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The Spectacle Blog
Noah Pollak has a strong post elaborating on how Israel’s public relations effort in the wake of the flotilla incident is insufficient because it focuses on beating down lies that are being spread by the anti-Israel media, rather than going on the offense.
Among his suggestions for what such an offensive strategy may look like:
1. Expel the Turkish ambassador and declare his return contingent on a full, credible, and public Turkish investigation of the terrorist organization that planned and funded the “aid flotilla.”
2. Publicly demand reparations from Turkey for the costs of the operation, including the medical bills of the thugs and Jew-haters who have been given such lovely medical care in Israeli hospitals.
3. Demand a UN investigation of why Turkey is funding terrorist organizations that are involved in attacks on Israel.
4. Fund a Kurdish human-rights NGO in Israel — there are lots of Kurdish Jews who I’m sure would be happy to help — that raises awareness of the plight of Kurds in Turkey. (Short answer: they are treated horribly.) This organization must publicize the apartheid conditions of Kurdish life in Turkey and churn out op-eds, studies, videos, and press releases denouncing Turkey’s brutal and racist treatment of its own minorities.
5. Fund a Turkish-language documentary on the Armenian genocide, upload it to YouTube, and promote it heavily in Turkey. If Erdogan wants to call Israel a criminal and a murderer, there’s no reason why Israel shouldn’t return the favor on this most sensitive of issues.
I’d just add another observation. Following the incident, Israel and many of its defenders have been trying to respond to criticism of conditions in Gaza, by either emphasizing the humanitarian aid Israel provides and lets in, or arguing that conditions in Gaza aren’t as bad as advertised. But this strikes me as largely irrelevant. The reason why there’s a blockade in place in Gaza is that the area is run by a terrorist group dedicated to Israel’s destruction that is stockpiling weapons to further its goal. And the reason why Hamas is running the show is that it was popularly elected by the Palestinian people. So it’s very hard to view Palestinians as a whole as innocent victims in this. If they don’t want to encounter problems importing the supplies they want, then they shouldn’t vote terrorists into power. And if they choose to elect terrorists, then it’s pretty outrageous to suggest that anybody other than Palestinians themselves are responsible for their plight.
View all comments (42) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Philip Klein
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/06/01/time-for-israel-to-go-on-offen
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PCC| 6.1.10 @ 6:35PM
Why not just declare war on Turkey instead? Mr. Pollak's suggestions would be as counter-productive as they are idiotic.
Alan Brooks| 6.1.10 @ 8:40PM
But N. Korea effectively gets away with sinking an entire ship. And China wants more time to think about a response--
that is, enough time until it blows over and no action is taken against N. Korea.
c. j. acworth| 6.1.10 @ 6:36PM
I thought the Israelies were smart. How could they have allowed themselves to get suckered in like this. The whole operation was an obvious set-up. The "aid workers" refuse to stop, refuse to allow inspection of thier cargo, and when boarded they attack, forcing the IDF to respond with deadly force. Of course, there will be no contraband found on the ships. Rather than go on the offensive, it seems Israel is backing off. Even as I type this, a headline is scrolling across my screen saying that Egypt and Israel are lightening the blockade. So NOW the arms shipments to Hamas can start!
ETV| 6.1.10 @ 8:02PM
"And the reason why Hamas is running the show is that it was popularly elected by the Palestinian people. So it's very hard to view Palestinians as a whole as innocent victims in this."
Philip Klein is right once again - the Palestinians are collectively guilty, and should be punished collectively. It is IRRELEVANT what conditions they have to live in, or whether they have food, or whether they LIVE or DIE because they are JEW HATERS. Every Palestinian wants to wipe the Jews from the face of the Earth. Anyone who disagrees is a fool. So you can either argue that these Jew-hating jihadis should live to plot (and maybe accomplish) the annihilation of the world's Jews, or you can stand up for Israel and demand they be stopped, once and for all. You KNOW they will never change their minds - THEIR RELIGION SAYS THEY HAVE TO KILL ALL JEWS. Either we exterminate the Palestinians totally or we allow them to exterminate the Jews - those are the only two choices. And to choose neither is to choose the latter.
