‘Industry of lies’
IT is important to distinguish between criticism of specific policies by Israeli governments and outright falsehoods circulated by some sections of academia and the media, according to visiting Israeli journalist Ben-Dror Yemini.
IT is important to distinguish between criticism of specific policies by Israeli governments and outright falsehoods circulated by some sections of academia and the media, according to visiting Israeli journalist Ben-Dror Yemini.
Some academics and journalists have spread “blatant lies” about Israel – for example, accusing it of raising infant mortality rates among Palestinians when, in fact, mortality rates have declined, he told The AJN.
Their motivation appears to be a view of Israel as a “post-colonial” state, he reflected.
The variety of lies targeting Israel range from Israel’s role in the Jenin massacre, during the 2000-04 intifada, to vicious canards about involvement in 9/11, he said.
In fact, at a packed community event at the Lamm Jewish Library of Australia last Thursday, Yemini spoke of an “industry of lies” aimed at Israel.
He outlined many examples of lies, such as the flooding of Gaza by Israel opening dams which do not exist, lies about the social position of Israeli Arabs and general demonisation of Israel.
The event was co-hosted by the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV), the Zionist Council of Victoria (ZCV) and the Embassy of Israel, with Ambassador of Israel Shmuel Ben-Shmuel helping to answer audience questions on the night.
Comparing lies about Israel to Nazi propaganda and medieval blood libels, Yemini said prominent academics and journalists had not been called to account. Whenever he challenged them on the facts, he said they did not respond and would not let the facts stand in the way of their political objectives.
Yemini also addressed a Jewish community event in Sydney and had meetings in Canberra.
The native Tel Avivian began his journalism career 31 years ago. His book Political Punch is a critique of politics and society in Israel. Between 2003 and 2014, Yemini was the opinion-page editor of Maariv.
PETER KOHN
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