I have often posted articles by Abu Toameh:
A real journalist
Khaled Abu Toameh knows all about "the Israeli occupation." He was born in the West Bank city of Tulkarem in 1963, when it was still under Jordanian occupation. Four years later, Tulkarem, along with the rest of Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights and the Sinai peninsula, changed hands. And much later, in 1994, Tulkarem fell under the quasi-jurisdiction of Yasser Arafat through the grace of the Oslo Accords.
But Abu Toameh hasn't led a life of hopelessness and despair. He graduated from Hebrew University in 1986 with a B.A in English literature. Then, after spending some time working for a PLO "newspaper," (pasting together canned announcements sent from Tunis) he became what he calls "a real journalist." He's now the Jerusalem Post's correspondent for "the territories," and he contributes as well to NBC News, US News & World Report and The Jerusalem Report. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife and three children.
Speaking to a packed room in Center City, Philadelphia, earlier today at an event sponsored by Daniel Pipes' Middle East Forum, Abu Toameh talked about life and journalism under the occupation. He also talked about life and journalism under the Palestinian Authority. If you're not familiar with his writing, his views may come as a surprise. If you are, they probably won't.
He's quick to point out, without being asked, that the palestinians did indeed celebrate on 9-11. Why wasn't that better publicized? Threats. The PA Minister of Information announced without nuance that he "could not be responsible for the safety" of journalists in the territories if the celebrations were broadcast. Why, then, not at least report verbally on them? Abu Toameh says that it's a pattern. The journalists want to stay in the good graces of their sources, and they don't want to make waves. Criticism of Arafat's regime is prohibited absolutely, and no one wants to pay the price. In fact, the first thing Arafat did when he "returned" to the West Bank in 1994 was to clamp down on all free expression -- close newspapers, fire reporters who wouldn't toe the line, take over the media with an iron fist.
Why is he working for a "right wing Israeli newspaper?" Abu Toameh says he's always asked. Because he's a "real journalist." In the PA, there are no real journalists, just mouthpieces for the thugocracy (my word, not his).
As for the foreign press, Abu Toameh shrugs. They see no evil and hear no evil when it comes to the behavior of the PA. He describes an incredible scene back in 2002 when he was covering an event at the mukata, Arafat's compound in Ramallah. With a crowd of international reporters standing around, two palestinian policemen brought a man out, threw him up against a wall and shot him -- right under the window of Arafat's office. When the reporters converged, the policeman seemed bewildered. It was just a simple execution, nothing to get excited about, he said. And no one did. In fact, according to Abu Toameh, no one else even mentioned it. But he did (the Jerusalem Post has now changed all its old links to paid-access pages but you can read an excerpt from the article here if you scroll about halfway down the page).
In point of fact, he says, a simple denial will usually suffice to kill any story that reflects badly on the PA.
Abu Toameh isn't gentle with many favored palestinian myths, either. Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount did not ignite the "intifada." Rather, it was the coverage of the visit in the palestinian media, in which it was made to appear that Sharon arrived with guns and tanks to invade and destroy the mosque and rebuild . . .. He left that sentence hanging. As for the palestinian devotion to the "right of return" and the re-division of Jerusalem, he lays the blame squarely on the Israeli government, which by agreeing at Oslo to open those issues for resolution in "final status talks" invited that particular foot in the door. Now, he says, it's become an indelible part of the palestinian worldview and impossible to eradicate. For the most part, they realize it's not going to happen, but you won't hear them say that. Oslo gave them the hope, the incentive to keep handing down those keys, the notion that someday . . ..
"Bush -- the savior of the Arab masses." That's a quote, and it drew an audible gasp and a few chuckles from the crowd. Not something most of us were expecting to hear. But Abu Toameh seems to believe that Bush's hard-line attitude is exactly the wake-up call the Arabs need to get their act together. He believes that the vast majority of the "Arab street" is, contrary to what we hear, strongly supportive of democracy and of America's intervention in Iraq. It's the Arab regimes (and this is nothing new) that stand to lose everything if America succeeds in Iraq and it's the regimes that must continue to promote rabid anti-American sentiments if they have any hope of survival.