EXTERMINATE THE VERMIN
And thank you Phillip Klein for speaking the truth.
Wesley Mouch| 6.1.10 @ 9:20PM
the Bible teaches us that we are all God's children.
Margie| 6.1.10 @ 10:58PM
Wrong. The Bible says this~
"He came to His own home, and His own people received Him not. But to all who received Him, who believed in His Name, He gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." Jn. 1:10-13.
Wesley Mouch| 6.1.10 @ 11:31PM
I don't know which Version of the Bible you are Reading, but the ones that I have read have always stated that we are All brothers and Sisters due to the Beginning of Adam and Eve. The ones that I have read also say that God Created All of the Creatures on the Earth. People are Creatures of God's Creation and therefore " ALL God's Children".
Margie| 6.2.10 @ 11:10AM
That is the Revised standard version. It is taken from the Greek. All versions are taken from the Greek and changed as far as how it is said but if you want a direct translation, here it is, from the Greek~
"He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God, to the ones believing into His name, who were generated not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God were generated." Jn. 1:10-12.
Go here and read just about every translation there is and the message is the same.
Blueletterbible.com.
Now, you can choose to be Biblical and go according to the Truth, or you will go according to what you THINK is the truth. Our thoughts are not God's thoughts.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the LORD." Is. 55:8.
It's really important that we line our thoughts up with His.
Wesley Mouch| 6.1.10 @ 9:22PM
I don't want my country to have anything to do with a genocide.
BD57| 6.1.10 @ 10:23PM
Which means - what? We should demand Israel stand aside while Hamas is rearmed? Israel has no right of self defense?
Genocide is an organizational goal of Hamas.
Wesley Mouch| 6.1.10 @ 11:26PM
My comment was in reference to the kook who posted that Israel should kill all the Palestinians.
Nobama| 6.3.10 @ 12:15AM
But genocide against the Jews is okay, right?
Ertan| 6.1.10 @ 9:50PM
Pollack's suggestios are dumb. They alienate those Turks who were neutral to, or even supportive of Israel . The current Erdogan government is unpopular in Turkey and is set to lose the coming election.
Joseph| 6.1.10 @ 10:42PM
I follow Turkish politics closely. The AKP will win the next elections handily. The Turkish public is eating this up.
Joe Hamilton| 6.2.10 @ 4:03AM
Ertan;
Who are trying to fool. Your country has turned into a terrorist state. Turks are well known for genocide. However, they are barking up the wrong tree if they are looking at a confrontation with Israel.
Todd| 6.1.10 @ 10:33PM
I remember the world when Mr. Klein's words were so much common sense. We must have it back.
Alan| 6.1.10 @ 10:44PM
Turkey has sunk into islamo-fascism. They want to be leaders of the Islamic world and are using the Jews as means to whip up Arab and Persian support.
Hiwa Afandi| 6.1.10 @ 10:49PM
I wished the suggestion of creating a "Kurdish human-rights NGO in Israel" was originated from sincere feelings and respect for human rights and not to use them when you want. We are not a tool, we are a nation whose rights are violated.
Andy Abbas| 6.1.10 @ 11:40PM
We kurdish people always support Isreal and would like to get Isreal support for Kurdish cause.
Kurdish people want from Isreal to stop helping Turkey aganist Kurdish people and its time for Isreal to Help kurdish People.
John Burgess| 6.2.10 @ 1:42AM
There always has been an uneven balance of power (in favour of the Palestinians) in the PR war. The PLO has been very successful for a long time in leveraging left-leaning institutions around the world (like the media, civil servants, universities etc.) many of whom saw this as a way to get back at the USA, or were motivated by latent anti-semetic feelings.
