21 thoughts on “Israeli Media Deliberately Mangles Israeli Palestinian MK’s Interview on Kidnapping, Lieberman Calls for Death Sentence Against Her – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. האם זה מוזר שאנשים שנמצאים תחת כיבוש וחיים חיים לא נורמליים, במציאות בה ישראל חוטפת כל יום עצירים, זה מוזר שהם נוהגים ככה? הם לא טרוריסטים. גם אם אני לא מסכימה איתם, הם אנשים שלא רואים שום פתח לשנות את המציאות שלהם, והם נאלצים להשתמש באמצעים האלה עד שישראל “תתפכח ותראה את הסבל, תרגיש את הסבל של האחר

    The key point here for me is this part of Zoabi’s statement
    וחיים חיים לא נורמליים, במציאות בה ישראל חוטפת כל יום עצירים
    “…living an abnormal life,in a reality in which Israel kidnaps youngsters daily”

    Israel does not kidnap youngsters daily and to say so is to legitimize the actions of the kidnappers.
    The reality of life under Israeli control cannot be used as a justification for the kidnapping of three Israeli youngsters.
    Kidnapping is wrong, Zoabi cannot qualify that by viewing the kidnapping in the context of life in the shadow of Israel.

    Unfortunately Zoabi cannot show the respect that she expects for her freedom of speech, to her own cousin, Mohammad Zoabi
    who posted a video on YouTube in which he called in English, Hebrew and Arabic for the release of the three kidnapped Israeli teens.

  2. Dear Richard,

    During the military dictatorships in my country, Brazil, there were several black flag operations to convince the people that the armed popular opposition also target civilians. The most famous case was when a bomb exploded in the hands of a sergeant, when he was installing a bomb in a civilian car.

    http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atentado_do_Riocentro

    Do you think this is kidnapping also a case of black flag?

  3. Zoabi’s problem (at least from my perspective) is that as a politician she can’t resist mixing up her messaging with one or two overly provocative sentences that stand out from the rest – and only those get published in the mainstream press. I guess as a strategy for addressing a Palestinian audience this works for her, but as a strategy for addressing a Jewish Israeli audience she manages to alienate with the provocative stuff so that no one listens to what she’s really saying.

    I heard her speak on the army radio a day or so ago and she tried to explain her intentions and statements more clearly. But between a fairly hostile presenter and a lack of her own clarity in getting her message across it was a wasted 10 minutes. Yariv Oppenheimer wrote a piece with basically the same messaging at http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4531425,00.html but since he didn’t use provocative language no one’s that interested in what he has to say.

    The headline is everything. The minute that Zoabi used a statement like “they are not terrorists” the deal was done from a headline perspective, whether or not she qualified it afterwards. And of course she understands this. Zoabi, like every other Israeli politician, knows how to press the media buttons.

    1. Oh, because you’re telling us that the Israeli Jewish audience listen to people like Jamal Zahalka, Ahmed Tibi or Mohamed Barakeh ? I have the impression that whenever they open their mouth, their words are misrepresented in the MSM (or maybe Israelis just don’t get that these people are human beings). Compared with the average crap by Jewish politicians (that include ‘moderates’ like Yair Lapid) that is published without any criticism, let’s be clear about this: we’re dealing with a racist society that doesn’t want the Arabs as anything else that docile Uncle Toms.
      PS. Haneen Zoabi was in France recently, an interview was published with her 3-4 days ago on the biggest newsmedia online, Rue89. All the average hasbarats were out there too, demonizing her, well, she had the guts to ask for a secular State where Jews and Arabs are equals (i.e. the destruction of Israel and annihilation of the Jewish people by Hasbara Central).

      1. The society I live in (and Zoabi) is far more complex than the picture you’re trying to paint. Obviously Israel has its share of racists and unfortunately the right-wing are sitting in government and ruining everything for the rest of us but sweeping broad statements that suggest that every Israeli is a racist are slightly ridiculous.

        My point is that Zoabi is an Israeli politician who knows how to play the game just like the rest of them. When she makes provocative statements she knows full well that people like Lieberman are going to respond with even more provocative words. They both have agendas and they do not include getting the other side to listen, whether the other side is willing or not. Most right and center Israelis Jews are willing to listen to Zoabi about as much as Israel Arabs are willing to listen to Lieberman.

        1. Well, I’m not sure Haneen and you live in the same society (in the same state, yes). Read her long interview in Haaretz, she says she has no Jewish friends left. You think SHE turned away from her friends or the other way around ?

      2. @Deïr Yassin,
        Rather late reply here but it’s something that I wanted to write since I briefly read your comment;

        “racist society that doesn’t want the Arabs as anything else that docile Uncle Toms”

        1) I do not believe that Israel is more racist than most countries I know….. I do not expect you to agree.

        2) Renouncing violence does not make an Arab into a docile Uncle Toms.
        I think that the thing that most disturbs Israelis about their Arab neighbors is the impression, that given the
        chance, those Arab neighbors would onto them what the ISIS is doing to it’s perceived enemies in Iraq.
        Violence, the threat of violence, support for violence or even implied support for violence causes a knee jerk
        reaction among Israelis that sends us into “circle the wagons” mode.
        Violence, when used against Israel plays into the hands of those in the Israeli right who do not want to compromise
        with the Palestinians.
        When a viable, united and determined Palestinian movement, that fights for Palestinian rights through non violent means
        finally comes about, you will be surprised at it’s success and the sympathy it will receive from many of the Israeli public.

