[Peace-discuss] Letter sent to N-G

[David Green]

On February 28th, News-Gazette editors reprinted an 1,100 word article from the L.A. Times on Israel’s anti-rocket defense plan against Gaza. It included two large pictures, one of a Jewish Israeli woman in her damaged home in Sderot, the other of smoke trails from Palestinian rockets. The article explored the use of $1 billion by Israel to develop and deploy an “Iron Dome” high-tech defense system. The article and pictures consumed about 1/4 of the Commentary section.
 
I wonder if, in 1943, the editors would have printed an article, from the German perspective, of Nazi efforts to defend German cities against Allied bombing, complete with a picture of a clearly pious Christian German woman beneath a damaged ceiling in an  otherwise civilized living room. I also wonder if during the same year they would have published a German perspective on Nazi efforts to combat Jewish terrorism in the Warsaw Ghetto.
 
The analogy may not be perfect. As far as we know, Jewish Israelis have not yet planned a final solution for the Palestinians, and Palestinians have not yet accepted their fate. Nevertheless, the analogy holds in terms of the distinction between perpetrator and victim, and their relative power. The analogy also holds in terms of the perversity of the propaganda itself. Goebbels would see this article as an exquisite example of journalism in the service of higher civilization.
 
I hope that the editors of the News-Gazette are proud to be compared to such an illustrious practitioner of rhetorical persuasion.


      
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