Images Are the Ammo in War for World Sympathy

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LOS ANGELES TIMES CRIS A Palestinian boy in Lebanon has a Koran and toy rifle. 'This is Israel Radio and not the Voice • Media: Israelis and of Palestine." Nadav was quoted as saving in the daily newspaner Maariv.

He Palestinians load cameras, complained that Israelis interviewed on activate beepers and dial cell radio sounded apologetic and ab phones.to spread their versions ject" compared with the Arabs. Israeli media enjoy far more freedom of recent events. than Palestinian newspapers and broadcasting outers, baracular y regaronen ternal pondes.

Unake the Palestinian By MARJORIE MILLER TIMES SEAFE WRITER press, Israeli columnists and newspapers routinely criticize the government and, in JERUSALEM-"Press wishing to rePalestinians' poceive footage of Palestinian propaganda please call, sdys the message wrom ans SiBu the Israeli media have closed ranks raeli propaganda arm. behind their government at a time when "As part of the Al Agsa intifada activities, Palestinians will march in Ramallah estinians and israelt Arabs. 'i'here is little says the message Thank you," disagreement among leftist and rightist f a picture is worth a thousand words, a chousana vicuures Just mugar win tit war.

That is the calculation of Israeli and commentators referred to the Palratesuman oucas who the come oatue on peppers. mobile telephones. the inter yost Israel ourtausts say us consel sus is a rerection orbuone opinion, notar net and television cameras while their manipulation ore Palesuman easiaton Hanan Ashrawi says the effect is the want to mobilize their com same patriots, to rally national support for their as a cauers anu w sway internatonal Dubn whole has opinion then way.

Nether wants to de adopted the mi dension a there bed Damed or the violence that nas calmed sense or nosunty and wistrust or the about i lives. most of them Palestinian ralesunan people. Ashrawi said.

They have accepted the denumanization of palEach wants to make the point that it is estinians One of the Palestinians' most articulate and, indeed, every word-is a weapon in the media war. international That is why Palestinian officials confisted outmanss aim ora west bank Gues preventea ne We Eone cries a sei cost or moo Vening wo israeli soldiers last makie it to Jerusaien on suncay tor an anchor ban WeRk. '''hey failed to get all of it. and images of a battered body tossed from a Palestinian For the Palestinians, international puband of a lie opinion is part of in triumph, were beamed Until then, the most searing image of ent Clinton as an impartial mediator and wants w urtis more sympateuc duies He the conflict was the on-camera death of a the United Nations and European Union into peace aks- move israe venecowered behind his father during a firefight before he was killed by an Israeli mently opposes.

Arafat also wants the Arab and Muslim soldier's bullet. "The media war is not only coverage of worlds to rally behind him in the struggle lependent: an ind the real war, maybe the real war is the HiCuld Wal as its capital.

Thus, the Palestinian media spokesman Nachman Shai nat is way une sae weense norces aua, or une uprising for ure noly BE ads mosque in Jerustien are armine toeir soldiers with video camFor Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, eras as well as guns.

They feel that tod news airing footag rather than from the Israeli soldiers and, even if provoked, risks looking as if want to show that the bullets ily both av is ocatuk up on a weakne ways. Israel reevision nas run the sol showingratesumans diers videotape. In this case.

Israel responded to the rishootne at them. ots with considerable mignt and paid a heavy price in international public opinDuring retaliatory raids for the lynchThe U.N. Security Council con ing, Israeli gunships targeted the Voice of ion. denned Israel for having used excessive destlaus or use the sauro t meier Israeli government quickly realized it had image problems.

It has since overs wi an Israel Waues, and a nalu opened a speciar mena center and to suen producasts is one or tner ce provent in me sotspoken and Despectai manes or resouating a cease-re at the Summit in the evouan resort of sharm cled Shai to represent the country. Shai el Sheik today.

Since the beginning of the was also Israel's spokesman during the 1991 Persian Gulf War against Irac "The Gulf War was a completely diftinuous news by ferent situation. For a of the street fights.

We were attacked trac and immedately enoved sympaury while, the radio waves were open for lisirom une whole work. we were expected HOL eatestantan notto mut back. and we clone Soat salou Aulhonly President yasser Aratat "'his is different. it is israelis versus Palestinians, and it was seen as an armed The theme running through the broadcasts is how Israel took the land of Pal• goal is as a peace-loving country," he said agreed calls went out for the people to defend So urgent is the battle that Shal for the first time to appear on television or to nent tor ralestine mav.

Yom KiDDur. The Lie Tones Jews mo Day or Atonement when dews ase since he missue alack took the channel oft the air for about 3u minutes. but transthen, he has been holding daily news briefmission resumed through local FM stations.

Still, Voice of Palestine's audience with daily "talking points" to get the Is reduced and the damages million, according to Director General Bassem abu Sumaya.

Shai thinks that, after stumbling in the Israell Radio director Amnon Nadav, first days of the conflict, Israel is gaining ground in the media wan meanwillie, mistructu mis program cul Los norto sive a creater amtorm to tar "In the first stage, we were not preArab perspective than to the Israeli posi-pared," he said. "Once words replace tion in news reports.

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"Images Are the Ammo in War for World Sympathy," Los Angeles Times, 16 October 2000. Covering Palestine archive, CP-2000-034. https://coveringpalestine.org/archive/cp-2000-034