Yet again the media are showing that the words fair and objective cannot be applied to them. We now have the case of Elias Abuelazam, a serial killer, whom the media are identifying as Israeli. So, what comes to your mind immediately when you hear the word Israeli? That's right, Jew. And that connection isn't an accidental one on the part of the media. It's what they want you to think.
Only it happens that Abuelazam is an Arab Christian who just happens to live in Israel. That's not the picture the media want you getting. Amazing how they can spell the word Arab when it suits their purposes, particularly when they want to show those "poor" Arabs as the victims of Israeli/Jewish aggression. But let the shoe be shown to be on the other foot and suddenly they find that Israeli is just the right word to use. Do they truly believe that the whole world is that dumb?! Apparently they do.
For the Rebbetzin's Husband's take, go to
http://rechovot.blogspot.com/
5 comments:
A few of the sources did identify him as an Israeli-Arab but most just left it at either Israeli or resident of Israel or having an Israeli passport. After all these years are you really expecting objective or balanced reporting if anyone with any ties of any kind to Israel does something bad?
So, every time a jew is arrested you want the religion as well as the nationality identified?
Anon,
Unless the ArchBishop or some major religious leader is arrested and the arrest has something to do with his religious position, there should be no mention of anyone's religion in a news report. You don't read that "John Smith, a Unitarian, was arrested today for shoplifting." And yet, if someone who is identifiably Jewish gets arrested, even though they aren't a religious leader such as in the ArchBishop example above, the news reports invariably write "Joe Smith, an orthodox Jew, was arrested today for shoplifting." The media are the ones inserting religious identification as part of the arrest report, but doing so only when it applies to Jews.
Nationality is something else. If someone is arrested here and is not a US citizen, then their country of origin and/or their claimed nationality is part of the news. "Arab" is not a religious identification. It is a claim of nationality/peoplehood. Since Arabs can live in any country they want, but still self-identify as Arabs, then why would a news report state that Elias was an Israeli rather than an Israeli Arab or an Arab? Do you honestly think that if you asked Arabs in Israel to identify themselves they would mention "Israeli" as their first choice? They identify themselves as Arabs. You think the news media don't understand this and use it for their own agendas?
Many news reports are reporting his religion. See e.g. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/13/israeli-elias-abuelazam-accused-us-racist-murders
Prof - correct. The religion of Jewish suspects or criminals are mentioned frequently in news reports. It is wrong, discriminatory and provocative.
While some may argue that it is newsworthy because of the dichotomy between the values publicly espoused by the suspect, and the immorality of the crime committed, that does not explain the common mention of religion for Jews who are not visibly identifiable as such.
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