Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Reclaiming the narrative

Last month we went to a conference in Jerusalem entitled "Reclaiming the narrative" sponsored by the Honest Reporting organization, that was intended to provide us with the wherewithal to refute arguments against Israel's legitimacy and authenticity. The speakers were of a high order and although they were preaching largely to the converted, a perennial problem, it was a worthwhile experience.

The keynote speaker was Melanie Phillips from the UK, and her hard-hitting presentation was entitled "Useful idiots and fifth columnists: the media role in the war against the West." Although I greatly appreciate her contributions, unfortunately she was the first speaker at 9 am and since I had to drive to Jerusalem I missed half of her talk. However, I got a written version from the organizers, but I am not going to try to summarize it here, I am sure it is available on her web site. Danny Seaman, former head of the Israel Govt. Printing Office, gave a useful analysis of the foreign press in Israel (they are not all enemies!). Jonathan Rynhold of the BESA Center spoke about the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and Neil Lazarus, who is very charismatic, advised how to answer anti-Israel rhetoric. Lt. Col. Avital Leibovitch of the IDF spokesman's office, described the relationship between the press and the IDF. Since I had to leave early I also missed a presentation on "Are the Palestinians prepared for peace?" (probably not) by Khaled abu Toameh, the Arab correspondent for the Jerusalem Post.

In an era when all claims are considered equal and there is no such thing as factual history, only different narratives of what happened, learning the "truth" can be devastating to those who have preconceived notions of what is "right" and "just." Unfortunately, the "narrative" of the enemy is considered authentic by many well-meaning liberals and Jews, while our narrative is not. Whatever happened to our long struggle for freedom, to the suffering that Jews were forced to endure from the surrounding peoples throughout Europe, to the pioneering spirit that attracted and drove many to a worn-out, desolate land, to the building of that land as if from nothing, and to the wars that were forced upon us and the suffering and death that ensued. Was that all for nothing, not to mention the Holocaust, that some simply sneer at, when Jewish men, women and children were treated as less than animals, and the terrorism, when humans were maimed beyond description by suicide bombers at close range. Was all that not a "narrative," was all that not authentic enough for the good liberals for whom only one people in the world deserve their approbation and only one receives their contumely?

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