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4 Responses to “Media Offensive Touts Bibi’s West Bank Economic Miracle”

1. Richard Witty says:

   July 22, 2009 at 4:34 AM

   I still don’t feel safe from police, 38 years after being hit three times in the back with billy clubs for sitting in a Washington DC street attempting to “shut the city down for a day”.

   Palestinians will likely not feel safe 2 1/2 years after Gaza (rationally).

   Israelis don’t feel safe now (only 6 months after shelling of Israeli civilians resumed following the cessation of the formal cease-fire with Gaza) – rationally.

   “Perhaps if Israelis don’t feel safe after 2 1/2 years of quiet they will never feel safe and never be willing to negotiate a political resolution–the only sure way to end the conflict.”

   Perhaps Israelis WILL feel safe if the dissenting community validates their need to, and proposes means by which they can.

   Rather than only dissent against what is wrong (much), but only by harrassing and demeaning Israeli sentiment.

   “In short, there are no substitutes for peace. And peace will not come from opening new movie theaters or department stores. It will come only after the hard compromises are made on both sides. ”

   This is true. Bronner points to instances of success towards the trust-building that makes that possible. I would think that you would appreciate progress, and then suggest the next steps, even the big ones.

   But, not through magic, or even “strategy” of dissent that really is magic in a different frame.

   Reply
   • Donald Johnson says:

     July 23, 2009 at 5:44 PM

     It’s not trust-building to treat Palestinians as lab rats–even Bronner admitted that the differing treatments of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank were intended to teach Palestinians who they should support.

     If I advocated a similar treatment of Israel–blockade until they support far left pro-peace politicians, you’d be the first to start screaming about it.

     That’s what rings so false about your preachiness. You want everyone to recognize that Israeli Jews have legitimate fears and legitimate desires. Fine, but then you turn around and praise Israel for “trust-building” when it’s obvious the Netanyahu government has no intention of doing anything that would lead to a lasting peace.

     Reply
2. Ira Glunts says:

   July 22, 2009 at 4:50 AM

   “Next week’s [NOW] show should tell you a great deal about how it’s quality has eroded since Moyer left.”

   It sure does and the viewer comments on NOW page correctly indicate this fact.

   http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/529/index.html

   An example of the comments:

   Inside Israel’s Army is a parroting of the Israel spin with no honest investigation. Shame on you! You ignored the 12 courageous solders who recently spoke out about the truth on the ground. To have any credibility what so ever you must include their story. All independent investigations support their statements and not Israeli army spin you falsely reported as fact.

   Reply
   • Warren says:

     July 22, 2009 at 12:20 PM

     This is sad. I have watched NOW regularly and always considered David Brancaccio to be a successful, reliable protege of the great Bill Moyers, following in his footsteps so to speak. Mostly, NOW deal with economic issues (sometimes ecological and foreign policy) and the show can be quite hard-hitting. This is a big disappointment, they’re betraying their own progressive values. I’m guessing some higher-up squeeze came from the corporate-friendly higher echelons of PBS to get NOW to do an Israel-sympathetic program. Bill Moyers Journal and NOW are about the only two television news/commentary programs I can watch any more without wanting to puke. I guess all I’ve left is Bill Moyers Journal.

     Wow, I’m feeling Walter Cronkite’s death even harder now after this post. I was eight when Cronkite retired, for pete’s sake (the NYT said he retired in ’82, I believe). Why am I so nostalgic for all this stuff I didn’t even really know or live through?

     My maternal grand-parents were big Cronkite fans and they told me how the news used to be in the late ’60′s early ’70′s, like in ‘Nam the news used to show the body bags of our dead soldiers, reporters would be down there in the jungle and would document (some of) the fighting on the ground. That’s what helped turn Americans against the war.

     What happened to my country, dude? As Michael Moore might say.

     Reply