Anyone who has ever been under the impression that the weapons and the training given to the PA security forces by Israel and the CIA under Oslo will be used against palestinian militants is deluded, says Abu Toameh. "These weapons will only be used to kill Jews." That, too, is a quote, and it's the sentiment that he assures us has always permeated Arafat's regime. Since when? Since back in 1994. The sunshine days.
On the threatened assassination of Arafat, Abu Toameh is again unperturbed. No big deal, he says. No one really cares about Arafat. He can't even get Mubarak, Assad and Abdullah to take his calls these days. But "the problem is no longer Arafat, it's Arafatism." Taking Arafat out could create a dangerous illusion, because his "students" are at least as much of the problem as he is. Mohammed Dahlan? Jabril Rajoub? Moderates who will promote reform? A joke.
Abu Toameh reiterates the general criticism of Israel's PR abilities. Much of it, he says, is innate. When he's covering a story that reflects poorly on Israel and tries to get a government spokesman to offer a rebuttal, it's a long and frustrating process. (Something to remember, because I've heard this too many times from too many sources to doubt it, so that sometimes the reason you don't get that "balanced view" can be attributed to Israel's own recalcitrance in this area.) The Arab spokespeople, on the other hand, are always more than willing to talk, to accomodate, to make a reporter feel welcome. Hospitality is a famed Arab trait, and one for which Israelis are not reknowned. Knock on the door, wake them up in the middle of the night, no problem. Hanan Ashrawi will come out in her nightgown to answer your questions.
Well, that was one image I could certainly have lived without. All in all, though, a fascinating hour and a fascinating man. A "real journalist," indeed. Watch for his byline at the JP. It's usually worth seeking out.
Posted by lynn-b at at April 27, 2004 05:02 PM
incontext.blogmosis.com
AllahPundit comments:
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April 28, 2004
While laughing at this post over on Kufr Watch, Allah paused to reflect: Are you people too stupid to create effective propaganda or, as is usually the case, are you simply holding back due to a little deficiency in the ol' nutsack department? The fact that you can recognize the good stuff when you see it suggests to Allah that the latter theory is correct. But in case not, let A-double-lizzle give you a quick primer. Ineffective propaganda is blaming America's hostility toward the world's most degraded culture on racism even though the rebuilding effort in Iraq is premised on the belief that Arabs have the same political desires and capabilities as everyone else. Effective propaganda is using ever more over-the-top displays of emotion to terrify the press and play to their stereotypes of you as poor, easily manipulated, quasi-feral monkey-men. Glorious anecdote:
As for the foreign press, Abu Toameh shrugs. They see no evil and hear no evil when it comes to the behavior of the PA. He describes an incredible scene back in 2002 when he was covering an event at the mukata, Arafat's compound in Ramallah. With a crowd of international reporters standing around, two palestinian policemen brought a man out, threw him up against a wall and shot him -- right under the window of Arafat's office. When the reporters converged, the policeman seemed bewildered. It was just a simple execution, nothing to get excited about, he said. And no one did. In fact, according to Abu Toameh, no one else even mentioned it. [Ed. -- For more on the incident, see here.]
Why didn't they mention it? Who can say?
The third kind of propaganda is that which Allah calls spectacularly effective. For this you must have impressionable young people; an imprimatur of legitmacy, such as from a governmental or educational institution; complete one-sidedness; and, naturally, the most hysterical rhetoric possible--preferably involving the Holocaust or similar Jew/Nazi comparisons. Needless to say, this stratum of propaganda is extremely rare. But when it happens, it is magic. (Thanks to Peter of Slublog for the link.)
Allahu Akbar.
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