Pollak is arguing that it is time to fight fire with fire - to attack propagandists with propaganda, not bullets. But this is not the responsibility of Israel. This is the responsibility of all people who have a stake in the Zionist dream. Israel's responsibility is to defend itself and its people and that makes the blockade of Gaza not only a right, but an obligation. And if that requires occasionally using deadly force, so be it.
The propaganda war is the responsibility of the rest of us. We need to stand up on every occasion that we hear the lies being told, and counter with the truth.
Jon Vandeleur | 6.2.10 @ 2:56AM
"And if they choose to elect terrorists, then it's pretty outrageous to suggest that anybody other than Palestinians themselves are responsible for their plight."
what a vile thing to believe. are you aware how extreme of a position it is to say that an entire group of people should suffer because of the policies of their leaders? Terrorists or not (I say freedom fighter, you say potato), it is sentiments like these that put rigid right-wingers like you in the same boat as the Islamo-Fascists who attacked us on 9/11. Let them all suffer!
PS - Regardless of what you may have heard and read about Hamas, I find it ludicrous to believe that they are more dedicated to "Israel's destruction" than to seeing their children freed from the real, on-going economic oppression that they live with every day at the hands of things like the Israeli blockade.
It is the right-wing Israeli government that continues to stand in the way of a neighborly peace by their antagonistic military actions and highly effective propaganda (that's right, the people like you who constantly exploit people's fears and emotions, presenting an elusive notion of security as a pre-requisite for talks, accompanied by emotional appeals that replay the events of the Holocaust and prophesize another one at the hands of groups that in no way could compete with Israel's current military force). But then again, this is all understandable if you believe that when the Palestinians achieve their objective of gaining independence (I say "when" because public opinion is turning in their favor) they will proceed to go out and rocket all the Jews to death. But if that's the line of your reasoning, then it is clear that you must truly hate the Palestinian people, and it's no wonder that you would prefer to see them suffer in their prison camps.
Joe Hamilton| 6.2.10 @ 4:05AM
You can't be as naive as you sound. You don't think Hamas wants to destroy Israel. If you only had a brain... LOL
Joe Hamilton| 6.2.10 @ 4:11AM
Israel should nuke Turkey if they continue to provoke Israel. Israel is much too nice to vile, low life Turks who murdered 3 million Armenians.
Richard Baker| 6.2.10 @ 7:51AM
Good article. Put the Turks on the defensive and ask them the necessary questions. Remember, the present Turkish Prime Minister is a jihadist to the core. Ataturk is rolling in his grave.
Haci | 6.2.10 @ 8:58AM
It is only a matter of time before turkey turns against Israel completely, then it will be late for Israel to counter. If Israel is looking for friends in the Middle east, it sure is knocking the wrong doors. The only friends Israel ever had and will have are the Kurds who supported Israel from the start. A Kurdish Nation would not only benefit the Kurds, but also benefit Israel in many ways. Why have a Muslim ally who could turn against you any time when you can have Nationalistic Kurds who do not want anything to do with Muslims.
Cromulent| 6.2.10 @ 9:00AM
Um, I think most of those Kurds are Muslims too. The Iraqi Kurds certainly are.
Haci| 6.2.10 @ 9:04AM
CROMULENT
Yes you are right, but Kurds were forced to convert, but ask Kurds them self what they are.... 99% would reply they are Kurds before they say they are Muslims. Let me remind you that Saddam who was a Muslim him self massacard Kurds, so did the other Muslim nations. Do you think the Kurds would like to keep their ties with Muslims who killed them for centuries long? I don't think so. I for one denounce the Muslims and their actions.
Tim*| 6.2.10 @ 11:55AM
Two thirds of Turkish Kurds are Sunni Muslims ,one third are Shia Muslims of the Alevi sect.
