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bemildred

(90,061 posts)
Thu Jul 3, 2014, 03:17 AM Jul 2014

Going against the grain

Journalist Gideon Levy is arguably the most hated man in Israel for his reports on the occupied Palestinian territories.

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The writer and journalist has made weekly visits, over the past three decades, to the occupied Palestinian territories, describing what he sees - plainly and without propaganda.

For some Israelis, he is seen as a brave disseminator of the truth. But many others condemn him as a propagandist for Hamas. And his columns for the Tel Aviv-based Haaretz newspaper have made him, arguably, one of the most hated men in Israel.

"When I joined Haaretz newspaper, I started to visit the occupied territories," Levy says. "I immediately realised this was what I wanted to do; to understand the brutality and inhumanity of the Israeli occupation."

"I figured out three things. First, this was the biggest drama facing the state of Israel. Second, this story was not being covered by the Israeli media. And third, this was going to be my life mission - to report about the Israeli occupation to Israeli readers who did not want to know what was really happening there."
Connect with Al Jazeera World

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeeraworld/2013/02/2013212837310172.html
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Jefferson23

(30,099 posts)
1. Just another intelligent, thoughtful voice that is ignored by far too many Israeli citizens.
Thu Jul 3, 2014, 08:05 AM
Jul 2014

"History has witnessed worse and more brutal occupiers than the Israelis. But I’ve never heard about an occupation that believes it is the victim. And the only victim," he says.


K&R

bemildred

(90,061 posts)
2. Yes, the victimhood thing particularly annoys me.
Thu Jul 3, 2014, 09:06 AM
Jul 2014

And then both sides started competing over who is the biggest victim, or the most recent victim, as in this case. It is very debased stuff, both politically and in other ways.

Not exactly the Sabra Mystique, is it?

Jefferson23

(30,099 posts)
3. The contests..not a wise weapon nor ethical. Especially when you're the one who has the
Thu Jul 3, 2014, 09:34 AM
Jul 2014

political, economic and military advantages..never mind the PR/lobby working for
your cause in the US. On that front, there is no contest...wish they would
remember that.

Whoever is behind the kidnapping and death of the teens from the OPT is
responsible for another strike against peace..we know this, they have to know this.

Yet the, you killed ours, we'll kill yours. This contest has not ended either, especially
if they don't like where the political winds are shifting.

Personally, I still don't see how Hamas leadership sanctioned this move, makes no sense
to me..they were no where..losing all funding for the most part. They were
walking on eggs with Egypt too. But who knows, we'll see eventually.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)
4. I think it is a mistake to tie your politics to the doings of violent assholes.
Thu Jul 3, 2014, 10:28 AM
Jul 2014

That is what we did after 9/11, it's almost a cliche in US politics, the Gulf of Tonkin, "Remember the Maine!", etc. It is what lazy and venal leaders do, they rouse the mob with a bit of violence, it's cheap, it's easy, you don't even have to do it yourself, you can just make provocative speeches until somebody acts out. And then you have license to act out too.

But does it work as a strategy, victimhood? Fuck no. The whole Sabra Mystique thing was about precisely the opposite attitude, about not thinking and acting like a victim. But here we are now with all these self-entitled sparrowfarts running around seeing who can yell the loudest about the injuries done them.

azurnoir

(45,850 posts)
5. from what I've understood there is a belief in Israel that if the military or LEO arrests, detains
Thu Jul 3, 2014, 11:25 AM
Jul 2014

beats, or even kills a Palestinian then they must have deserved it-somehow , because our soldiers/authorities would not do such things otherwise

a common enough belief-you even see it here concerning American LEO's

a recent article touches on that belief

http://972mag.com/administrative-detainees-must-have-done-something-wrong/91582/

and unfortunately anyone who says otherwise is a traitor-even more if it turns out to be true as in case of Mr Levy's writings

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