NOTE: I just published a new piece at Middle East Eye on Israel’s military intervention in the Libyan civil war. I hope you’ll give it a read.
As part of Bibi Netanyahu’s ongoing campaign to turn Israel into an authoritarian regime like those of his fellow Sunni Arab strongmen, he declared last week he would close Al Jazeera’s offices and end its broadcasts in Israel. To support his decision, he regurgitated the mindless talking points of the dictators of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the Gulf States. He spoke of AJ’s support of terrorism and its anti-Israel incitement. But what he really exploited was Israeli Jews’ deep mistrust of all things Arab. That includes Arab media. Especially independent Arab media.
Just as the Arab potentates hate media they can’t control, and which exposes their corruption and cruelty, so Bibi does the same. It’s why he and Sheldon Adelson worked so hard to create the Israel HaYom juggernaut, which swamped all independent Israeli media in its wake. It’s why Bibi connived to create a new State broadcaster that would be under his thumb and produce news that he wanted aired (his plan seemed to have gone off the rails, though).
There are all sorts of ironies in Israel’s campaign against Al Jazeera. It is the first and only Arab media which offered Israelis interview time to express and explain their views. And it did this not just once in a while. It did it regularly. It even permitted Israeli “Arabists” like Mordechai Kedar to espouse hasbara talking points in Arabic! Where else could Israel reach the Arab masses free and unfettered? Through Egyptian media? Or Saudi Arabian? Don’t make me laugh.
Perhaps the worst irony of all is that in shuttering Al Jazeera, Israel shows itself to be no better than the other Arab kleptocracies with which it has aligned lately. Here is Israeli Druze MK and communications minister, Ayoob Kara:
“Lately, almost all countries in our region determined that Al-Jazeera supports terrorism, supports religious radicalization,” Kara said. “And when we see that all these countries have determined as fact that Al-Jazeera is a tool of the Islamic State (group), Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, and we are the only one who have not determined that then something delusional is happening here.”
Kara may not have passed his math exams in grade school, because those countries which banned Al Jazeera don’t amount to “most” in the region, nor even a majority. In fact, every country in the region except the ones I listed above still permit Al Jazeera to air its programming. That includes Turkey, Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, etc.
Not to mention that Kara’s approving reference to the decision of autocratic Sunni states to stifle press freedom, reflects poorly on Israel. It is a nation that claims to value such rights. If so, why would it emulate the actions of Arab dictators who dislike unflattering portrayals on air?
Finally, while Kara notes that Al Jazeera gives air time to Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, he neglects to mention air time it offers to Israel. And any one of the above groups or states might very well say the same thing about the media outlet being a tool of Israel.
So to Israelis I say: “something’s happening here and you don’t know what it is, do you…?” What ‘it’ is is that Israel is finally ‘integrating into the region.’ But not in a good way. It’s becoming just as corrupt, just as intolerant, just as anti-democratic, just as theocratic as all those nations with whom it’s enjoying what I call a Sunni bromance.
Finally, I’ve reported annually on the international press freedom rankings of Israel. It’s usually in the lower-tier. In 2013, it’s ranking was 112 out of 179 (it has improved somewhat in more recent surveys). Undoubtedly, after this little escapade Israel’s ranking will sink even lower. The only thing holding this back would be the even more egregious violations of other countries like Poland, Hungary, etc. which also seem to be throwing freedom of the press to the winds.
Two points of correction:
1. “As part of Bibi Netanyahu’s ongoing campaign to turn Israel into an authoritarian regime…
— the regime already is authoritarian and the regular man on the street loves it
2. I had a chat with my friend who supplies TV to Arab (and Druze) villages in the North and am informed that Al-Jazeera (both versions) will not be affected.
Indeed, many Israelis have streaming boxes and just like when CNN disappeared from our screens, people gaily continuned to watch it. (Usage of word in more classical context.)
@ GefullaS(&t:
I don’t know who the “man on the street is.” I do know that Bibi as a political leader is hugely unpopular. I know that polling shows that most Israelis would love to see him go. As for the Israeli inclination toward anti-democratic values, that’s obvious. But are you saying you like Israel being authoritarian or a dictatorship? That seemed to be your point.
As for AJ, having them freely available on cable or only available through streaming are two wildly different modes of reception. Most viewers don’t or can’t get AJ via streaming. If they can, they can only do so via their computer, while most people watch AJ through their TVs. So cable is a vastly preferred mode & those would be the ones banned by Israel.
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Richard, are you really a petulant child who (when challenged) goes sulking and name-calling? Or are you the scholar and balanced reporter you purport to be?
Right now, you seem to be the former with your name-calling.
To address your question(s), it is ex-apertus who the “man on the street is” unless you engage in splitting hairs. Bibi is hugely unpopular among many and yet hugely popular amongst others. I personally have no affinity for the man. Israel needs new leadership.
I actually transgressed my own personal rule of never calling Netanyahu by his nickname. Shame on me.
@ gefilte: I’m just a blogger who rejects propaganda & mindless spouting of tired cliches. You stop the hasbara, I’ll offer you the respect you feel you deserve.
As for your unscientific claims, all polls show he is immensely unpopular. Yes there is a minority that support him. But only a minority.
Israel doesn’t need “new leadership. ” It needs radical change & “new leadership” won’t do that.
Then I would agree with you that Israel needs a massive change but realistically I don’t see that happening any time soon.
I qualify my statement about the Israeli PM’s popularity in that certain socio-economic groups tend to like him more than others.
As for the pejorative use of “hasbara”, is it that any view that supports Israel in a manner you find contentious and/or objectionable automatically is disregarded and/or the fuel for childish slurs?
I am an Israeli Zionist in the true sense of שיבת ציון and not in the monstrous distortion it has become.
Much harm is done to our fellow humans by shooting from the hip before engaging our critical faculties, I suggest that you may be misconstruing me abd/or my comments.
@ gefilte: while I admit that your last 2-3 comments have been quite mild & largely free of cant, that’s not been true of the ones which preceded them.
Hasbara is pro-Israel propaganda. The term is widely used & understood. The fact that you don’t like it doesn’t render it treif. People who have a clear pro Israel agenda which dismisses or demeans Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims etc. In order to score pts are hasbarists, plain & simple.
As for Bibi, yes of course certain niche groups adore him. But just like Trump, they are a minority & increasingly so.
Al Jazeera supports both Islamic state and Iran, and Hezbollah acc. to Kara? I guess he does not understand the meaning of ‘reporting’.
Reporting can be very subjective especially when the piece contains the author opinion/assessment of the situation.
A classic example is many of the reports about Palestinians attacking IDF soldiers that resulted in the attackers death where the headline fail to mention the attack that led to the death. Whether one sees it as terror or not, failing to mention the attack is a strong bias.
Richard said:
“To support his decision, he regurgitated the mindless talking points of the dictators of Saudi Arabia, Egypt..”
I think Bibi has more specific grievances.
“…anyone who watched the network’s live reports from Israel and the West Bank over the last few days inevitably came away with the impression that Al Jazeera’s reporters did goad Palestinians to demonstrate. Its reporters relayed the message that Israel was acting unilaterally at Al-Aqsa Mosque, while its reports failed to note that the metal detectors were installed in response to the July 14 terrorist attack there.”
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/ru/contents/articles/originals/2017/07/israel-palestinians-qatar-saudi-arabia-al-jazeera.html
[comment deleted: this isn’t a soccer match in which one side shouts slogans and the other side responds with slogans. If you have an actual argument and point to be made state it clearly & don’t rely on links to sources alone to make any point.]