The AP anti-Israel slant is now an anti-Likud slant. Get a load of these quotes from the AP:
Israel’s election has suddenly become too close to call, though hard-liners are expected to have a clear edge in the horse trading that is sure to follow Tuesday’s vote.
The fractious coalition government likely to emerge could complicate efforts to create a Palestinian state and pose big challenges for President Barack Obama, who has made achieving Middle East peace a top priority.
The race pits former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposes giving up land in the name of peace, against Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, a centrist who hopes to become the country’s first female leader in nearly 40 years.
And this. First, you have this explanation of why Israel is turning to the right:
The strength of the Israeli right is a reflection of the times. Israel recently wrapped up a three-week war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip to try to halt years of rocket attacks into southern Israel. The right criticized the government for failing to go all the way and end Hamas rule over Gaza.
Fairly reasonable, no?
Well. The AP editors got hold of that, and turned it into this:
Q: Why do Israelis seem to be turning to the right?
A: The 23 days of fighting in Gaza last month appear to have reinforced Israelis’ self image as a besieged nation surrounded by enemies. Many Israelis were also turned off to the idea of territorial withdrawals after Hamas took over the Gaza Strip and intensified rocket fire at the Jewish state after Israel pulled out of that territory in 2005. In addition, many Israelis are still traumatized by the Palestinian uprising, when hundreds of people were killed in suicide bombings earlier this decade.
Say, Imshin, are you still traumatized by the suicide bombings? So much so that they’re affecting your vote? Yaacov? Dave? Weigh in here, people, the AP is telling the world why you’re going to vote for the “hard-liners.”
And yet, even though the AP is publishing this quote far and wide, it’s at the end of any article about the Israeli turn to the right, and without any acknowledgment that although the Palestinians expected Israel to deal with Hamas, the “democratically elected” government of the Palestinians (which phrase always neglects to point out that Hamas staged a coup in Gaza and is sidelining the democratically elected president and parliament of the West Bank), the Palestinians don’t have to do the same.
“We are not going to deal with any Israeli government that is not fully committed to the peace process and the two-state solution,” said Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Redeineh.
One standard for Israel, another for the rest of the world. Which is why Israeli Double Standard Time occurs on any day that ends with a “y.”
A little later today, the Israeli elections will be over. Israel will form a new government, with a new Prime Minister. And the rest of the world is going to have to deal with the leadership—which is just what they said when they forced Israel to allow Hamas to run in the PA elections, even though the Taliban was not allowed to run in Afghanistan, and the Ba’athists were not allowed to run in Iraq.
Watch for the double standard. And count the number of times the media services use the phrases “hard-liners” “rightists” “ultra-rightists” and “hawks.” Make it a drinking game. You’ll be on the floor before your third news article.
If Netanyahu wins the trope will be that “we love Israel and support it, but we’re just against those hard-line Likudniks.” The “Likudnik” idea continued even after Likud wasn’t in the government.
I like that remark of Israel’s “self-image as a besieged nation.” I have a self-image as someone who wears size 10 1/2 shoes and glasses. And you know, my self-image happens to correspond to reality, in that I do wear 10 1/2 shoes and eyeglasses. Same for Israel.
Funny you should mention that, Meryl. Just the other day I was talking to my teenage daughters about how it used to be when they were small. I asked them if they remembered. Eldest said she remembers malls being scary places and that no one ever got on buses. As you can imagine, these days they both more or less live in the mall and buses are their main mode of transport.
“Israelis’ self image as a besieged nation surrounded by enemies”
“Self image”?? How about “Actual predicament”!
Thank you, Meryl, for writing the post I wanted to and didn’t have time to write.
When I read that article, I first assumed it was an editorial, and went looking for the byline to see who the idiot-of-the-day was. When I realised it was actually supposed to be news and not opinion, I was flabbergasted. Journalistic standards at AP continue to fall.