m
inier
Editorials are posted and archived on JNOnline.com
Dry Bones
Israel: Free World Pillar
I
s Israel a partner in the enlightened world's war
against Islamist terrorism — or is it seen as
more of a burden than a bulwark in the battle?
It is disturbing that for some, the answer to this
question is not clear.
From Israel's restraint in the face of Scud missiles
hitting its cities during the 1991 Gulf War to the
downplaying of Israeli intelligence assistance in the
aftermath of the bombings in the heart of London,
Israel is held at arm's length so as not to inflame the
Arab world.
Such a policy seems more weak than wise. Not to
mention unsuccessful.
In spite of these distancing efforts, much of the
Arab and Muslim world clings to the belief that
alleged Jewish and Zionist control of the
United States and the international media
is behind every idea and action they find
problematic and threatening.
The claims by some leading Muslim clerics, politi-
cal leadership and media that the London bombings
(and before them 9-11) may have been carried out
by Israel's Mossad go hand-in-hand with the more
openly made argument that the American support
of Israel is a perversion of American values facilitat-
ed by Zionist subversion.
Thankfully, Israel is far from alone in understand-
ing the threat to the West posed by Islamism and
terrorism. It is just as inaccurate to say
that the West's fight against the
Islamists is on behalf of the Jews as it is
to say that support of Israel is at the
core of the Islamists fight against the
West. The references to "Crusaders" by
Al Qaida and Hamas leaders, in an
effort to rally their supporters against
Christians as well as Jews, should make
that clear to those who are listening.
But that doesn't mean that Israel
should be sidelined or American Jews
should shy away from working to de-
legitimize, inhibit and isolate Muslim
extremists just as we work to do the same
to extremists of every other
type, including our own. While
we need not stand alone to vig-
orously challenge such ideas,
neither should we stand to the side.
Talk of Israel as a Western bargaining
chip in the war against terror is
overblown. It plays into the hands of
those hoping to tear the U.S.-Israel
alliance apart, or who believe Jews can
never have any real allies. Likewise,
downplaying Israel's role as a partner in
the fight against Islamist ideology and
terrorism emboldens our shared ene-
mies and undercuts Israeli willingness
and ability to take "risks for peace" by
increasing those risks.
EDIT ORIAL
E-mail your opinion in a letter to the editor of no
more than 150 words to: letters@thejewishnews.com .
Shielded From News
I
n their efforts to resuscitate the reputation of
Richard Nixon, diehard conservatives have
redrawn the story of Watergate. In this ver-
sion, it is "Deep Throat" who is the villain.
If only Woodward and Bernstein had been
forced to cough up this source, they say, his
, "treachery" would have been revealed
and the Nixon presidency saved.
Wouldn't that have been just great? But
it's exactly what would happen in today's
legal climate.
So there is a degree of irony in the fact that it is
Karl Rove, a darling of the right, whose shirttail
was caught in the wringer by the lack of a federal
shield for journalists. To his credit, he did not
stand by and allow a Time magazine reporter go
to jail for contempt in refusing to name him as
his source. To his discredit, he talked too much to
advance his political agenda.
It is sobering for those of us who work in jour-
nalism to see reporters threatened with prison for
refusing to give up a source.
Reputable journalists don't use unnamed
sources to bamboozle the public or make things
WE HATE ISRAEL
BECAUSE ITS REBIRTH
FULFILLS CHRISTIAN
PROPHECY.
WE HATE THE
JEWISH STATE
BECAUSE
WE DON'T HATE
THE JEWISH STATE
BECAUSE WE'RE
ANTI-JEWISH
WE'RE ANTI-
CHRISTIAN'
www.mrdrybones.com
to have been turned inside out, with the
up. It is often the only way to get infor-
sports page out front and the news that
mation on misconduct in high places. It
matters printed wherever it can fit.
also is done far too often when it comes to
There is a rationale for this practice.
reporting about Washington, where delib-
Even
this splendid publication does it on
erate leaks and unnamed sources are its
occasion, and that is how it used to be on
lifeblood.
the
dailies, too. It had to be a big story, a
Many journalists want Congress to pass
very
big game, for sports to go on Page
a federal shield law. But I wonder how
One.
But things change.
much popular support there really is for
GEO RGE
Newsstand
sales are vital to the Detroit
that.
CAN TOR
which
has
no morning home deliv-
News,
There is widespread distrust of
minst
Colu
ery
during
the
week.
Internal surveys have
the mainstream media. It is per-
shown that these sales shoot up the day
ceived as having a political bias that
after a big sports event. So it has sports
seeps into its reporting and tilts the
leading
the paper at the slightest provocation.
news. People are not stupid. They see it and have
For the Free Press, it is a way of getting Mitch
turned away in massive numbers to get their news
Albom
out front. He is regarded, rightly or
from other sources —from Rush Limbaugh to the
wrongly,
as the franchise, the biggest circulation
wild-eyed legion of internet bloggers.
booster
the
paper has. The Freep even played a
Beyond that, however, is the way much of the
recent
Albom
column on a new Red Wings coach
media has trivialized itself. It is taken less serious-
above the next-day story on the London terrorist
ly than ever before and not seen as a basic pillar
bombings. That is beyond sad.
of freedom.
The end effect is that readers, even readers who
Local TV news is simply unwatchable; a reeking
follow
sports avidly, come to regard the dailies as
stew of crime, house fires, giggling anchors and
several
degrees less than serious. They can justifi-
seven-second sound bites. In desperate attempts
ably
ask
themselves, why add legal protection for
to win younger readers, magazines give more and
silliness
like
this?
more space to features on celebrities, pseudo-
Journalism
is still worthy of respect when it's
celebrities and aspiring celebrities whose only
done
right.
Maybe
that's just too hard nowadays. 11,1
serious flaw is an absence of talent.
The daily newspapers, at least in Detroit, seem
REAL ITY
CBE CE
George Cantor's e-mail address is
gcantor614@aol.com .
2005
27