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Miri Eisin / Is only the Israeli narrative 'the truth' and all the others wrong?
By Miri Eisin
Tags: Israel News, Hamas, Gaza 

Israel has a national obsession with everything concerning hasbara (a Hebrew word for "explanation" and referring to information, spin, propaganda or a strategic public relations policy). Every time a warlike event takes place, the Israeli broadcasting networks turn to hasbara experts with the recurring question - what must we do to improve Israel's international image? They really mean "how can we prove to everyone that we're right, they're wrong and everybody hates us and they're anti-Semites?"

In the 22 days of fighting in the Gaza Strip, as in the 33 days of fighting in Lebanon in the summer of 2006, the war was presented in very different ways - informed by three parallel narratives.

The Israeli narrative focuses on us, our war, our suffering, the families and reserve soldiers, the home front and decision making. The other side is shown only on the margins as part of the spin. The three Israeli broadcasting networks turn into news channels, zooming in on every local aspect and become part of the national effort during the fighting.
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The Western media's narrative concentrates on showing both sides - Israel's dilemma and its right to self defense, but also the Palestinian tragedy, with an emphasis on the proportionalism of Israel's actions.

In both wars of the last few years the gap between the two narratives - Israeli and Western - was very pronounced.

Most Israelis would be profoundly shocked by the way the foreign networks present the wars. In Israel it was clear that it was a war of self defense and many people can't understand how the world doesn't see that. But is the narrative presented by the foreign networks false? Isn't there more than one way to present a war?

The narrative shown in the Western media, especially in Europe, is based on a different world of cultural references than Israel's. It says the era of wars is over, that military force is not the way to solve disputes and that there is a direct link between occupation and violence. The challenge facing Israeli hasbara is not simple - certainly as long as the Palestinians' tragedy is shown to the world. The Western media scrupulously present the Israeli side, but does not accept its narrative.

The third narrative is the Arab media's, especially since Arab broadcasting networks like Al Jazeera and Al-Arabiya have started operating. They focus on the Palestinians' tragedy (or the Lebanese tragedy of 2006), see the Israel Defense Forces as an occupation army and stress its conduct during the fighting.

The Arab media, unlike the Western, show extensive horror footage of dead bodies and wounded people. Israel is described as an occupying force, belligerent, expanding, lacking moral values, in contrast to the Palestinian, who has nothing.

However even here the Israeli voice is heard. The Arab networks are ready to interview Israeli spokespeople and confront them on the air. It's not that they accept the Israeli point of view, but their very readiness to hear it is a new approach.

Israelis are exposed mainly to the domestic networks and are shocked to hear how we appear to others. But is only the Israeli narrative "the truth" and all the others wrong? The challenge facing Israeli hasbara is to understand the cultural world and conceptual approach of other target audiences and talk to them in their language.

Israel's national fortitude would not be impaired if we learned to look at reality in a more complex way. If we know, without renouncing our truth, how to open up to the existence of another narrative.

The writer was formerly the prime minister's foreign media adviser.

