Daniel Doron
Published Thu 12 Feb 2004
The Jerusalem Post
http://www.danieldoron.com/en/commentary/nprs_anti_israel_bias
 

The American people so far remain relatively immune to the virus of anti-Western (namely anti-American) propaganda, and to plain anti-Semitism masquerading as anti-Zionism. Despite the strenuous efforts of America's leftist elites, who dominate its academia and media, to promote the notion that American imperialists designs, especially support for Israel, are the reason for all the world's troubles and the cause for the growth of terrorism; despite their claim that Moslem Fundamentalism is only a reaction to Western oppression, and that terrorism is justified because it is the only weapon available to "the weak"(namely "Third World"people) Americans do not fall for this "blame America and its friends"propaganda. Especially not after 9/11.

But this visceral popular American support for Israel could erode. The constantly repeated falsehood of Arab propagandists and their many media advocates that Israel is guilty of "stealing" "Palestinian lands" and of a gratuitous occupation is gaining credence. One hears ever louder voices among the chattering classes, even in Middle America, that hint or even openly assert that the US was pushed to wage war on Iraq for the sake of Israel, and not for its own national interests. There were always powerful pro-Arab lobbies in the State Department, in the oil industry and in some missionary churches (like the Quakers) that believed that if not for Israel's existence the Arabs would become America's best friend. However, a majority of Americans — notably the evangelical churches — have been supporting Israel despite the possible loss of Arab "friendship". They believe this is the moral thing to do since Israel — like America — promotes freedom and democracy, and that in a region rife with dictatorships and oppression. More recently, many Americans came to appreciate that Israel is a valuable ally in fighting the deadly threat of terrorism directed also at "The Great Satan" — America.

It is to undermine this moral status of Israel, indeed its very legitimacy, that its enemies in America are striving. Leading the onslaught is National Public Radio, the BBC's ideological partner.

For a decade, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America ("Camera") has been meticulously documenting its charge of "false and inflammatory reporting on Israel" by NPR. Camera has exposed many instances of bias, fabrications and lies employed by NPR and its correspondents.

A recent example of NPR's bias is its seven-part report on the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict "The Mideast: A Century of Conflict". This report pretends to represent a pluralistic viewpoint, a narrative woven around the views of "experts". But these "experts" are anything but impartial. They were carefully selected and deployed to back up NPR's biased narrative. They include eight harsh critics of Israel, 4 Arab radicals — such as the notorious late Edward Said and an unofficial spokespersons of the PLO (a fact NPR hides) Phillip Mattar- plus four extreme left-wing Israelis who wants to see Israel denuded of its Jewish nature. To create an appearance of even-handedness the panel also includes one American, a former pro-Arab State Department official, and three Jews sympathetic to Israel. The researcher and moderator of the series is Mike Shuster, known for his anti-Israel reporting.

The "experts" views are cleverly manipulated to fit NPR's historical viewpoint that reflects the Arab propaganda line.

Zionism is condemned as a mere by product of European imperialist nationalism. NPR takes great pains to establish this false claim by asserting that the founder of Zionism, Theodore Herzl was an utterly secular Jew disinterested in Judaism and in its abiding and deep historical roots in the Holy Land. This despite many explicit statements by Herzl to the contrary, especially after he had evolved from an assimilationist to a nationalist and a man of faith.

NPR insinuates that Zionism lacked any valid historical claim to the Holly Land. It portrays the Zionist settlement effort as an imperialist sponsored land grab that violated its native population's basic rights. NPR hides the fact that the Balfour declaration guaranteed precisely such rights.

NPR also hides the fact that not only the Jewish national home was sanctioned by The League of Nations but that every Arab state — whose legitimacy no one questions — came into being the same way. In the post WW! Peace conference the European victors and America reapportioned the Middle East territories of the disintegrated Ottoman Empire. They crafted a deal whereby the Arabs were to be granted about 99% of former Ottoman lands while a measly one per cent of the territories would be returned to the Jews who had a preceding, stronger claim according to The League of Nations. Even this tiny territory was later partitioned with over 70% given to an Arab Kingdom of Jordan.

At first the Arabs, represented by the Emir Faisal, gladly embraced this fantastic deal that gave them such vast lands without them lifting a finger (NPR perpetuates the T.E. Lawerence bluff about an Arab army that helped liberate these lands while totally disregarding the crucial role of Jewish intelligence agents and fighters who made the conquest possible). Faisal even welcomed the Jewish return. Imperialist machinations by British colonial administrators, practicing their notorious tactic of divide and rule, coaxed the Arab leadership to resist the Jewish return. The British appointed the terrorist Mufti of Jerusalem (who is not even mentioned in the NPR history since his employment of total terrorism, and his partnership with Hitler, are apparently too embarrassing to the Arab cause). The Mufti, like his successor Arafat, terrorized first his own people, killing any leader who contemplated making peace with the Jews. The British winked at Arab terrorism meant to destroy the Jewish community in Palestine, the same way that they have actively assisted them to try and kill all Palestinian Jews in 1948.