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Monday, 13 July 2009

MEDIA DICTIONARY: ARAB~ISRAELI CONFLICT

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by Mazin Qumsiyeh
ATHEO NEWS

A handy dictionary/rules book for anyone writing on the Middle East issues in the mainstream media. To get published as a news journalist, it seems you have to follow these rules.

Definitions:

Caught in the Crossfire: When Palestinian civilians are killed.
Retaliation: When Israeli army or settlers kill Palestinians.
Escalation: Any act of violence or resistance by the Palestinians.
Murdered: When Israeli Civilians are killed.
Brutal/cowardly/ghastly: adjectives describing attacks on Israelis.
Self defense: Any act of violence by Israelis.
Terrorism: Any act of violence by the Palestinians.
Civilians: Armed settlers are civilians when killed. Try to avoid using this term for Palestinians.

Neighborhoods: Areas inhabited by Israeli settlers.
Positions: Any Palestinian towns and villages especially when bombed by helicopter gunships or raked with large caliber machine guns.

Tragedy: Any Israeli death.
Deserved: Any Palestinian death.
Squatters: Palestinian natives.
Democratic ally: Synonym for Israel.
Disputed Areas: Any Palestinian or Arab land occupied by Israel in defiance of International law.

Anti-Semite: Person condemns Israeli violations of Palestinian civil and human rights.

Victims: Any Jewish Israeli.
Attacker: Any Palestinian engaging in any form of resistance.
Targets: Palestinian buildings, homes, offices ~ What the Israeli military designates as military targets.

Attack/bombing/murder: Acts the Palestinians commit when directed at Israelis.

Clashes: This is a difficult term to understand but is generally used when Palestinians die.

Measures (e.g. Economic measures, security measures) : Any acts the Israelis commit (blockades, collective punishment, shelling neighborhoods, starving a population etc).

Security: Anything the Israeli government chooses to do. This can include land confiscation, extra-judicial killings, home demolitions, destruction of groves, uprooting trees, blockades etc. The term security is reserved for use only with the word Israel or Israeli and must never be applied to Palestinians.
Lashing out: A term reserved for Palestinians and acts they commit against Israelis.


Under siege: Again a term for use by the Israelis as in Palestinians have put Israelis under siege. Exact meaning depends on the circumstances. Never use for Palestinian towns or villages.

Rules:

When to use Passive voice: If the violent action is committed by Israelis (e.g. 2 Palestinians were killed, one of them a 9 year old).

When to use active voice: If the action is committed by Palestinians (e.g. Palestinians killed a Jewish child, Palestinians kills teenager).

While reporting about Israelis: "2 Israelis were injured", while reporting about Palestinian use the verbs claimed, say etc. "Palestinians say woman dies of teargas inhalation in West Bank" (e.g. Ha'aretz)

Names: Must be included for any Jewish victims, always avoid names for Muslim or Christian victims but use numbers in stead (remember in the passive voice, e.g. 2 Palestinians died in clashes).

When an Israeli is killed: It is important to note his or her profession, where he/she is from and was going, whether or not he/she is religious, and whether or not he/she is an immigrant from the U.S. or Russia. If the dead person is survived by a spouse and children, this should be noted. If the victim is a youngster, the school they attended should be mentioned, and their friends' feelings should be noted. in general, people who knew the dead person should testify to their humanity.

When a Palestinian is killed, they should not be personalized in any way.
When an Israeli is killed, it is useful to include graphic descriptions of the death scene ~ the covered body, the fragments of flesh, the path of flowing blood, etc.

Please ensure that your local media editor/journalist receives this list.
Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD

Source
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English/Zionist Dictionary ~ Abdul Alhazred's blog


Incorrect term ................................................ Correct term
Peace ............................................. Permanent pre-hostility
Unprovoked attack by USA or Israel ............... preemptive strike
Aggressive war ....................................... Conflict or dispute
Permanent aggressive war .................. Protracted conflict
Global aggressive war .................... Spreading democracy
Individual resistance to aggressive war .......... Terrorism
Group resistance to aggressive war ............... Insurgency
National resistance to aggressive war ........... Rogue state
Multi-national resistance to aggressive war ..... Axis of evil
Political leader of resistance to aggression .......... Dictator
Military leader of resistance to aggressive war ... Warlord
Any Muslim who questions aggressive war ...... al-Qaeda
Any other person who questions aggression ...... Militant
Department that engages in aggression ... Dept. of defense
Invasion to promote aggressive war ................. Incursion
Israeli agents of aggressive war ....... Israeli defense force
Victim of aggressive war ........................ Illegal combatant
Weapons of aggressive war ............... Policy instruments
Massive funding of aggression .... Enhanced force protection
Popular support for aggressive war ................. Democracy
Genocide ........................................... Degrading the enemy
Dead U.S. soldiers ...................... Non-operative personnel
Murder (as a verb) ............................................. Neutralize
Attack ............................................................. Defend
Facts / evidence / objective reality .... Enemy propaganda
Military censorship ............................ Embedded reporters
Destroying civilian infrastructure .... Asymmetric warfare
Destroying civilians themselves ............ Collateral damage
Imprisonment ....................................................... Detention
Prisoner ........................................................... Detainee
Torture ........................................................ Interrogation
Illegal spying on Americans ........... Terrorist surveillance
Questioning war .................................... Anti-Americanism
Questioning murder ......................................... Cut and run
Questioning the government ................ Lack of patriotism
Mass questioning of the agenda .... Home-grown terrorism
Mass ignorance ................................. Consumer confidence
Debt ................................................................. Finances
U.S. Constitution/Geneva Conventions ... Quaint documents
We will nuke anyone anytime .... All options are on the table
Human bodies ......................................... Soft targets
Apartheid wall .............................................. Security fence
Muslim ........................................ Islamist or Islamofascist
Islam .......................................... Anti-American radicalism
Distraction while we prepare to strike again ... Peace process
Questioning Zionist atrocities ............ Anti-semitism
Questioning Jewish supremacism ............ Anti-semitism
Questioning U.S. funding for Israel ....... Anti-semitism
Questioning AIPAC espionage .............. Anti-semitism
Questioning the “holocaust” ............... Anti-semitism
Neglect to capitalize “holocaust” ......... Anti-semitism
“Huh?” .................................... Anti-semitism
Massive funding for weapons makers ... Supporting the troops
Israelis that violently evict Palestinians from Palestine ... Settlers
Multiple victims of aggressive war (the people of Gaza) ... Enemy entity
Distraction while we prepare to strike again ... Peace process

A child who got blinded / maimed / blown to bits when she accidentally got in the way of our aggression ....... Human shield

Who cares if rag-heads get wasted? .................................
... There is no moral equivalence between terrorists and security forces


Posted by Barbara L at 2:10 AM

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