Why so Many Israel Threads?

[jbg]

Exactly. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict has been daily front page news since 1948. Why not ask the press "Why so many stories about Israel?"

Higgly you and I rarely agree but this post shows you have an open and curious mind. We totally agree.

Why is every hangnail or splinter caused by Israelis front page news whereas the brutal, animalistic Janjaweed slaughters, Rwanda/Burundi and other atrocities barely rate a footnote?

[BC_chick]

Why is every hangnail or splinter caused by Israelis front page news whereas the brutal, animalistic Janjaweed slaughters, Rwanda/Burundi and other atrocities barely rate a footnote?

As much as I would like to see more awareness about brutalities going on in Sudan, I think the reason that Israel gets more attention is for several reasons:

1) Unlike the 'brutal, animalistic' killers in Sudan, Israel is a western democracy (or claims to be anyway). I think we need to set the bar a little higher than Sudan when setting expectations for a real, western, democracy. But that's just my opinion.

2) Sudan doesn't have powerhouse lobbyists in western countries which create big divisions within our society wrt to the ethical repercussions of such one-sided support.

3) Whether or not you agree with the legitimacy of Arab grievances, you can't deny that Israel plays a big role in all of it. When those planes rammed into those buildings, everyone woke up it seems. Some said let's throw out all the ragheads, others started questioning why they hate the west so badly. In other words, unlike Sudan, the conflict is no longer 'over there.'

Oh, and I'm not saying it's good to sweep atrocities under the rug just because they don't affect us personally... I don't like it any more than you do... I'm simply answering your question for you as to why things are the way they are in the media.

Edited February 1, 2009 by BC_chick

[BigAl]

The reason I started the thread was to focus on the disproportionate negative attention Israel receives for self-defense, and the scant attention given to real atrocities. Ditto Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. Actions by the truly savage people are ignored, and the efforts of the civilized world to defend itself are villified. One wonders if Rome's defenders received such treatment, i.e. pro-barbarian press?

Wowee. Those are some pretty loaded comments dude. What's your definition of "savage" anyway? I'd say anybody who's willing to send people to die for a cause or slaughter children or whatever (on EITHER side of this debate) could fit a pretty broad definition of "savage", wouldn't you?

[jbg]

Wowee. Those are some pretty loaded comments dude. What's your definition of "savage" anyway? I'd say anybody who's willing to send people to die for a cause or slaughter children or whatever (on EITHER side of this debate) could fit a pretty broad definition of "savage", wouldn't you?

I believe in calling a spade a spade. I think there's a huge difference in sending sons off to war where they risk death as opposed to a suicide misison with certain death, and totally random victims.

[Chris in KW]

I think there are a few historical reasons why the Israeli / Palestinian issues are so loaded, and that form a backdrop for issues.

1. It seems obvious, but the extreme persecution and genocide against Jews in WW2 created widespread sympathy for Israel on an emotional level, that still exists today. Basically, many people believe that Israel is justified in pursuing extreme measures because of the horrors of the holocaust. I won't offer an opinion on this except to say that it's a factor that influences every opinion on Israel.

2. Christianity's obsession with the holy land. You can go to many protestant Christian churches in Canada and find pamphlets re. Israel. Some of these are tourist in nature (come see where Jesus lived). However, many of them tie the Old Testament notion of the Children of Israel and the promised land, to the modern nation of Israel. The idea is that Christians must support Israel because of this tie.

In my opinion (as a Christian), this link between Christianity and Israel is not an important one. The only real link in my opinion is that Jesus lived in that area. To me, the "holy land" is only interesting for historical and current political reasons (not religious ones). However, the fact is that some Christians have a fuzzy notion that modern Israel's struggle is in some way important to their faith. And as a result, these folks do not take the time to clearly understand the current political & economic issues, and are blindly arguing pro-Israel.

That's at least part of the undercurrent that makes this an extremely emotional issue.

[jbg]

However, the fact is that some Christians have a fuzzy notion that modern Israel's struggle is in some way important to their faith. And as a result, these folks do not take the time to clearly understand the current political & economic issues, and are blindly arguing pro-Israel.

That's at least part of the undercurrent that makes this an extremely emotional issue.

What about the fact that at least Israel is trying to run a country in a constructive manner?