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December 22, 2000/Kislev 25, 5761, Vol. 53, No.13
Let your voice be heard
MARTY LATZ
Special to Jewish News
"Palestinian Authority (Chairman) Yasser Arafat has violated every (Oslo) provision in a premeditated, orchestrated campaign since way before Camp David," stated Malcolm Hoenlein. "Arafat has chosen a path of violence and not peace."
Hoenlein should know. He heads the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, the coordinating body for 50 national Jewish organizations. He spoke at a Dec. 6 kick-off for the local United Jewish Campaign, which raises money for Jewish communal services and programs in the Valley, Israel and in 59 countries around the world.
So why doesn't the world know? And why doesn't the American Jewish community have easy access to the facts that document Arafat's conscious effort to promulgate violence? In short, why have Israel and its allies done such a poor job in the public relations war that accompanies almost every military war?
Hoenlein noted that Israel and its U.S. supporters recently hired a public relations firm. But what, he asks, were they doing for the past several weeks, when the American public (and the world) formed their initial impressions of the current hostilities in the Middle East?
Israel's public relations problem grows out of one of its greatest strengths - as a highly diverse democracy that values free speech, vigorous debate and a free press.
Consider the disparate treatment afforded journalists in the Palestinian territories versus Israel proper. Six camera crews captured the horrific lynching by Palestinians of an Israeli soldier in Ramallah, related American Israel Public Affairs Executive Director Howard Kohr at a recent event. The PA confiscated five of the six films, inadvertently allowing one camera crew to escape with its now infamous footage.
Then consider what occurred during an ABC "Nightline" "Town Hall" earlier in the conflict. Host Ted Koppel moderated a panel of three Palestinians and three Israelis. Whatever the question, the Palestinians were on message: Stop murdering our children with your tanks and guns.
Each Israeli, by contrast, offered an independent opinion. One attempted to start an on-camera dialogue with the Palestinians. Another aggressively defended Israel's actions. A third tried to fix the blame on both Palestinians and Israelis. I vividly remember the Palestinians describing Israel's "murderous" actions. What I most clearly recall of the Israelis is their internal bickering.
A full-fledged democracy, with essential freedoms, generally has a disadvantage in a public relations war. We need to recognize that and work to limit the potential harm.
Israel must also fight the power of pictures. Regardless of the facts, the photos from this conflict will inevitably portray Israel as the big, tough, powerful aggressor, with Palestinian kids throwing rocks and Israeli soldiers in riot gear.
What can we do? "Jewish silence creates Jewish victims (and) people who care are heard," Honlein said.
Don't be silent. Share the truth about this conflict with interested friends. We've clearly lost the first public relations battle. But the war is still raging. Let your voices be heard.
Marty Latz is an attorney and negotiation trainer and consultant who writes this column monthly. He can be reached at 602-870-9301 or at Latz@NegotiationInstitute.com.
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