by Dr. Haim Shine
The public will make the political conclusions from the film it needs to, and express them in the next election. But it is nevertheless vital to Israeli democracy that the media take a look at itself and atone for its sins -- the sins of arrogance, deception and exploiting freedom of speech.
Yesterday I watched the
film on Channel 10 about Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog and his
party's election campaign. It was exciting to get a backstage look at
what took place in the party that the media made herculean efforts to
put in power. Watching the movie, I had mixed feelings of pride and
frustration. Proud that a very large sector of Israel wasn't enthralled
by media and demagogy and didn't buy for a second the pretty package of
Herzog and Tzipi Livni. It was a package that political marketing
experts tried to sell the public, which preferred real content over an
empty wrapping. Frustrated by those same reporters and analysts who knew
and saw what was happening behind the scenes but kept it out of the
public eye: journalists who saw Herzog's audience-less election
conferences in Beit Shean and Beersheba but still tried to convince us
that Herzog was our salvation and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was
the agitator.
The film had great
similarity to the story of Balaam, whose plan was foiled; he intended to
curse, but wound up giving a blessing. It was obvious that the
filmmakers had intended to document the second historic political upset
in Israeli history -- to make a film that would earn its creators the
most prestigious prizes in Israel and throughout the world. But instead
of a revolution, the public decided that the Herzog-Livni duo were
incapable -- together or separately -- of leading the country.
Anyone who watched the
film could be filled with pity for Herzog. He's a nice person, the son
of a former president and the grandson of a leading chief rabbi. How
difficult it was to see the embarrassment at the memorial in Gush
Etzion, when a chiaroscuro of sun and shade played on the candidate's
face. The well-meaning Herzog tried to convince an intelligent public
that he deserved to be prime minister, a very tough task for someone who
could not demonstrate he could lead an election campaign that
constantly went wrong. Herzog has true modesty, but anyone who asks that
people don't applaud him apparently knows in his heart that he's not
worthy of applause.
Herzog realized that
artist Yair Garbuz's miserable speech [at a left-wing rally in Tel Aviv
shortly before the election] was a political bomb. He knew that he
should write a post in which he said that he, too, kissed mezuzot, but
trapped by strategists, he forwent his own correct opinion and did what
they said. How could anyone think for a minute that a party head like
that could stand up to the president of the United States and not fold?
How could he stand brave and steadfast against the Iranians, Hezbollah
and the Palestinians? I have no doubt that many homes in Israel breathed
a sigh of relief after the documentary was over. To be prime minister, a
person needs to be more than a skilled wheeler-dealer.
The public will make
the political conclusions from the film it needs to, and express them in
the next election. But it is nevertheless vital to Israeli democracy
that the media take a look at itself and atone for its sins -- the sins
of arrogance, deception and exploiting freedom of speech.
The media has an
important role in Israel, but the negligent media ignores existential
issues and seeks to undermine democracy. Sadly, the media has not yet
realized its failures and continues to incite tirelessly against the
elected government. The Israeli public has disengaged from the media
that serves outside interests, the media that lacks a spine or values
and fails to fulfill its role. We're dealing with the soul of democracy,
after all.
Dr. Haim Shine
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=12639
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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