murder of workers in American office
But unlike the harsh treatment
buildings or mothers and children at
afforded bin Laden's gang in the
an Israeli pizza parlor. The Islamic fun-
Western press, Palestinian terrorists
damentalists who committed both
have received much more sympathetic
crimes have similar aims, but they are
coverage.
not treated the same by the media.
Pictures of the Palestinian bombers'
Journalists who pride themselves on
tearful-though-proud families are regu-
their fairness know very well that there
larly shown in American newspapers.
are limits to how fair they are prepared
Profiles of these killers, replete with
to be toward murdering fiends. But
rationalizations about Palestinian
until they portray those who shed
grievances against Israel, are common-
place. The notion that Palestinians suf- Israeli blood with the same contempt
as display toward those who kill
fer "humiliation" at the hands of
Americans,
the media will be vulnera-
Israelis is virtually a cliche of modern
ble to charges of bias against Israel. Li
journalism, though the main source of

NEGOTIATING WITH TERRORISTS from page 31

In our current assessment of who
is with us and who is against us,
must we really go begging for quali-
fied answers from governments such
as these?
By some measures, Israel is the
United States' closest ally. It is the

only country in the Middle East that
shares our moral and democratic val-
ues — the very ones now under attack
by radical Islam. So it is unfortunate
that our administration's latest tact
runs contrary to Israel's interests. But
at the end of the day, America must do

what is in America's best interests.
So we must ask ourselves this: Do
we indeed fortify ourselves against ter-
ror by discarding the conviction that
terrorism is unacceptable, and by pur-
chasing "allies" as the price of this
principle?

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