Joe Hamilton| 6.2.10 @ 10:54AM
I agree if the Kurds who are facing another Turkish genocide, are sincere about mutual support, Israel and Israeli supporters around the world should support them.
Cromulent| 6.2.10 @ 8:59AM
Turkey's old friends have been taking it on the chin for a number of years now. It would be painful to be sure, but its time to start telling Ankara that we are revising our view of this special relationship. Suggest that perhaps Turkey should consider leaving NATO.
I don't have much love for this administration, but so far I think they've played this one fairly well. Hillary issued a weaselly statement expressing sympathy for the "victims" while not endorsing the flotilla's motives. And someone high up leaked to Jake Tapper the impression that there would be "no daylight" between the US and Israeli position. The videos have been damning, and some of the Arab press' stories on the "peace activists" have made it clear to sober people just what the aims of the flotilla were.
Maybe its time for Congress to look again at the Armenian genocide. The AKP needs a poke in the eye.
martin j smith| 6.2.10 @ 10:11AM
Every Israeli PM has felt the American boot on their necks to varying degrees but in recent years--in my view The Bushes,Clinton,and Obama have been increasingly more so. In my oppinion Obama's policies have the potential for a world thermonuclear war to break out. The reason is that it giving terrorist groups and Iran in particular the feeling that the US is weak. Every
small step that gives Iran and their clients a sense of time being on their . No sense of deterrence .
This is why it is dangerous. Not
I thiink in truth and in the end Israel has two choices to comply with US pressure and put themselves at risk or to risk US anger and survive another day. At some point it will be the latter choice that will prevail and who knows where that will lead.
Joe Hamilton| 6.2.10 @ 10:59AM
Israel doesn't need US arms except for a few advances systems. Israel can manufacture almost all the weapons they need. Why this miserable excuse for President is out of office in 2012, Israel will have support from the US. But Israel should stop being a puppet . Nothing turns my stomach more than the other miserable excuse,, Hillary Rotten, who has no expertise and is a Jew hater (ask Dick Morris) dictating to Israel as if she is some Roman empress. She is a dbag .
Joe Hamilton| 6.2.10 @ 11:01AM
Corrections:1. few ADVANCED SYSTEMS.
2. WHEN this miserable excuse for a President.
Sean| 6.3.10 @ 7:45AM
Maybe Israel could send some more spies to the US
Wally| 6.3.10 @ 7:19PM
Once a bigot, always a bigot.
Tim*| 6.2.10 @ 12:02PM
Annual U. S. aid to Israel is to rise from $2.55 billion in 2009 to a ceiling of $3.1 billion in 2013, and it will remain at that level for the rest of the period.
Bob Miller| 6.2.10 @ 10:52AM
What exactly has Turkey done over all these years to atone for its genocide of Armenians, the template for the other genocides of the 2oth Century? Zero.
JP| 6.2.10 @ 11:36AM
Nearly 100 years ago, Attaturk siezed power and forced Turkey to modernize. Attaturk say Europe and not the Caliphate as the future. And for the next 50 years Turkey became a firm ally to the West, and steadily modernized.
But the revolution in Iran in 1979 changed everything. Up until then, the Turks thought of themselves as basically European and necessairily Muslim. Turkey even became quiet friends to Isreal. But with the rise of radical Shiites, Wahnabists, and other jihadists, the younger generation of Turks found religion. For the last 30 years more and more Turks have turned to radical Islam. The older generation of Turkish politicians never would have allowed terrorists to sail from thier ports under Turkish flag and pull the stunt they did.
The invasion of Iraq in 2003 indicated the Turkey was changing, and not for the better. Turkey is a NATO member in name only. This doesn't bode well for Europe or the Middle East.
As far as Isreal is concerned, they obviously are suffering from war fatigue. This latest crisis indicates that perhaps a majority of Isrealis believe that they are isolated like never before. The US is committing diplomatic errors on par to what the European powers committed in the run up to World War I. Isreal will look to its own security first -with or without the US.