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      1.   Western Press VS. Israeli Press - only ONE is censored 03:18  |  Pablo B 27/01/09
      2.   "direct link between occupation and violence= when Israel does .. 03:36  |  bernard ross 27/01/09
      3.   I don`t think so 03:41  |  srw 27/01/09
      4.   truth, fiction and spin 03:50  |  jonas 27/01/09
      5.   darn nabbit, pesky little war crimes 04:13  |  rickibobbi 27/01/09
      6.   I live in US, am not shocked, but anti-Israel bias still disgusts 04:16  |  McQueen 27/01/09
      7.   narrative? 04:39  |  erin 27/01/09
      8.   The `Truth` 04:39  |  kmashr 27/01/09
      9.   the prime minister`s foreign media adviser quote 04:42  |  Joseph.E 27/01/09
      10.   kmashr #8 06:11  |  Alan from LA 27/01/09
      11.   THIS IS WHATS MAKING THE DIFFERENCE 08:03  |  ahmer 27/01/09
      12.   When the other narrative says "we don`t accept Israel`s right to 08:55  |  Hastaroth 27/01/09
      13.   Narratives ? 08:57  |  Danny 27/01/09
      14.   There is truth in numbers, not in spin 08:59  |  Natallie Durson 27/01/09
      15.   There is no narrative... 09:03  |  Stem Cell 27/01/09
      16.   Narratives? 09:04  |  Akiva 27/01/09
      17.   hasbara 09:07  |  Facts on ground 27/01/09
      18.   sraeli narrative 10:00  |  ahmed 27/01/09
      19.   Palestinian terror negates all goodwill, address terror first 10:00  |  Harvey 27/01/09
      20.   Yes. 10:30  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 27/01/09
      21.   2nd Intifada Hasbara vs Palestinian Spin - History speaks 10:41  |  Proud Israeli 27/01/09
      22.   Everybody lies. 10:55  |  S 27/01/09
      23.   The Israeli narrative is *not* truth 11:01  |  David 27/01/09
      24.   That which you call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet 11:05  |  G. Orwell 27/01/09
      25.   A Narrative built on Victimology 11:35  |  Ellen 27/01/09
      26.   Well, this is refreshing! 11:41  |  sh 27/01/09
      27.   Interesting to state Al jazeera is objective or is it antisemitic 11:42  |  arthur 27/01/09
      28.   Mr Alan#10 11:51  |  ahmad 27/01/09
      29.   "stone terror" against tanks 12:41  |  Open-minded Pal 27/01/09
      30.   rickibobbi.Sufferin` sukatash who would have thunk 12:53  |  PETER SM 27/01/09
      31.   Israel`s international exposure 13:07  |  Bin 27/01/09
      32.   When you shoot from behind children... 13:32  |  Ahmanutjob 27/01/09
      33.   The truth? 13:35  |  Mark Lincoln 27/01/09
      34.   Yes. 09:09  |  Lisa 27/01/09
      35.   Israel`s Internal Reference is Unconvincing 14:18  |  ARTH 27/01/09
      36.   To Arthur #27, I believe you`re mistaken... 14:44  |  An Arab Neighbor 27/01/09
      37.   the `truth` 17:57  |  Philip Craig 27/01/09
      38.   This article is upside down. There is no "Israeli Narrative".. 18:42  |  Laurence 27/01/09
      39.   Hastaroth, when will you ever learn? 18:52  |  BBSNews 27/01/09
      40.   A question! 18:54  |  Mikael 27/01/09
      41.   Arthur, why blatantly lie? 19:17  |  BBSNews 27/01/09
      42.   Answer to BBS question: "when will it end...? 19:26  |  Israeli citizen 27/01/09
      43.   Rubbish 19:27  |  L Parker 27/01/09
      44.   JESUSALEN 19:32  |  cristian 27/01/09
      45.   Did the editor really read this article before it was published 21:55  |  Erik 27/01/09
      46.   To missinformed Pablo B... 22:01  |  Erik 27/01/09
      47.   israeli citizen 42 22:17  |  curious 27/01/09
      48.   The problem 22:51  |  Colin Wright 27/01/09
      49.   To Erik from Stockholm 00:50  |  Shoshana Thomasson 28/01/09
      50.   Israeli`s must understand it`s a two way street 01:49  |  Justis 28/01/09
      51.   Miri Eisen 02:47  |  rich 28/01/09
      52.   she has not read the western media 02:49  |  Rob 28/01/09
      53.   Agree with # 36 03:49  |  Amr 28/01/09
      54.   arthur 06:10  |  Elona 28/01/09
      55.   Narrative is a story, how about truth? 06:55  |  Adrian 28/01/09
      56.   media 08:16  |  christoph 28/01/09
      57.   I answered you Israeli citizen, 2 or 3 times... 09:27  |  BBSNews 28/01/09
      58.   Voltaire and Gandhi 10:26  |  Ben Galim 28/01/09
      59.   The age of the internet is here... 19:34  |  Ted Paull 28/01/09
      60.   2 sides to every story 00:49  |  lenny peacenik 03/02/09
      61.   Inconsistent narrative of the West 10:28  |  Regev 16/02/09
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