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Keeping Israel front, center in the media
By: MARILYN H. KARFELD Senior Staff Reporter
Israel doesn’t get a fair shake in the media, says David Baker, senior foreign press coordinator for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
The international media would prefer to concentrate on vivid pictures such as an Israeli tank rumbling through a refugee camp rather than telling the story of Israeli parents worried about their child’s safety on a public bus, he says.
Baker, a native New Yorker who made aliyah 20 years ago, was in Cleveland recently to address the annual meeting of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland’s Community Relations Committee. He spoke to the CJN before the event.
“The media sensationalize events without getting to the heart,” he says. However, Baker acknowledged that the media did a “pretty good” job reporting on the Israeli settlers’ withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Israel evacuated the settlements in the most humane way possible, he notes. “No other country could have done it with such understanding.”
The government recognizes the hardships faced by the evacuees, who were compelled to give up their homes. “I was in Gaza with the settlers, standing at the entrance of homes when they were forced to leave,” says Baker. “It was painful to watch.”
The government has provided alternative housing for the Gaza settlers, paying the rent in new apartments for up to two years, Baker says. Public officials also rented entire blocks of new apartment buildings in the western Negev, near Gaza, so that whole communities can live together.
While some families may not avail themselves of the aid, the government has provided assistance in finding employment, relocating, retraining, and counseling, if needed. Evacuated families are also eligible for government compensation of $100,000 or more.
Baker coordinates the media activities of the international press. His job is to keep Israel front and center in the media, a difficult task at times. “We have to compete for air time with Kobe Bryant, Scott Peterson, Iraq and (Hurricane) Katrina,” Baker laments.
He would like to see the media write about more than the Middle East conflict. More stories promoting Israel’s technology and medical achievements, as well as the rise in tourism, would be most welcome.
Tourism is a multi-billion-dollar industry in Israel, Baker explains. This fall, all of the country’s hotel rooms are booked, a sharp contrast with the situation from 2001 to 2003, when the violence of the intifada was at its height.
In its quest for peace, Israel would like to see support and understanding from the international community. “People need to take a strong stand in condemnation of Palestinian terrorism,” he says. “Peace can go nowhere until the Palestinians cease and desist.”
He also criticized the Jewish media in America for not consulting with the Israeli government more often. “Be on the same page with us. When you need information, call us. Consult us. Get the right Israeli position.”
The international media would prefer to concentrate on vivid pictures such as an Israeli tank rumbling through a refugee camp rather than telling the story of Israeli parents worried about their child’s safety on a public bus, he says.
Baker, a native New Yorker who made aliyah 20 years ago, was in Cleveland recently to address the annual meeting of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland’s Community Relations Committee. He spoke to the CJN before the event.
“The media sensationalize events without getting to the heart,” he says. However, Baker acknowledged that the media did a “pretty good” job reporting on the Israeli settlers’ withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Israel evacuated the settlements in the most humane way possible, he notes. “No other country could have done it with such understanding.”
The government recognizes the hardships faced by the evacuees, who were compelled to give up their homes. “I was in Gaza with the settlers, standing at the entrance of homes when they were forced to leave,” says Baker. “It was painful to watch.”
The government has provided alternative housing for the Gaza settlers, paying the rent in new apartments for up to two years, Baker says. Public officials also rented entire blocks of new apartment buildings in the western Negev, near Gaza, so that whole communities can live together.
While some families may not avail themselves of the aid, the government has provided assistance in finding employment, relocating, retraining, and counseling, if needed. Evacuated families are also eligible for government compensation of $100,000 or more.
Baker coordinates the media activities of the international press. His job is to keep Israel front and center in the media, a difficult task at times. “We have to compete for air time with Kobe Bryant, Scott Peterson, Iraq and (Hurricane) Katrina,” Baker laments.
He would like to see the media write about more than the Middle East conflict. More stories promoting Israel’s technology and medical achievements, as well as the rise in tourism, would be most welcome.
Tourism is a multi-billion-dollar industry in Israel, Baker explains. This fall, all of the country’s hotel rooms are booked, a sharp contrast with the situation from 2001 to 2003, when the violence of the intifada was at its height.
In its quest for peace, Israel would like to see support and understanding from the international community. “People need to take a strong stand in condemnation of Palestinian terrorism,” he says. “Peace can go nowhere until the Palestinians cease and desist.”
He also criticized the Jewish media in America for not consulting with the Israeli government more often. “Be on the same page with us. When you need information, call us. Consult us. Get the right Israeli position.”
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| Jewish aid to Arab victims | Israel criticized on Gaza crossings |
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