[statecom] Media bias on Hamas, yet great opportunity for solidarity movement

[Ron Francis]

Dear Friends,

As usual the media coverage of Palestine is
ridiculously biased.  This however represents a great
opportunity for the rather clear Green-Rainbow Party
Statement on Palestine to be aired.

Understanding the bias:

Hamas is consistently called a terrorist organization
while Israeli actions funded by the US, representing
far more and far worse violent "terrorist" activities
go virtually unmentioned - and I have listened and
read many stories on this matter.

It is never discussed why it is that many people
around the world view apartheid Israel's colonial
project since the fall months of 1947 - ethnic
cleansing followed by extensive racism with subsequent
denial of fundamental rights including the right of
return - as fundamentally illegitimate.  

No distinction is never made between questioning the
existence of "apartheid Israel" and "Israel"; the
question of the validity of a Jewish-priviledge state
is essetially never raised.

Virtually the whole world knows that the Right of
Return is one of the key issues if not THE key issue
in the conflict.  It is rarely mentioned, yet it is
key to understanding why Israel is seen as an
illegitimately formed entity.  It is virtually never
reported that Isreal ethnically cleaned almost a
million people in 1947 and 1948, and did so using
"terrorist tactics" that included massacres of entire
civilian towns.  These towns do not exist today under
their formare names.

Listening to the media, you might almost think that
apartheid Israel was a "partner in peace" and that
they have negotiated for a fair "two State solution". 
It's just outrageous and hard to listen to:  it is
almost never discussed (I sound like Noam Chomsky here
!) the fatal shortcoming of the proposals that Israel
has offered in terms of Jerusalem, Right of Return,
and access to religous sites.

The roadmap "to peace" is always talked about as if it
is a fair process for Palestinians (omits right of
Return except as a footnote) Where is the roadmap "to
justice" ? 

... and one could go on and on with Media portrayals.

Even the BBC does not discuss these issues
significantly (They had one Egyption commentator who
did mention that Israel's offers for peace have not
been serious and that Israel has taken actions
contrary to what it claims to want even in its own
limited offers to Palestinians)

Instead of historically informed rational discussion,
we get intellectually pathetic buzz phrases that just
get repeated ad nauseum.

Well folks,... we have our work cut out for us... the
silver lining though is that Hamas victory does
provide great opprtunity to educate people about
Palestine through our Statement on Palestine
explaining to people true story behind the the myths
perpertrated by the media.

I will ask that GRP submit a Press release on this
matter that so decisively impacts any chance that our
country has for domestic reform.  

Compare the annual spending to support apartheid in
Isreal with total aid for Katrina victomes for
example.  How would one year of Aid to Israel impact
the problems of affordable housing in Boston.  

Aside from direct aid to Israel (in the billions each
year), there is the cost to the US politically in many
countries around the world, particularly Muslim
contries, where US support for apartheid is the main
reason why people in these Muslim majority countries
have disdain for the US.

When Chuck Turner indicates that he is unable to get a
lot done on the housing issue because federal money is
just not available, some of this, if not most of it is
due to military spending that supports a foreign
policy ot consistent with the 10 Key values.

It is critical that we show that people in the US
support all human rights for Palestinians and that we
will not support the apartheid Isreal project.  Our
Green-Rainbow Statement is a step int eh right
direction:  Let's get it out there.

Ron Francis