        1. @Daniel F.: Stuff & nonsense. The onus is always placed by people like you on the Palestinians: if only they did this, if only they did that. Only under such conditions can Israelis be expected to make peace. The responsibility isn’t on the Palestinians to do all the heavy lifting. The responsible should be on the Israelis, who hold immense power compared to almost none on the part of Palestinians.

          Those Palestinians who’ve tried to found a non-violent movement have been treated with the same brutality and violence as Palestinians favoring armed resistance. Sometimes even moreso. ANY Palestinian who offers resistance of any kind, whether violent or non-violent, is a threat to Israel & treated as such.

        2. @ Daniel

          We were talking about Palestinian citizens of Israel. What the h… does Jamal Zahalka, Barakeh, Zoabi, Bishara etc have to do with ISIS ? Fortunately you have the civil war in Syria to ‘explain’ the current situation. I wonder what the excuse was during the 20 years when Palestinian citizens of Israel lived under military curfew and needed a pass to travel even to neighbouring villages (1948-1966)…
          I’m sorry but it Zoabi is so hated in Israel (Haaretz called her the most hated woman in Israel, Derfner Public Enemy No. One – I know neither Haaretz nor Derfner share that opinion) there must be a reason: ’cause she a proud Arab !
          Mehdi Hassan from Al-Jazeera in his “The Café” had a round-table with Zoabi, Shlomo Sand, two ‘moderate’ Israelis, Ronen Shoval from Im Tirzu and some settler leader. The hatred towards Zoabi was so clear, she even had to turn her body not to look at the two right-wing extremists sitting on the other side of the table. One of them said that if she wasn’t content she was free to leave….(the programme is on youtube).

    2. @ Rain: I’m afraid you’ve hoisted yourself by your own petard. You complain that Zoabi needlessly provokes Israeli Jews and that if she spoke differently she wouldn’t do so. But in the same breath you say Yariv Oppenheimer knows how to speak properly to Israeli Jews and as a result “no one’s interested in what he has to say.” So what you’re essentially saying is that it would be fine with you if she spoke in a way Israeli Jews could easily ignore.

      But my problem with that is that it’s not her job to speak in a way either you or Israeli Jews find acceptable. It’s not her job to speak in a way she can be ignored. It’s her job to represent her constituency as forcefully & usefully as possible. As one way to do that is for her to tell Israeli Jews what she and every other Israeli Palestinian believes. Which is what she does quite well. So I’m really sorry for her inconvenient forthrightness, but I see no reason for her to speak differently.

      Finally, this reminds me precisely of how the American public viewed the speeches of Malcolm X. White people hated him & virtually every word out of his mouth at the time he spoke them. He was a lightning rod for everything white people hated about Black people. Malcolm was angry, he was intolerant, he was charismatic, he was fiery, etc. etc. But guess what? He was right. And now every American and most whites who know what he stood for, accept that. Today, Malcolm would be a U.S. senator or CEO (if he wanted that). The same will happen with Zoabi if Israel follows the right road. If it doesn’t well…all bets are off.

      1. I didn’t say she needlessly provokes Israeli Jews. I said she deliberately makes provocative comments which isn’t the same thing at all. Obviously she should speak as she sees fit. But also obviously she’s well aware that the mainstream reaction will be to the provocative headline instead of to the true substance of what she us saying, which is a pity. Her political strategy uses provocative headlines for maximum publicity, and in this she plays the political game for her voters like so many other Israeli politicians. The few seconds of headlines are more important than anything else I fear.

        1. @ rain: And as I said before, your reaction is precisely the same as the white reaction to Malcolm X. Not a single letter is different in your reaction. Amazing how little history changes over decades. Just as Malcolm was a brave, courageous, and righteous representation of his people, so is Haneen Zoabi of hers, regardless of your opinions.

  4. I’m a Roman Catholic Dutch woman who grew up in a very pro-Israel family – my father, mainly. The Sabra and Shatily massacre all but floored him, but he kept his hopes up. I was a teenager at the time, and I was far more judgmental than he was. Life went on. I got an education, got a job, got married, we had two children and we live a happy life. Our 28th wedding anniversary is in the offing. When the latest round of peace negotiations started, I wanted to learn more about it, about the reasons why they never seem to lead to anything. Which is how I came across your website. As I find your blogs very interesting, and a welcome variation on what I read on Times of Israel and other websites, I would like to subscribe to your website.

    1. @ Mirjen B: Click on the link at the top of the page for “Subscribe to Daily Digest.” Fill in your e mail address & you’ll be subscribed to a daily e mail notice when I write new blog posts. I can also subscribe you myself. You’ll have to confirm your subscription via a follow up e mail.

      I also strongly recommend my friend, Mark Klempner’s The Heart Has Reasons, a book about five Dutch Righteous Gentiles who saved Jews during the Holocaust.

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