-Caveat Lector-
On Mon, 9 Oct 2000 22:43:57 -0500 (CDT) "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
ADC Update: Talking Points and Strategies for Media Activism in the
Current Crisis
US media coverage of the current conflict in Palestine has, for the most
part, been outrageously biased against the Palestinians and in favor of
Israel. ADC urges all its members and supporters to monitor their local
media carefully and respond to as much poor or biased coverage as
possible. The following are talking points to help formulate letters
and opinion pieces on the conflict.
TALKING POINTS:
- THE CHARGE THAT Palestinians need to "stop the violence."
The violence has been largely one-sided, mainly Israeli shootings of
unarmed or lightly-armed Palestinian demonstrators, over 80 of whom have
been killed in recent days. Almost all of the dead in the current
conflict have been Palestinians, including numerous Palestinian citizens
of Israel. The UN Security Council has condemned Israel's use of
"excessive force" against the Palestinian population, including the
indiscriminate use of automatic weapons, exploding bullets, helicopter
gunships, tanks and rockets. It is the use of such weapons, almost
unheard of in the suppression of demonstrations, that has led to the
high number of casualties and the fact that almost all of them are
Palestinian. Moreover, Israel's 33 year occupation of East Jerusalem,
the West Bank and Gaza is the all-encompassing violent reality that
forms the backdrop to the current conflict. Israel has refused to live
up to its obligations under UNSCR 242 and withdraw to its 1967 borders,
even though its right to live in peace and in secure borders has been
recognized by the Palestinians. Israel has even reintroduced its armed
forces into numerous Palestinian population centers in the occupied
territories, which is another principle cause of the current conflict.
- THE CHARGE THAT PALESTINIANS ARE SIMPLY OVER-REACTING TO A VISIT BY AN
ISRAELI LEADER TO MOSQUES IN JERUSALEM
The deadly violence from the Israeli army has been an attempt to
brutally suppress major demonstrations and protests by Palestinians.
These were initially sparked by deliberately provocative intrusion into
Muslim holy sites in East Jerusalem by Likud leader Ariel Sharon, the
man responsible for many massacres of unarmed Palestinians including
Sabra and Shatila in 1982. Sharon's action was overtly designed to
demonstrate Israel's "sovereignty" over Jerusalem, especially the Haram
Ash-Sharif, and was intended to provoke an angry response. However, at
a deeper level, the current protests reflect years of mounting
Palestinian frustration, rage and despair over the failure of the "peace
process" to address their basic human and national rights. People have
an absolute right to resist occupation, especially by demonstrating on
behalf of their human and national rights.
- THE CHARGE THAT Palestinians rejected "generous" Israeli terms at Camp
David and have chosen war over peace.
For decades the Palestinians were told that, no matter the injustice
foisted upon them, they must accept Israel in its 1967 borders, more
than three-quarters of Palestine, and in effect renounce any political
claim to most of their country. The plan is articulated in UN Security
Council Resolution 242, which sets up a two part "land for peace"
solution. Part one holds that Israel must withdraw from the territories
occupied in 1967 (land). Part two calls for all states in the region to
live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries (peace). Every
"peace process" document from the origins of the Madrid Summit to the
final Camp David communiqu�, reiterates that the aim of the negotiations
is the implementation of 242. The Palestinian obligations under 242
have been fulfilled years ago. The PLO and Palestinian Authority have
recognized the State of Israel in its 1967 borders, and its right to
live in peace. The Israeli obligation, withdrawal from the occupied
territories, is utterly unfulfilled. Proposals put forward by Israel
and the United States at Camp David fell far short of implementing 242,
would have left Israel in possession of large parts of the West Bank and
East Jerusalem, including the old city, and ignored the Right of Return
for Palestinian refugees. Far from being "generous," Barak's proposals
avoid most of Israel's most important obligations under international
law and were a non-starter. By refusing to live up to its obligations
under 242, withdraw from all the occupied territories or allow the
refugees to finally go home, it is Israel which has prolonged the
conflict and blocked the only viable solution.
The "peace process" has not brought peace to the Palestinians, or
statehood, or liberation, or even a better standard of living. It has
brought only a succession of broken Israeli promises and a response by
the international community, especially the United States, that stands
steadfast behind one plank of "land-for-peace" and shows little interest
in the other. The Palestinian people can hardly be expected to simply
accept a status quo based on the ongoing denial of their most basic
human and national rights with no end in sight. Americans would not
accept any such situation for themselves and ought not ask this of any
other people.
- Israel is bound by international law to withdraw from all the
territories occupied in 1967, including Jerusalem.
Israel simply refuses to end its occupation, especially of Jerusalem, as
Sharon's invasion of the Muslim holy sites was intended to show. That
Jerusalem is included in the territories referred to in 242 is
specifically articulated in Security Council Resolution 496 which
"reaffirms the overriding necessity to end the prolonged occupation of
Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem."
