The extreme bias that has so far been displayed by most of the Western media in regard to the crises in the Middle East has given rise to much anger. Someone posted a link to a video of George Galloway, the maverick Brtish MP, chewing a Sky reporter to absolute shreds. Click on the Play button below. the video is best viewed with a high-speed connection. Galloway is a loose canon, but Lord, can he say it!
The comments following the broadcast are a revelation in themselves, in that they give us a very clear idea of the extent to which people on both sides of the fence have been brainwashed. They are well worth reading.
Still on the question of media bias, here are the rules for French reporters and newscasters, as imagined by a writer on a very angry website devoted to the Middle East, particularly Palestine. The website is, alas, in French, but I have translated the rules for you, so read on...
Rule number 1: In the Middle East, the Arabs always attack first and Israel is always defending itself. That is called reprisal.
Rule number 2: Arabs, Palestinians and Lebanese do not have the right to kill civilians on the other side. That is called terrorism.
Rule number 3: Israel has the right to kill Arab civilians. That is called legitimate self-defence.
Rule number 4: When Israel kills too many civilians, Western powers call on it to act with restraint. That is called the response of the international community.
Rule number 5: Palestinians and Lebanese do not have the right to capture Israeli soldiers, even if there are no more than three of them.
Rule number 6: Israelis have the right to abduct as many Palestinians as they wish (about 10.000 prisoners to date, including 300 children). There are no limits whatsoever to what they can do, and they need not provide evidence of the guilt of the abductees. All they need do is use the magic word: terrorist.
Rule number 7: When you say “Hezbollah”, you must always add the following: “supported by Syria and Iran”.
Rule number 8: When you say “Israel” on no account must you then add the following: “supported by the United States, France and Europe” because this might give the impression that there is no equality of arms.
Rule number 9: Never talk of “occupied territories”, or United Nations resolutions, or violations of international law, or Geneva conventions. It might upset France Info radio listeners or TV viewers.
Rule number 10: Israelis speak better French than Arabs. This is why they and their partisans are interviewed as often as possible. That way, they can explain Rules 1 to 9 to us. That is called the absence of journalistic bias.
Rule number 11: If you do not agree with these rules, or if you find that they are more in favour of one party in the conflict, then you are a dangerous anti-Semite.
Original in French by Sindibad
CAPJPO-EuroPalestine
19-07-2006
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