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World
THE CITY OF SOUTHFIELD
presents the
2 nd
annual
O/1
an afternoon of music, fun
and games for the whole family
Arab Israeli
journalist gives
the real scoop.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
2:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Stephanie Steinberg
Teen2Teen Staff Writer
Southfield Pavilion & Sports Arena
26000 Evergreen Road
Ann Arbor
K
haled Abu Toameh, a reporter
for the Jerusalem Post and
U.S. News and World Report,
discussed the relationship between the
news media, Jews and Arabs in Israel
in his talk, "Another Angle: Reporting
Conflict in the Middle East," at the
University of Michigan on Feb. 10.
Abu Toameh is an Arab-Muslim
with Israeli citizenship. He stud-
ied English Literature at Hebrew
University in Jerusalem and has pro-
duced many films about Palestinians
for the BBC. A journalist 28 years, he
mostly has worked in the West Bank
and Gaza areas.
As an Arab and Hebrew speaker,
he has an advantage over other for-
eign media. "You can't wake up in the
morning as a foreign journalist and
travel into a Palestinian refugee camp
and say,`Good morning. I'm here from
the New York Times. I want to speak
with Hamas, please:" he said.
He has worked as a consultant, facil-
itator, translator and driver for foreign
journalists who want to talk with
Hamas. Eight years ago, the Jerusalem
Post hired him as a news reporter. He
is often asked why an Arab-Muslim
works for a Jewish newspaper, and
whether he's become a Zionist Arab.
"As a journalist, I have absolutely no
problem working for any news orga-
nization that provides me with a free
platform:' he said.
Abu Toameh said he finds it ironic
that he and his Arab colleagues have
no choice but to work with the inter-
national or Israeli media to practice
real journalism because the Palestinian
areas do not have a free media.
When Abu Toameh worked for the
PLO newspaper, he and his colleagues
would dream about a day when
Palestinians would be granted free-
dom of expression. His editors pro-
hibited him from writing articles that
Free Ice Skating
(Southfield Sports Arena)
3:00 - 6:00 p.m,
Enjoy fun-filled activities including
children's arts and crafts, petting farm
featuring miniature horses, donkey, goats,
sheep, alpaca, bunnies and ducks, air brush
face painting, s 'mores marshmallow roast,
hayrides, ice sculpture carving demonstrations,
Wii (interactive gaming area), moonwalk
and much more.
Chili, hot dogs, soups and more
will be available for purchase.
The event will feature
music performances by:
Paul Miles - 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Skye Island - 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
and more
FREE ADMISSION!
Call the Smithfield Community Relations Department
at (248) 796-5130 for more information.
DETROIT
JEWISH NEWS
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the center of it a11 —•
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February 19 a 2009
JN
Insider's
View
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Khaled Abu Toameh speaks locally.
negatively reflected the Palestinians
because the media believed Arafat
was "a man of peace and he should be
given a chance."
"Our role as journalists should be
to report the truth and the facts as
they are:' he said. "It's not our role to
give anyone a chance because then
why wouldn't we give the occupation
a chance, and why wouldn't we give
Saddam Hussein a chance?"
President Barack Obama held a two-
hour private meeting with Abu Toameh
not long ago. They discussed Hamas
and its effect on Israel and Gaza. Abu
Toameh felt encouraged because
Obama listened and took notes.
"He said the stories about the cor-
ruption reminded him of the stories
his father told him of corruption in
Kenya;' Abu Toameh said.
He also told Obama, "If the peace
is not coming from the heart of the
people, forget about it."
Abu Toameh concluded his talk by
saying he believes Jews and Arabs can
coexist peacefully. "I really believe
there is a majority of Jews and Arabs
who just want to live a normal life
he said. "They're just ordinary people
who want to wake up in the morning
and send their kids to school."
The event was sponsored by U-
M campus groups the American
Movement for Israel, Israel Initiating
Dialogue, Education, and Advocacy,
and the Committee for Accuracy in
Middle East Reporting in America.
Danielle DePriest, 18, of West
Bloomfield is a leader of AMI. She
and a few others had dinner with Abu
Toameh before the event. "It was really
incredible to sit at the same table with
someone who has such a unique and
firsthand perspective on the conflict:'
she said.
"His insights into the conflict as an
Arab-Israeli allowed me to frame my
understanding of the conflict from
another angle L
Stephanie Steinberg, 19, is a freshman at
the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.