242 is a solemn commitment by the international community to the
Palestinian people, who have already fulfilled their part of the
bargain. The international community must stand by its word and ensure
that Israel returns to its 1967 borders, including withdrawing from
Jerusalem.
- Israel is responsible for the well-being of Palestinian civilians
under its occupation.
One can easily imagine the outcry if almost any other government used
similar tactics against unarmed civilians. Under the terms of the
Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel as the occupying power is obliged to
defend the well-being of the civilian population living under its
control. Not only has the massacre of Palestinian civilians by the
Israeli military been a complete violation of this obligation, Israel
has also failed to protect Palestinian civilians from the heavily-armed
Jewish settlers it introduced to the occupied territories. Israeli
settlers have been heavily involved in attacking unarmed Palestinians
and are working hand-in-glove with the military. And the Israeli
government has failed to protect its own citizens in Palestinian
communities in Israel from attacks by enraged Jewish mobs.
- Many of the killed Palestinians were children.
During the past few days, at least 21 Palestinian children have been
killed by Israeli forces and settlers and over 450 injured, many
seriously. The wanton and deliberate targeting of children is one of
the most heinous and notorious aspects of the current Israeli massacre
of Palestinians.
- The absurdity of claims that "the Palestinians are deliberately
provoking Israeli troops to kill their children for purposes of
propaganda."
Historically, youth have always been at the forefront of popular
uprisings against oppression such as the apartheid-like conditions
facing Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in East Jerusalem,
the West Bank and Gaza. Demonstrating and stone-throwing by Palestinian
children does not justify Israel's wholesale massacre of them, any more
than the South African government was justified in shooting children at
Sharpville and Soweto or southern governers in turning dogs and fire
hoses on children involved in the American civil rights movement. The
heavy involvement of youth in the anti-apartheid, civil rights and
Palestinian liberation struggles reflects the natural and irrepressible
response of oppressed peoples the world over.
- 12- year old Mohammed Al-Durah was murdered by Israel soldiers, not
"caught in the crossfire." Please do not allow any instance of this
whitewashing of his killing to go uncorrected.
The following excerpts from a statement given under oath by Mr. Talal
Abu Rahma, the photographer for France 2 television who filmed the
murder, made at the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights on October 3,
2000, is a detailed eye witness account of the killing. It provides, as
if any were needed, definitive evidence that young Mohammed was murdered
in cold blood, not "caught in the crossfire," as American news
organizations continue to misreport:
"Then, it was quite clear for me that shooting was towards the child
Mohammed and his father from the opposite direction to them. Intensive
and intermittent shooting was directed at the two and the two outposts
of the Palestinian National Security Forces. The Palestinian outposts
were not a source of shooting, as shooting from inside these outposts
had stopped after the first five minutes, and the child and his father
were not injured then. Injuring and killing took place during the
following 45 minutes. I can assert that shooting at the child Mohammed
and his father Jamal came from the above - mentioned Israeli military
outpost, as it was the only place from which shooting at the child and
his father was possible. So, by logic and nature, my long experience in
covering hot incidents and violent clashes, and my ability to
distinguish sounds of shooting, I can confirm that the child was
intentionally and in cold blood shot dead and his father injured by the
Israeli army."
MEDIA STRATEGIES:
Strategies for successful letter-writing include finding the single
greatest weakness in the article or report to which you are responding
and focusing solely on that one point. Keep your letter short, no more
than 150-200 words. Look for imbalance in op/ed's carried. If there
is series of unanswered pro-Israel pieces, you can insist that a
pro-Palestinian perspective is needed for balance and fairness in the
interests of the readers of the paper. That should provide the
opportunity for submitting an alternative view in the form of a
full-length opinion piece.
As for gaining coverage for a local event such as a protest or rally,
try as much as possible to emphasize the LOCAL response to a major
international news story. Include as much information as possible in
the release about the local aspects of the event and the nature of the
community and how it feels about developments in Palestine. Also try to
link it to other protests around the nation and the world to show that
it is part of a major campaign. Try to anticipate as closely as
possible what the local press will be covering or thinking about on the
day of the event and connect your releases to that. Try to stay one
step ahead of the media - you probably have a better sense of what is
about to happen than they do. Also, try to present local pokespersons,
experts, community members and others to the media as commentators and
news sources. Try putting out a release to your local media listing a
few such local news sources from or sympathetic to the community,
together with quotes and contact information. They are likely to keep
this on file and use it in coming days.
________ ______ American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
/\ |_ ___ \ / ____| 4201 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 300
/ \ | | \ | | | Washington, D.C. 20008, U.S.A.
/ /\ \ | | | | | | Tel: (202) 244-2990, Fax: (202) 244-3196
/ ____ \ _| |_ / | | |____ E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
/_/ \_\________/ \______| Web : http://www.adc.org
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